Manufacture of textiles: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of textiles earned a median £28,984 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £10,055 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
Only 4 of 84 divisions have a lower full-time median.
83% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £25,364, men £31,389.
The median rose 25.2% from £23,156 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 50,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 18% since 2019; 20% are in North West.
There were 4,425 business sites in March 2026, 10 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 | £22,203 | £464.50 | £12.21 | – | £282.90* | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £24,080 | £488.40 | £12.57 | £21,246* | £450.50 | £12.41 |
| 25th percentile | £24,582 | £497.20 | £12.97 | £22,690 | £467.40 | £12.63 |
| 30th percentile | £25,345 | £507.00 | £13.17 | £23,793 | £483.40 | £13.00 |
| 40th percentile | £27,255 | £539.10 | £13.73 | £25,364 | £504.80 | £13.54 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,984 | £581.80 | £14.28 | £27,422 | £544.00 | £14.07 |
| 60th percentile | £31,649 | £639.00 | £15.95 | £29,725 | £596.90 | £15.47 |
| 70th percentile | £34,893 | £698.20 | £17.38 | £32,769 | £658.80 | £16.77 |
| 75th percentile | £36,901* | £743.80* | £18.49* | £35,291* | £710.70 | £18.17* |
| 80th percentile | – | £808.10* | £20.36* | £37,273* | £760.90* | £20.01* |
| Mean | £33,574 | £675.70 | £17.24 | £30,407 | £608.00 | £17.09 |
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 | £23,156 | £459.60 | £11.25 | £22,084 | £439.00 | 46 |
| 2022 revised | £24,465 | £498.50 | £12.28 | £23,448 | £471.50 | 44 |
| 2023 revised | £27,443 | £560.20 | £13.71 | £25,840 | £531.60 | 45 |
| 2024 revised | £28,013 | £575.10 | £14.07 | £26,860 | £549.10 | 42 |
| 2025 provisional | £28,984 | £581.80 | £14.28 | £27,422 | £544.00 | 41 |
Where the 50,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| East Midlands | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Scotland | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| East of England | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| South East | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| South West | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| North East | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| West Midlands | 2,250 | 2,250 |
| Wales | 1,250 | 1,250 |
| London | 900 | 900 |
| Great Britain | 49,000 | 50,000 |
4,425 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 3,500 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 750 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 165 |
| Large (250 or more) | 10 |
| Total | 4,425 |
2021: 4,545; 2022: 4,685; 2023: 4,705; 2024: 4,600; 2025: 4,525; 2026: 4,425.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of tobacco products · Manufacture of wearing apparel · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026