jobfacts

Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)

SOC 2020 8141

Assemblers (electrical and electronic products) wire prepared parts and/or sub-assemblies in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment, make coils and wiring harnesses and assemble previously prepared parts in the batch or mass production of electrical and electronic goods and components

Also calledWinderFilament makerAssemblerElectronics assemblerPlate separatorAerial engineerand 149 more titles
Typical full-time pay£28,6002025 Provisional
People in the job24,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month382↑ 3.9%on last year · 284th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time assemblers (electrical and electronic products) earn between £26,000 and £34,400 a year.

What full-time assemblers (electrical and electronic products) earn, 2025
£28,600 typical£23,300lowest 10%£26,00025%£34,800top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£26,000–£34,400)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£23,300
Lowest 20% earn less than£24,600
25%£26,000
Median£28,600
75%£34,400
Top 20% earn more than£34,800
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £28,600
South East!£29,600
East of England£29,000
West Midlands!£28,200
East Midlands!£26,900
North East!£26,200
Wales!£25,800
Yorkshire and The Humber!£25,400
Scotland!£24,600
North WestNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £28,600
South East£29,600 (small sample)
East of England£29,000
West Midlands£28,200 (small sample)
East Midlands£26,900 (small sample)
North East£26,200 (small sample)
Wales£25,800 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£25,400 (small sample)
Scotland£24,600 (small sample)
North WestNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £25,100
  • 2024 £27,200
  • 2025 Provisional£28,600
↑ 14% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 382 jobs for assemblers (electrical and electronic products) are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026396
Jul 2026365
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026403
Apr 2026420
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026422
Jan 2026363
Dec 2025196
Nov 2025422
Oct 2025414
Sept 2025415
Aug 2025389
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025482
Apr 2025390
Mar 2025394
Feb 2025400
Jan 2025463
Dec 2024189
Nov 2024276
Oct 2024353
Sept 2024380
Aug 2024410
Jul 2024481
Jun 2024411
May 2024437
Apr 2024490
Mar 2024405
Feb 2024446
Jan 2024556
Dec 2023423
Nov 2023409
Oct 2023398
Sept 2023390
Aug 2023470
Jul 2023497
Jun 2023707
May 2023659
Apr 2023569
Mar 2023645
Feb 2023745
Jan 2023845
Dec 2022598
Nov 2022737
Oct 2022781
Sept 2022755
Aug 2022748
Jul 2022669
Jun 2022631
May 2022748
Apr 2022644
Mar 2022741
Feb 2022666
Jan 2022762
Dec 2021570
Nov 2021564
Oct 2021585
Sept 2021556
Aug 2021568
Jul 2021652
Jun 2021531
May 2021558
Apr 2021542
Mar 2021703
Feb 2021462
Jan 2021558
Dec 2020302
Nov 2020374
Oct 2020404
Sept 2020405
Aug 2020363
Jul 2020307
Jun 2020244
May 2020210
Apr 2020309
Mar 2020428
Feb 2020596
Jan 2020552
Dec 2019418
Nov 2019538
Oct 2019568
Sept 2019500
Aug 2019538
Jul 2019766
Jun 2019713
May 2019679
Apr 2019473
Mar 2019575
Feb 2019596
Jan 2019731
Dec 2018398
Nov 2018541
Oct 2018632
Sept 2018555
Aug 2018607
Jul 2018654
Jun 2018555
May 2018604
Apr 2018582
Mar 2018559
Feb 2018549
Jan 2018660
Dec 2017414
Nov 2017563
Oct 2017537
Sept 2017573
Aug 2017603
Jul 2017573
Jun 2017814
May 2017811
Apr 2017775
Mar 2017803
Feb 2017627
Jan 2017673
Is there a shortage of assemblers (electrical and electronic products)?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
54%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for assemblers and routine operatives, which includes assemblers (electrical and electronic products). DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London52
Fareham26
Birmingham24
Basingstoke and Deane20
Leeds19
Nottingham18
Cheshire East16
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole14
Bradford14
Bristol, City of14
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where assemblers (electrical and electronic products) are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of assemblers (electrical and electronic products)
18%!
18%!
18%!
18%!
27%!
1.7%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2418% (small sample)
25–3418% (small sample)
35–4418% (small sample)
45–5418% (small sample)
55–6427% (small sample)
65+1.7% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!7%
Higher education below degree!16%
A levels or equivalent!18%
GCSEs or equivalent!36%
Other qualifications!16%
No qualifications!4.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent7% (small sample)
Higher education below degree16% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent18% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent36% (small sample)
Other qualifications16% (small sample)
No qualifications4.6% (small sample)

Main employers: manufacture of electronic components (16%), manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation (12%), manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers (6.2%), wholesale of electronic and telecommunications equipment and parts (3.9%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
7%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 36%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings, specifications and wiring diagrams to identify appropriate materials and sequence of operations
  • selects, cuts and connects wire to appropriate terminals by crimping or soldering
  • positions and secures switches, transformers, tags, valve holders or other parts and connects capacitors, resistors, transistors or sub-assemblies to appropriate terminals by soldering
  • lays out and secures wire to make harnesses and operates machine to wind heavy and light coils of wire or copper for transformers, armatures, rotors, stators and light electrical equipment
  • assembles previously prepared electrical or electronic components by winding, bolting, screwing or otherwise fastening using an assembly machine or hand tools

Skills

  • ensure conformity to specifications
  • inspect quality of products
  • read assembly drawings
  • report defective manufacturing materials
  • keep records of work progress
  • resolve equipment malfunctions
  • apply technical communication skills
  • dispose of hazardous waste
  • oversee logistics of finished products
  • replace defect components
  • align components
  • apply health and safety standards
  • apply soldering techniques
  • assemble printed circuit boards

Knowledge

  • quality standards
  • circuit diagrams
  • electrical equipment regulations
  • electronics
  • printed circuit boards
  • electromechanics
  • electricity
  • surface-mount technology

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for process, plant, machine and construction operatives, a group of 25 jobs that includes assemblers (electrical and electronic products).
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 142,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035496,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.