Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials earned a median £34,146 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £4,893 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 £30,794, men £34,309.
The median rose 28.5% from £26,565 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 70,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 8% since 2019; 16% are in West Midlands.
There were 10,490 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (86%) 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 | – | £499.60 | £12.63 | – | £397.40* | £12.60 |
| 20th percentile | £26,712 | £559.70 | £13.50 | £24,576* | £501.50 | £13.36 |
| 25th percentile | £27,920 | £584.20 | £14.00 | £26,078 | £531.00 | £13.57 |
| 30th percentile | £29,483 | £614.10 | £14.45 | £27,409 | £567.60 | £14.00 |
| 40th percentile | £31,374 | £665.90 | £15.57 | £30,000 | £632.30 | £15.05 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £34,146 | £716.60 | £16.86 | £32,548 | £689.20 | £16.48 |
| 60th percentile | £37,551 | £766.80 | £18.36 | £36,088 | £742.50 | £18.00 |
| 70th percentile | £40,722 | £858.40 | £20.27 | £39,999 | £822.60 | £20.19 |
| 75th percentile | £42,773* | £945.20 | £21.36 | £41,933* | £890.60 | £21.16 |
| 80th percentile | – | £967.50 | £22.98 | – | £958.20 | £22.74 |
| Mean | £40,894 | £835.00 | £19.99 | £37,871 | £774.60 | £19.79 |
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 | £26,565 | £529.40 | £12.65 | £25,463 | £513.30 | 59 |
| 2022 revised | £28,854 | £575.40 | £13.58 | £27,307 | £548.80 | 60 |
| 2023 revised | £31,916 | £650.70 | £14.69 | £29,275 | £588.30 | 58 |
| 2024 revised | £33,753 | £677.70 | £15.52 | £31,616 | £647.50 | 59 |
| 2025 provisional | £34,146 | £716.60 | £16.86 | £32,548 | £689.20 | 60 |
Where the 70,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| Scotland | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| East of England | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| North West | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| East Midlands | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| South East | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Wales | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| North East | 3,000 | 3,500 |
| South West | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| London | 1,000 | 1,250 |
| Great Britain | 68,000 | 70,000 |
10,490 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 9,030 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 1,210 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 235 |
| Large (250 or more) | 10 |
| Total | 10,490 |
2021: 10,295; 2022: 10,960; 2023: 11,160; 2024: 10,905; 2025: 10,740; 2026: 10,490.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of leather and related products · Manufacture of paper and paper products · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026