Production, factory and assembly supervisors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time production, factory and assembly supervisors in the UK earned a median £36,777 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £2,262 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 173rd of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £30,598 and £46,288.
Median full-time pay: women £32,056 a year, men £37,957 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 25,000 employee jobs, 96% full-time.
From £29,468 in 2021, the median is up 24.8%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 32,600 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 | £26,225 | £540.00 | £13.45 | £24,609 | £505.40 | £13.45 |
| 20th percentile | £29,171 | £585.50 | £14.34 | £27,836 | £573.10 | £14.26 |
| 25th percentile | £30,598 | £616.30 | £14.93 | £29,178 | £600.80 | £14.53 |
| 30th percentile | £31,563 | £631.80 | £15.53 | £30,617 | £626.00 | £15.29 |
| 40th percentile | £34,189 | £669.50 | £16.81 | £33,472 | £658.40 | £16.42 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £36,777 | £712.90 | £17.85 | £35,092 | £704.80 | £17.53 |
| 60th percentile | £40,313 | £797.20 | £19.44 | £39,373 | £782.50 | £19.24 |
| 70th percentile | £44,952 | £892.90 | £20.90 | £44,080 | £884.30 | £20.70 |
| 75th percentile | £46,288* | £927.80 | £21.82 | £45,764* | £920.60 | £21.64 |
| 80th percentile | £49,165* | £972.10 | £23.38 | £48,333* | £957.20* | £23.27 |
| Mean | £40,020 | £790.50 | £19.10 | £38,619 | £769.40 | £19.00 |
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 | £29,468 | £589.60 | £13.73 | £26,141 | £569.50 | 25 |
| 2022 revised | £32,738 | £579.90 | £14.59 | £32,329 | £574.80 | 23 |
| 2023 revised | £34,284 | £649.70 | £16.73 | £33,779 | £638.70 | 18 |
| 2024 revised | £35,270 | £696.40 | £17.42 | £33,886 | £669.40 | 24 |
| 2025 provisional | £36,777 | £712.90 | £17.85 | £35,092 | £704.80 | 25 |
Production, factory and assembly supervisors by region
UK: 32,600 (± 7,000), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What production, factory and assembly supervisors do
Production, factory and assembly supervisors oversee operations and directly supervise and coordinate the technical and operational work of those carrying out production, manufacturing and assembly roles. (ONS SOC 2020, 8160)
Also covers: foreman (plasterboard mfr), leading hand (textile mfr), mill foreman (food products mfr), print room supervisor, process supervisor (chemical mfr), production team leader (vehicle mfr), assembling foreman, battery foreman, blow major, blower major, blowing foreman, brewer foreman, calender foreman, carbonising foreman, card foreman, card master, carding foreman and checking foreman (113 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of production, manufacturing and assembly staff
- Establishes and monitors work schedules to meet the organisation’s requirements
- Liaises with managers and other senior staff to resolve operational problems
- Determines or recommends staffing and other needs to meet the organisation’s requirements
- Reports as required to managerial staff on work-related matters
Academic qualifications may not be required but relevant experience is necessary, and some GCSEs/S grades or an equivalent academic or vocational qualification may be an advantage. Apprenticeships combining practical work experience and technical training are available in some areas.
Related
Production, factory and assembly supervisors (median £36,777) · Construction operatives n.e.c. · Rail construction and maintenance 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