Metal working machine operatives: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time metal working machine operatives in the UK earned a median £31,500 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 19% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 254th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £27,304 and £39,688.
Median full-time pay: women £26,558 a year, men £32,744 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 15,000 employee jobs, 93% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 33.3% (from £23,629), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 28,100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £24,641* | £497.40 | £12.50 | £22,610* | £494.70 | £12.49 |
| 20th percentile | £26,198 | £525.70 | £12.96 | £25,350 | £521.60 | £12.93 |
| 25th percentile | £27,304 | £531.60 | £13.20 | £26,355 | £529.50 | £13.17 |
| 30th percentile | £28,637 | £549.50 | £13.66 | £27,390 | £547.30 | £13.65 |
| 40th percentile | £30,148 | £572.50 | £14.54 | £29,943 | £572.20 | £14.56 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,500 | £621.30 | £14.90 | £31,344 | £621.10 | £14.94 |
| 60th percentile | £33,322 | £653.60 | £16.04 | £33,296 | £655.60 | £16.13 |
| 70th percentile | £37,508* | £742.70 | £16.74 | £36,839* | £742.70 | £16.91 |
| 75th percentile | £39,688* | £774.80* | £17.18* | £38,689* | £775.50* | £17.25* |
| 80th percentile | – | £814.00* | – | – | £814.80* | – |
| Mean | £33,999 | £684.80 | £16.32 | £33,268 | £678.50 | £16.40 |
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 | £23,629 | £475.00 | £11.41 | £23,361 | £472.40 | 16* |
| 2022 revised | £26,791 | £519.00 | £12.54 | £26,206 | £501.10 | 10* |
| 2023 revised | £31,288 | £579.80 | £14.41 | £30,515 | £559.80 | 10* |
| 2024 revised | £30,611 | £618.30 | £14.74 | £30,046 | £608.10 | 11* |
| 2025 provisional | £31,500 | £621.30 | £14.90 | £31,344 | £621.10 | 15* |
Metal working machine operatives by region
UK: 28,100 (± 6,500), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What metal working machine operatives do
Metal working machine operatives operate machines to cut, shape, abrade and otherwise machine metal, use hand and power tools to remove surplus metal and rough surfaces from castings, forgings or other metal parts, and clean, smooth and polish metal workpieces. (ONS SOC 2020, 8120)
Also covers: engineer (nos), machinist (metal trades), metal polisher, process worker (metal trades), shot blaster, action machinist, anocut machinist, auto attendant, auto operator, automatic attendant, bar cutter, barrel reamerer, barrel rifler, billet cutter, blade trimmer, blank cutter, bolt maker and box folder (353 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Secures workpiece in drilling, boring, milling, planing, grinding, lapping, honing, electrochemical, or other shaping machines, or loads metal stock on to press
- Sets controls, starts machine and operates controls to feed tool to workpiece or vice versa and repositions workpiece during machining as required
- Withdraws workpiece and examines accuracy using measuring instruments
- Operates burning, chipping and grinding equipment to remove defects from metal parts, and files, chisels, burns and saws off surplus metal
- Smooths rough surfaces with hand tools, abrasive belts and wheels, compressed air, jets of vapour, or blasting with shot, grit, sand or other abrasive material
- Selects and secures polishing head to machine tool, prepares head with emery, grease or other substance, sets speed and angle of polishing head, and operates controls to feed polishing head to workpiece or vice versa
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering are available.
Related
Metal working machine operatives (median £31,500) · Process operatives n.e.c. · Metal making and treating process operatives · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026