Manufacture of rubber and plastic products: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of rubber and plastic products earned a median £33,553 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £5,486 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
93% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £28,136, men £34,400.
The median rose 24.4% from £26,970 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 138,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 12% since 2019; 16% are in North West.
There were 5,670 business sites in March 2026, 55 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 | £23,412 | £488.20 | £12.55 | £21,601 | £462.60 | £12.54 |
| 20th percentile | £25,844 | £521.20 | £13.17 | £24,489 | £503.70 | £13.09 |
| 25th percentile | £26,627 | £545.30 | £13.51 | £25,756 | £520.00 | £13.44 |
| 30th percentile | £27,943 | £567.60 | £14.00 | £26,574 | £545.30 | £13.91 |
| 40th percentile | £30,317 | £614.20 | £15.01 | £29,001 | £595.00 | £14.97 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,553 | £669.40 | £16.73 | £32,325 | £653.90 | £16.49 |
| 60th percentile | £37,185 | £753.40 | £18.50 | £35,315 | £732.50 | £18.29 |
| 70th percentile | £41,768 | £834.80 | £20.81 | £40,025 | £823.20 | £20.72 |
| 75th percentile | £44,546 | £888.80 | £21.85 | £43,122 | £870.00 | £21.68 |
| 80th percentile | £47,769 | £958.20 | £23.36 | £46,187 | £932.70 | £23.09 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,150.10* | £28.98* | – | £1,120.00* | £28.80* |
| Mean | £39,038 | £784.60 | £19.50 | £37,593 | £754.00 | £19.52 |
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 | £26,970 | £540.20 | £12.83 | £25,724 | £519.90 | 158 |
| 2022 revised | £28,608 | £564.90 | £13.67 | £27,682 | £549.70 | 167 |
| 2023 revised | £30,947 | £617.00 | £14.91 | £29,761 | £601.90 | 158 |
| 2024 revised | £32,328 | £657.40 | £15.60 | £31,647 | £638.00 | 158 |
| 2025 provisional | £33,553 | £669.40 | £16.73 | £32,325 | £653.90 | 147 |
Where the 138,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 22,000 | 22,000 |
| East Midlands | 21,000 | 21,000 |
| West Midlands | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| East of England | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| South East | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| South West | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| North East | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Wales | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Scotland | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| London | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Great Britain | 137,000 | 138,000 |
5,670 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 3,400 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 1,550 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 670 |
| Large (250 or more) | 55 |
| Total | 5,670 |
2021: 6,290; 2022: 6,235; 2023: 6,100; 2024: 5,940; 2025: 5,830; 2026: 5,670.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations · Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026