Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £29,619 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 24% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (99th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £24,460 and £33,739.
Median full-time pay: women £24,814 a year, men £30,297 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 53,000 employee jobs, 87% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 32.1% (from £22,420), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 69,500 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,113 | £468.60 | £12.21 | £17,715* | £362.80* | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £23,685 | £490.80 | £12.58 | £22,454 | £468.60 | £12.50 |
| 25th percentile | £24,460 | £500.00 | £12.71 | £23,399 | £485.30 | £12.64 |
| 30th percentile | £25,737 | £515.90 | £12.91 | £24,008 | £492.00 | £12.80 |
| 40th percentile | £27,686 | £546.00 | £13.42 | £26,476 | £520.00 | £13.36 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,619 | £593.30 | £14.00 | £28,600 | £559.40 | £13.82 |
| 60th percentile | £31,266 | £624.40 | £14.70 | £30,457 | £605.90 | £14.52 |
| 70th percentile | £33,220 | £663.00 | £15.92 | £32,688 | £642.80 | £15.77 |
| 75th percentile | £33,739 | £698.00 | £16.38 | £33,416 | £682.30 | £16.37 |
| 80th percentile | £35,916 | £729.30 | £16.94 | £34,838 | £716.60 | £16.90 |
| Mean | £30,158 | £619.10 | £14.94 | £28,429 | £579.30 | £15.01 |
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 | £22,420 | £430.70 | £10.41 | £22,084 | £408.40 | 71 |
| 2022 revised | £23,743 | £471.40 | £11.53 | £23,126 | £455.20 | 52 |
| 2023 revised | £25,765 | £517.50 | £12.75 | £24,963 | £496.80 | 48 |
| 2024 revised | £27,518 | £552.50 | £13.46 | £26,698 | £531.60 | 45 |
| 2025 provisional | £29,619 | £593.30 | £14.00 | £28,600 | £559.40 | 53 |
Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. by region
UK: 69,500 (± 10,200), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group assist the work of machine operatives and perform a variety of manual tasks in foundries, engineering and allied trades and in other process and plant operations not elsewhere classified in minor group 913: Elementary process plant occupations. (ONS SOC 2020, 9139)
Also covers: factory worker, fitter’s mate, labourer (engineering), material handler, acid man, aircraft worker, ammunition worker, asbestos worker, ash attendant, ash collector, ash man, assistant craftsman, bag shaker, bale splitter, bank oddman, bargain man, barker's assistant and barrow filler (553 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Assists with the operation of furnaces and the preparation of castings
- Assists in setting up attachments on plant and machinery, and operates saws, shears or other equipment
- Conveys goods, materials, equipment, etc. to work area, assists in setting up machinery and equipment and prepares tools, lamps and other equipment for use
- Assists operative to mark out, bend, drill, galvanise, coat and otherwise machine metal
- Loads and unloads vehicles, trucks and trolleys
- Removes finished pieces from work area, paints or fixes identification labels or markers on products or containers
No academic qualifications are required. On-the- job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs may be available in some areas.
Related
Elementary process plant occupations (median £27,447) · Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers · Industrial cleaning process occupations · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026