Paper and wood machine operatives: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time paper and wood machine operatives in the UK earned a median £30,360 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 22% 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 (113th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £24,100 a year, men £30,725 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 13,000 employee jobs, 92% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 30.7% (from £23,222), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 21,500 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 | – | £488.70 | £12.36 | £18,958* | £378.70 | £12.36 |
| 20th percentile | £24,346* | £508.50 | £13.21 | £22,794 | £495.30 | £13.12 |
| 25th percentile | £26,569 | £525.10 | £13.50 | £24,267 | £504.10 | £13.47 |
| 30th percentile | £27,253 | £543.80 | £13.65 | £25,364 | £521.90 | £13.65 |
| 40th percentile | £28,618 | £576.40 | £14.63 | £27,795 | £556.00 | £14.46 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £30,360 | £599.10 | £15.33 | £29,640 | £584.60 | £15.27 |
| 60th percentile | £32,394 | £636.10 | £15.99 | £31,402 | £627.10 | £15.98 |
| 70th percentile | £33,941* | £662.80 | £16.37 | £33,806* | £661.50 | £16.38 |
| 75th percentile | – | £680.00* | £16.58 | £34,771* | £676.80* | £16.89 |
| Mean | £31,134 | £628.50 | £15.54 | £29,847 | £610.10 | £15.59 |
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 | £23,222 | £469.40 | £11.32 | £22,906 | £457.20 | 14* |
| 2022 revised | £25,435 | £514.10 | £12.22 | £24,523 | £498.80 | 15* |
| 2023 revised | £27,993 | £538.40 | £13.49 | £27,402 | £528.00 | 10* |
| 2024 revised | £29,136 | £609.80 | £14.27 | £29,007 | £605.20 | 13* |
| 2025 provisional | £30,360 | £599.10 | £15.33 | £29,640 | £584.60 | 13* |
Paper and wood machine operatives by region
UK: 21,500 (± 5,700), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What paper and wood machine operatives do
Paper and wood machine operatives operate machines to treat and cut wood, to produce, treat and cut paper, paperboard, leatherboard, plasterboard and similar material, and to assemble and make wooden crates and containers. (ONS SOC 2020, 8131)
Also covers: box maker (cardboard), guillotine operator (printing), machinist (paper goods mfr), sawyer, wood machinist, adhesive mixer, back tenter, bag hand, bag maker, bark worker, barking machinist, barrel maker, beater's assistant, beaterman's assistant, belt cutter, bleacher (paper), board maker and bobbin rincer (448 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Cuts and shapes wood using hand and power tools, assembles parts of wooden crates, barrels and other wooden containers using nails, bolts and staples, and fits metal strips and corner pieces to strengthen container as required
- Examines job requirements, ascertains necessary ingredients and loads machines to beat, mix and crush wood, cork and pulp for further processing
- Attends and operates ovens, kilns, milling, filtering, straining, calendering, coating, drying, finishing, winding and other machines to produce and/or treat wood, paper, paperboard, leatherboard and plasterboard
- Sets and adjusts edge guides, stops and blades of cutting machine, threads material through rollers or loads into machine hopper, starts and monitors operation of machine, removes completed work and clears machine of waste material
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs/vocational qualifications in Fibreboard Operations at levels 2 and 3, and apprenticeships are available. NVQs/SVQs/vocational- qualifications in Wood Machining are available at levels 2.
Related
Plant and machine operatives (median £33,197) · Mining and quarry workers and related operatives · Energy plant 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