Production managers and directors in manufacturing: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time production managers and directors in manufacturing in the UK earned a median £58,640 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 50% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 20th of 382 occupations on this measure.
Pay is widely spread: the 90th percentile (£122,379) is 3.9 times the 10th (£31,448).
The mean, £72,604, is 24% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £52,765 a year, men £60,513 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 510,000 employee jobs, 85% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 30.4% (from £44,978), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 227,800 people in this line of work, 13% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £31,448 | £641.10 | £16.15 | £12,576 | £253.70 | £14.96 |
| 20th percentile | £38,964 | £769.50 | £19.53 | £30,000 | £603.70 | £18.43 |
| 25th percentile | £42,885 | £838.70 | £21.33 | £33,691 | £689.90 | £19.68 |
| 30th percentile | £46,216 | £900.80 | £22.91 | £38,309 | £766.60 | £21.51 |
| 40th percentile | £51,826 | £1,006.90 | £25.90 | £46,318 | £904.70 | £24.50 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £58,640 | £1,137.00 | £29.09 | £52,885 | £1,033.80 | £27.47 |
| 60th percentile | £66,358 | £1,284.10 | £32.98 | £60,847 | £1,182.90 | £30.93 |
| 70th percentile | £78,602 | £1,494.90 | £38.79 | £71,778 | £1,379.90 | £36.32 |
| 75th percentile | £85,000 | £1,629.00 | £42.62 | £79,741 | £1,521.00 | £39.93 |
| 80th percentile | £94,019 | £1,795.60 | £47.11 | £88,218 | £1,681.70 | £44.70 |
| 90th percentile | £122,379* | £2,299.80 | £59.44 | £115,012 | £2,155.70 | £57.42 |
| Mean | £72,604 | £1,337.50 | £34.39 | £64,381 | £1,189.70 | £33.61 |
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 | £44,978 | £892.80 | £22.59 | £40,962 | £804.60 | 458 |
| 2022 revised | £47,075 | £925.20 | £23.66 | £41,658 | £814.20 | 652 |
| 2023 revised | £51,597 | £1,028.00 | £26.51 | £46,473 | £931.20 | 578 |
| 2024 revised | £55,039 | £1,083.30 | £27.66 | £50,000 | £983.80 | 572 |
| 2025 provisional | £58,640 | £1,137.00 | £29.09 | £52,885 | £1,033.80 | 510 |
Production managers and directors in manufacturing by region
UK: 227,800 (± 18,500), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 28,500* | ± 6,700 |
| West Midlands | 26,500* | ± 6,700 |
| North West | 25,800* | ± 6,100 |
| South West | 23,100* | ± 5,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 22,500* | ± 5,500 |
| East of England | 22,300* | ± 6,400 |
| East Midlands | 21,700* | ± 6,200 |
| London | 19,700* | ± 7,200 |
| Scotland | 14,900* | ± 4,400 |
| Wales | 9,700* | ± 2,800 |
| North East | 8,400* | ± 2,900 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What production managers and directors in manufacturing do
Production managers and directors in manufacturing plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources necessary for production in manufacturing industries including the maintenance of engineering items, equipment and machinery. (ONS SOC 2020, 1121)
Also covers: engineering manager, managing director (engineering), operations manager (manufacturing), production manager, technical manager, abattoir manager, brewery manager, clothing manager, company director, composition manager, dairy manager, district manager, divisional manager, electro-plating manager, engineering director, fabrication manager, factory manager and floor manager (55 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Liaises with other managers to plan overall production activity and daily manufacturing activity, sets quality standards and estimates timescales and costs
- Manages production to ensure that orders are completed to an agreed date and conform to customer and other requirements
- Monitors production and production costs and undertakes or arranges for the preparation of reports and records
- Oversees supervision of the production line and its staff, ensures targets are met
There are no pre-set entry standards. Entry is possible with either a degree or equivalent qualification, and/or relevant experience. On-the-job training is provided, and professional qualifications are available, as are S/NVQs in Management at levels 3 to 5.
Related
Production managers and directors (median £58,192) · Production managers and directors in construction · Production managers and directors in mining and energy · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026