Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £37,864 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £1,175 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 160th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £30,136 and £45,303.
Median full-time pay: women £29,993 a year, men £38,677 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 42.1 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 42,000 employee jobs, 95% full-time.
From £30,473 in 2021, the median is up 24.3%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 53,000 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 | £26,045 | £530.50 | £13.00 | £25,196 | £506.90 | £12.98 |
| 20th percentile | £29,212 | £576.10 | £14.11 | £27,470 | £554.20 | £14.06 |
| 25th percentile | £30,136 | £592.50 | £14.54 | £29,392 | £580.30 | £14.48 |
| 30th percentile | £31,502 | £613.20 | £15.00 | £30,573 | £600.70 | £15.00 |
| 40th percentile | £34,162 | £688.60 | £15.65 | £33,147 | £671.10 | £15.60 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,864 | £729.10 | £16.39 | £36,408 | £720.40 | £16.35 |
| 60th percentile | £40,981 | £804.30 | £17.67 | £40,280 | £780.80 | £17.50 |
| 70th percentile | £43,846 | £864.00 | £18.66 | £43,477 | £845.90 | £18.66 |
| 75th percentile | £45,303 | £896.50 | £19.40 | £45,225 | £885.50 | £19.42 |
| 80th percentile | £47,363 | £953.90 | £19.97 | £47,044 | £948.00 | £20.01 |
| Mean | £39,037 | £785.30 | £17.48 | £38,319 | £767.20 | £17.58 |
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 | £30,473 | £614.40 | £13.39 | £30,345 | £609.50 | 38 |
| 2022 revised | £31,819 | £623.90 | £13.98 | £31,691 | £620.00 | 41 |
| 2023 revised | £30,917* | £603.90 | £13.84 | £30,274* | £587.60 | 50 |
| 2024 revised | £33,010 | £681.20 | £15.01 | £32,431 | £662.60 | 50 |
| 2025 provisional | £37,864 | £729.10 | £16.39 | £36,408 | £720.40 | 42 |
Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. by region
UK: 53,000 (± 8,900), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group supervise and undertake the operation of machines to transport, excavate, grade, level, and compact sand, earth, gravel and similar materials, drive piles into the ground and lay surfaces of asphalt, concrete and chippings, clear and cultivate land, to sow and harvest plants and crops, and operate other mobile machines not elsewhere classified in minor group 822: Mobile machine drivers and operatives. (ONS SOC 2020, 8229)
Also covers: agricultural machinist, digger driver, dredger, excavator driver, JCB driver, plant operator, rig operator, tractor driver (agriculture), 360 operator, agricultural sprayer, agricultural worker, bobcat driver, bogie driver, bulldozer driver, bulldozer operator, caterpillar operator, charge driver and charger operator (117 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Fixes any necessary extensions onto machine and loads machine with asphalt, concrete, bitumen, tar, stone chippings or any other required materials
- Manipulates levers, pedals and switches to manoeuvre vehicle, regulate angle and height of blades, buckets and hammers and starts conveyor, suction or water spraying system
- Watches operation and removes any likely obstacle or obstructions
- Directs refilling of machine hopper and repeats operations as necessary
- Operates tractors, combine harvesters or other farm vehicles, attaches plough, cultivator or other implements and adjusts depth, speed and height to requirements
- Drives and operates machinery to plough, fertilise, plant, cultivate or harvest crops
No academic qualifications are required. On-the-job training is provided. The appropriate current driving licence will be required for driving on public highways.
Related
Mobile machine drivers and operatives (median £36,404) · Fork-lift truck drivers · Crane drivers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026