Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time furniture makers and other craft woodworkers in the UK earned a median £33,078 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 15% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 224th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
Median full-time pay: women £25,775 a year, men £33,298 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 11,000 employee jobs, 82% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 38.6% (from £23,870), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 36,100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | £25,237 | £502.80 | £13.42 | £23,266* | £430.60* | £12.54 |
| 25th percentile | £26,376 | £528.60 | £13.65 | £24,013 | £477.20* | £12.92 |
| 30th percentile | £26,820 | £562.90 | £13.96 | £24,832 | £495.00* | £13.44 |
| 40th percentile | £29,869 | £597.20 | £14.45 | £26,822 | £554.30 | £14.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,078 | £640.00 | £15.16 | £30,328 | £595.70 | £14.92 |
| 60th percentile | £36,076* | £694.90* | £17.00 | £33,473* | £642.20 | £15.76 |
| 70th percentile | – | £726.90* | £18.08 | £37,016* | £699.00* | £17.46 |
| 75th percentile | – | £784.80* | £18.39* | – | £744.00* | £18.16* |
| Mean | £35,836 | £681.70 | £16.53 | £33,342 | £608.80 | £16.46 |
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 | £23,870* | £478.10* | £11.42 | £23,142* | £454.30 | 8* |
| 2022 revised | £25,662* | £500.20 | £12.52 | £25,475* | £484.60 | 13* |
| 2023 revised | – | £553.50 | £12.84 | – | £509.00 | 11* |
| 2024 revised | £32,762* | £598.10 | £14.42 | £31,407 | £587.90 | 12* |
| 2025 provisional | £33,078 | £640.00 | £15.16 | £30,328 | £595.70 | 11* |
Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers by region
UK: 36,100 (± 7,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What furniture makers and other craft woodworkers do
Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers make, repair and restore wooden furniture, decorative objects and other crafted pieces of woodwork. (ONS SOC 2020, 5442)
Also covers: antiques restorer, cabinet maker, coffin maker, furniture restorer, joiner (cabinet making), picture framer, sprayer (furniture mfr), arm maker, barrow builder, barrow maker, bed maker, bench hand, bench man, bench worker, block maker, bow maker, bowl maker and cabinet worker (162 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements and appropriate materials
- Selects, measures, cuts and shapes wood using saws, chisels, planes, powered hand tools and woodworking machines
- Assembles parts with crafted joints, nails, screws, dowels or adhesives and fits locks, catches, hinges, castors, drawers, shelves and other fittings
- Removes, replaces or repairs damaged parts of wooden furniture
- Measures floor area to be covered and lays wood blocks, parquet panels or hardwood strips
- Matches and marks out veneers ready for cutting and examines and repairs defects in veneer or plywood sheets
There are no formal entry requirements, although entrants typically possess a variety of academic and vocational qualifications. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. A number of NVQs/SVQs and other vocational qualifications covering various aspects of furniture production and wood machining are available at various levels. Apprenticeships in Cabinet Making are available in some areas.
Related
Other skilled trades (median £29,731) · Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers · Florists · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026