Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers in the UK earned a median £28,936 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 26% 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 (85th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £28,186 a year, men £29,170 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
Since 2021 it has risen 16.7%, from £24,797, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 19,400 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, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40th percentile | – | £542.90* | £13.98* | £526.60* | £13.94 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,936* | £601.00* | £15.56* | £546.40* | £15.74* |
| 60th percentile | £32,418* | £656.10* | £17.17* | £626.20* | £16.75* |
| Mean | £31,705 | £647.20 | £16.60 | £600.50 | £16.56 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £24,797 | £498.10 | £10.97 | £20,185 | £429.60 |
| 2023 revised | £27,138 | £567.00 | £15.26 | £25,559 | £541.50 |
| 2024 revised | £30,619* | £601.50* | £17.51 | – | £561.50* |
| 2025 provisional | £28,936* | £601.00* | £15.56* | – | £546.40* |
Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers by region
UK: 19,400 (± 5,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers do
Glass and ceramics workers, form, shape, decorate, smooth and polish glassware, earthenware, refractory goods, clay bricks and other ceramic goods. (ONS SOC 2020, 5441)
Also covers: ceramic artist, glass blower, potter (ceramics mfr), pottery worker, sprayer (ceramics mfr), stained glass artist, acid worker, aerograph decorator, aerographing decorator, aerographing stenciller, archman (glass), automatic dipper, balcony man, ball maker, basin maker, batch foreman, block maker and bottle blower (360 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Uses hand tools and operates machinery to heat, bend, shape, press, drill and cut glass
- Makes artificial eyes, laminated glass sheets or blocks, glass fibre tissue, wool, filament and matting, marks optical lenses and assembles rimless spectacles
- Makes models and moulds from moulding clay and plaster for use in the making and casting of pottery and other ceramic goods
- Throws, casts and presses clay by hand or machine to form pottery, stoneware or refractory goods such as bricks, crucibles, ornaments, sanitary furnishings, saggars, cups, saucers, plates and roofing tiles
- Cuts and joins unfired stoneware pipes to form junctions and gullies, moulds sealing bands on clay pipes, prepares and joins porcelain or earthenware components and assists crucible makers and stone workers with their tasks
- Applies decorative designs and finishes to glassware, optical glass and ceramic goods by grinding, smoothing, polishing, cutting, etching, dipping, painting or transferring patterns or labels
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs at levels 1, 2 and 3 are available in some areas.
Related
Other skilled trades (median £29,731) · Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers · 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