Manufacture of beverages: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of beverages earned a median £42,446 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £3,407 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 32nd of 84 divisions.
91% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £46,266, men £41,185.
The median rose 34.0% from £31,671 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 56,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 22% since 2019; 25% are in Scotland.
There were 2,865 business sites in March 2026, 45 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 | £27,480 | £536.00 | £13.99 | £25,184* | £484.70 | £13.56 |
| 20th percentile | £31,061 | £593.70 | £15.13 | £29,286 | £560.60 | £14.87 |
| 25th percentile | £33,151 | £637.00 | £16.24 | £30,784 | £590.10 | £15.32 |
| 30th percentile | £34,138 | £662.50 | £17.27 | £32,957 | £629.00 | £16.76 |
| 40th percentile | £38,118 | £747.20 | £19.15 | £35,338 | £707.30 | £18.34 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £42,446 | £821.70 | £21.25 | £39,992 | £774.00 | £20.50 |
| 60th percentile | £47,948 | £952.00 | £24.88 | £46,149 | £898.00 | £23.51 |
| 70th percentile | £55,153 | £1,054.20 | £27.95 | £53,292 | £1,016.10 | £27.04 |
| 75th percentile | £57,848* | £1,124.50 | £29.83 | £56,131* | £1,086.60 | £29.12 |
| 80th percentile | £61,267* | £1,186.70* | £31.34* | £59,134* | £1,168.30* | £30.76* |
| Mean | £49,732 | £963.60 | £25.12 | £47,118 | £904.50 | £24.71 |
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 | £31,671 | £622.50 | £15.58 | £30,736 | £584.80 | 46 |
| 2022 revised | – | £660.00 | £16.69 | – | £620.70 | 45 |
| 2023 revised | £38,129 | £718.70 | £18.57 | £37,359 | £668.40 | 48 |
| 2024 revised | £38,299 | £751.10 | £19.34 | £36,827 | £714.50 | 55 |
| 2025 provisional | £42,446 | £821.70 | £21.25 | £39,992 | £774.00 | 53 |
Where the 56,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 14,000 | 14,000 |
| London | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| South West | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| West Midlands | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| East of England | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| South East | 4,000 | 4,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| Wales | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| East Midlands | 1,750 | 1,750 |
| North East | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| North West | 1,250 | 1,250 |
| Great Britain | 56,000 | 56,000 |
2,865 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 2,150 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 535 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 140 |
| Large (250 or more) | 45 |
| Total | 2,865 |
2021: 3,115; 2022: 3,105; 2023: 3,110; 2024: 3,055; 2025: 2,960; 2026: 2,865.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of food products · Manufacture of tobacco products · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026