Footwear and leather working trades: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time footwear and leather working trades in the UK earned a median £25,357 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 35% 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 (28th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £21,178 a year, men £27,509 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
Since 2021 the median has risen 37.3% (from £18,467), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | – | – | – | – | £502.70 | £13.02 |
| 30th percentile | – | £519.20 | £13.04 | £21,298 | £511.90 | £13.08 |
| 40th percentile | £24,571 | £560.80 | £13.28 | £24,106 | £537.50 | £13.47 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £25,357* | £583.80 | £14.20 | £25,116* | £579.40 | £14.20 |
| 60th percentile | £27,817* | £615.60 | £14.75 | £27,356* | £600.70 | £14.77 |
| 70th percentile | – | £638.40* | – | – | – | – |
| Mean | £27,238 | £608.50 | £14.92 | £26,825 | £593.60 | £14.93 |
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 | £18,467* | £373.80* | £9.39* | £18,237* | £369.40* | – |
| 2022 revised | £20,825* | £441.70 | £11.04 | £20,825* | £441.50 | – |
| 2023 revised | £24,938* | £493.80 | £12.78 | £24,851* | £490.90 | 6* |
| 2024 revised | £27,625* | £529.40 | £12.68 | £26,654* | £517.00 | 7* |
| 2025 provisional | £25,357* | £583.80 | £14.20 | £25,116* | £579.40 | 5* |
What footwear and leather working trades do
Footwear and leather working trades make and repair shoes, cut out, make up, sew, decorate and finish leather and leather substitute goods other than garments. (ONS SOC 2020, 5412)
Also covers: cobbler, leather worker (leather goods mfr), machinist (leather goods mfr), shoe machinist, shoe repairer, bag machinist, bag maker, bag manufacturer, bagging machinist, beading machinist, belt fitter, belt mender, belt piecer, belt repairer, belting fitter, belting repairer, belting sewer and bench hand (310 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Uses hand tools or machine to cut out, trim, punch holes in or stitch guide lines on leather or leather substitute component parts
- Positions leather and rubber footwear component parts on lasts and shapes and joins uppers to insoles and soles
- Uses hand tools or machine to make up and repair saddles, harnesses, belts, straps and other leather products
- Uses hand and machine tools to sew and stitch leather and/or other material in the making and decoration of footwear and leather goods other than garments
- Prepares paper or paperboard master patterns of component parts of footwear
- Waxes, cleans and finishes footwear and other leather goods
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is mainly on?the-job. NVQs/SVQs are available in some areas.
Related
Textiles and garments trades (median £26,868) · Upholsterers · Tailors and dressmakers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026