Manufacture of furniture: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of furniture earned a median £30,240 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £8,799 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
88% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £29,947, men £30,415.
The median rose 24.1% from £24,360 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 73,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 19% since 2019; 27% are in Yorkshire and the Humber.
There were 6,680 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (80%) with fewer than 10 staff (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 | £23,606 | £487.10 | £12.50 | £19,112* | £377.40* | £12.34 |
| 20th percentile | £24,883 | £519.90 | £13.26 | £23,919 | £488.40 | £13.00 |
| 25th percentile | £25,701 | £536.00 | £13.50 | £24,637 | £504.30 | £13.40 |
| 30th percentile | £26,553 | £552.40 | £13.92 | £25,340 | £524.30 | £13.56 |
| 40th percentile | £28,227 | £592.10 | £14.62 | £27,351 | £558.80 | £14.39 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £30,240 | £634.60 | £15.50 | £29,118 | £600.20 | £15.30 |
| 60th percentile | £33,183 | £696.70 | £16.80 | £31,631 | £658.20 | £16.69 |
| 70th percentile | £37,495 | £757.90 | £18.34 | £35,895 | £730.30 | £18.09 |
| 75th percentile | £39,159 | £785.60 | £18.99 | £37,973 | £768.00 | £18.80 |
| 80th percentile | £41,551* | £875.80 | £19.85 | £40,503* | £828.30 | £19.66 |
| Mean | £36,445 | £720.00 | £17.66 | £34,173 | £668.50 | £17.59 |
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 | £24,360 | £481.10 | £11.73 | £23,355 | £463.70 | 67 |
| 2022 revised | £26,876 | £531.50 | £12.90 | £25,258 | £510.30 | 77 |
| 2023 revised | £28,187 | £560.70 | £13.89 | £27,213 | £547.30 | 70 |
| 2024 revised | £29,898 | £601.40 | £15.07 | £28,684 | £573.80 | 72 |
| 2025 provisional | £30,240 | £634.60 | £15.50 | £29,118 | £600.20 | 65 |
Where the 73,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| North West | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| East Midlands | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| South West | 7,000 | 8,000 |
| West Midlands | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| North East | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| London | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Wales | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| East of England | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| South East | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| Scotland | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Great Britain | 72,000 | 73,000 |
6,680 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 5,350 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 1,055 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 250 |
| Large (250 or more) | 25 |
| Total | 6,680 |
2021: 6,840; 2022: 7,160; 2023: 7,150; 2024: 6,925; 2025: 6,845; 2026: 6,680.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of other transport equipment · Other manufacturing · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026