Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of chemicals and chemical products earned a median £39,507 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £468 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 45th of 84 divisions.
93% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £33,568, men £41,489.
The median rose 12.3% from £35,178 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 93,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 1% since 2019; 25% are in North West.
There were 3,590 business sites in March 2026, 65 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 | £25,634 | £517.50 | £13.51 | £24,570 | £492.00 | £13.25 |
| 20th percentile | £28,995 | £575.60 | £14.67 | £28,510 | £553.50 | £14.51 |
| 25th percentile | £30,057 | £598.40 | £15.49 | £29,542 | £583.60 | £15.14 |
| 30th percentile | £31,798 | £634.10 | £16.27 | £30,666 | £614.30 | £15.99 |
| 40th percentile | £34,878 | £704.40 | £17.90 | £33,507 | £680.30 | £17.72 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,507 | £793.30 | £19.85 | £37,956 | £775.10 | £19.77 |
| 60th percentile | £44,848 | £889.00 | £22.99 | £43,289 | £870.50 | £22.45 |
| 70th percentile | £50,596 | £991.00 | £25.50 | £49,664 | £971.10 | £25.29 |
| 75th percentile | £55,003* | £1,053.50 | £27.07 | £52,894* | £1,032.90 | £26.95 |
| 80th percentile | £59,776* | £1,135.60 | £29.60 | £57,453* | £1,113.60 | £28.94 |
| Mean | £51,444 | £931.50 | £23.91 | £49,391 | £897.10 | £23.73 |
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 | £35,178 | £670.80 | £17.13 | £34,668 | £650.00 | 102 |
| 2022 revised | £36,955 | £701.70 | £17.98 | £35,353 | £687.00 | 101 |
| 2023 revised | £36,207 | £723.50 | £18.33 | £35,888 | £707.40 | 100 |
| 2024 revised | £37,033 | £728.90 | £18.58 | £35,174 | £709.80 | 87 |
| 2025 provisional | £39,507 | £793.30 | £19.85 | £37,956 | £775.10 | 92 |
Where the 93,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 23,000 | 23,000 |
| South East | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| East of England | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| North East | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| East Midlands | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| West Midlands | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| South West | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Scotland | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| London | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| Wales | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| Great Britain | 93,000 | 93,000 |
3,590 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 2,345 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 785 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 395 |
| Large (250 or more) | 65 |
| Total | 3,590 |
2021: 3,705; 2022: 3,970; 2023: 3,940; 2024: 3,745; 2025: 3,725; 2026: 3,590.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products · Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026