Manufacture of food products: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of food products earned a median £32,704 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £6,335 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
89% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £29,864, men £34,226.
The median rose 26.1% from £25,925 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 387,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 3% since 2019; 15% are in East Midlands.
There were 11,035 business sites in March 2026, 405 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 | £23,390 | £488.40 | £12.53 | £19,441 | £417.10 | £12.44 |
| 20th percentile | £25,805 | £528.50 | £13.12 | £24,073 | £495.20 | £12.95 |
| 25th percentile | £26,883 | £547.00 | £13.49 | £25,375 | £516.50 | £13.29 |
| 30th percentile | £27,863 | £567.10 | £13.86 | £26,487 | £539.80 | £13.67 |
| 40th percentile | £30,034 | £613.50 | £14.72 | £28,765 | £583.10 | £14.48 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,704 | £664.40 | £15.63 | £31,133 | £632.70 | £15.33 |
| 60th percentile | £35,833 | £729.00 | £16.97 | £34,391 | £699.80 | £16.61 |
| 70th percentile | £40,161 | £815.10 | £19.16 | £38,402 | £785.00 | £18.65 |
| 75th percentile | £43,257 | £882.40 | £20.60 | £41,484 | £844.30 | £20.02 |
| 80th percentile | £47,479 | £955.20 | £22.77 | £45,651 | £917.00 | £22.12 |
| 90th percentile | £58,586* | £1,172.60 | £29.20 | £57,141 | £1,125.90 | £28.48 |
| Mean | £38,332 | £770.90 | £18.75 | £36,078 | £723.60 | £18.55 |
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 | £25,925 | £522.10 | £12.08 | £24,599 | £491.60 | 382 |
| 2022 revised | £26,914 | £552.70 | £12.96 | £25,784 | £527.00 | 400 |
| 2023 revised | £29,118 | £594.40 | £14.13 | £27,911 | £559.20 | 352 |
| 2024 revised | £31,976 | £631.40 | £14.78 | £30,112 | £600.00 | 361 |
| 2025 provisional | £32,704 | £664.40 | £15.63 | £31,133 | £632.70 | 354 |
Where the 387,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 59,000 | 59,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 58,000 | 58,000 |
| North West | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| East of England | 35,000 | 35,000 |
| South West | 33,000 | 33,000 |
| London | 31,000 | 32,000 |
| Scotland | 29,000 | 29,000 |
| West Midlands | 28,000 | 28,000 |
| South East | 27,000 | 27,000 |
| Wales | 23,000 | 23,000 |
| North East | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| Great Britain | 386,000 | 387,000 |
11,035 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 7,200 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 2,465 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 970 |
| Large (250 or more) | 405 |
| Total | 11,035 |
2021: 10,450; 2022: 11,120; 2023: 11,195; 2024: 10,940; 2025: 11,020; 2026: 11,035.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of beverages · Manufacture of tobacco products · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026