Manufacture of basic metals: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of basic metals earned a median £43,962 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £4,923 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 29th of 84 divisions.
96% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £48,935, men £43,514.
The median rose 13.9% from £38,613 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 65,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 3% since 2019; 28% are in North West.
There were 1,985 business sites in March 2026, 35 of them employing 250 or more (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,721 | £536.40 | £13.93 | £25,565 | £522.80 | £13.91 |
| 20th percentile | £32,200 | £645.30 | £16.19 | £31,167 | £627.30 | £16.20 |
| 25th percentile | £34,071 | £683.10 | £17.08 | £33,234 | £675.00 | £17.14 |
| 30th percentile | £35,779 | £718.00 | £17.68 | £35,513 | £707.30 | £17.71 |
| 40th percentile | £40,230 | £783.40 | £19.23 | £39,937 | £782.00 | £19.28 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £43,962 | £870.50 | £21.22 | £43,775 | £854.90 | £21.22 |
| 60th percentile | £48,997 | £948.20 | £23.74 | £48,625 | £940.00 | £23.75 |
| 70th percentile | £54,082 | £1,039.50 | £26.79 | £53,836 | £1,045.20 | £27.09 |
| 75th percentile | £59,440 | £1,118.10 | £28.79 | £58,701 | £1,119.60 | £28.80 |
| 80th percentile | £64,282 | £1,164.90 | £29.94 | £64,259 | £1,183.80 | £30.15 |
| Mean | £48,622 | £922.40 | £23.25 | £47,941 | £916.20 | £23.51 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £38,613 | £760.20 | £18.32 | £38,246 | £756.70 | 78 |
| 2022 revised | £39,917 | £745.70 | £17.98 | £38,885 | £732.70 | 79 |
| 2023 revised | £41,398 | £771.30 | £18.91 | £39,976* | £763.10 | 77 |
| 2024 revised | £42,621 | £860.20 | £20.83 | £42,011 | £849.10 | 76 |
| 2025 provisional | £43,962 | £870.50 | £21.22 | £43,775 | £854.90 | 74 |
Where the 65,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| Wales | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| West Midlands | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| East Midlands | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| South West | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| North East | 2,250 | 2,250 |
| Scotland | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| East of England | 1,250 | 1,250 |
| South East | 1,250 | 1,250 |
| London | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Great Britain | 64,000 | 65,000 |
1,985 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 1,330 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 450 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 165 |
| Large (250 or more) | 35 |
| Total | 1,985 |
2021: 2,010; 2022: 2,030; 2023: 2,055; 2024: 2,040; 2025: 2,005; 2026: 1,985.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products · Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026