Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers earned a median £48,212 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £9,173 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 16th of 84 divisions on this measure.
98% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £44,746, men £48,589.
The median rose 35.3% from £35,646 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 141,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 11% since 2019; 32% are in West Midlands.
There were 3,740 business sites in March 2026, 85 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 | £27,757 | £546.90 | £13.97 | £26,777 | £534.40 | £13.88 |
| 20th percentile | £32,866 | £647.30 | £16.57 | £31,744 | £633.20 | £16.41 |
| 25th percentile | £35,364 | £716.50 | £17.79 | £34,388 | £688.80 | £17.53 |
| 30th percentile | £38,351 | £766.60 | £18.95 | £36,929 | £747.10 | £18.81 |
| 40th percentile | £43,015 | £858.50 | £21.80 | £42,300 | £845.20 | £21.53 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £48,212 | £943.50 | £24.07 | £47,411 | £930.70 | £23.92 |
| 60th percentile | £53,386 | £1,030.50 | £26.79 | £52,612 | £1,020.60 | £26.63 |
| 70th percentile | £58,640 | £1,132.70 | £29.09 | £57,911 | £1,124.80 | £28.92 |
| 75th percentile | £62,566 | £1,205.40 | £30.51 | £61,826 | £1,198.40 | £30.44 |
| 80th percentile | £67,026 | £1,304.00 | £32.61 | £66,535 | £1,283.10 | £32.40 |
| 90th percentile | £83,058* | £1,531.80 | £38.00 | £81,655* | £1,520.30 | £37.98 |
| Mean | £54,477 | £1,014.30 | £25.70 | £53,494 | £999.60 | £25.62 |
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 | £35,646 | £701.70 | £18.14 | £35,070 | £697.30 | 151 |
| 2022 revised | £37,489 | £730.90 | £18.59 | £37,224 | £713.70 | 161 |
| 2023 revised | £39,954 | £815.30 | £20.81 | £39,404 | £805.10 | 157 |
| 2024 revised | £40,748 | £780.70 | £19.30 | £40,222 | £772.70 | 125 |
| 2025 provisional | £48,212 | £943.50 | £24.07 | £47,411 | £930.70 | 174 |
Where the 141,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| North West | 17,000 | 17,000 |
| South East | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| North East | 14,000 | 14,000 |
| East of England | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| East Midlands | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Wales | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| South West | 4,500 | 5,000 |
| Scotland | 4,000 | 4,500 |
| London | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Great Britain | 140,000 | 141,000 |
3,740 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 2,860 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 510 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 285 |
| Large (250 or more) | 85 |
| Total | 3,740 |
2021: 3,800; 2022: 3,905; 2023: 3,890; 2024: 3,890; 2025: 3,860; 2026: 3,740.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. · Manufacture of other transport equipment · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026