jobfacts

Metal making and treating process operatives

SOC 2020 8115

Metal making and treating process operatives operate furnaces, ovens and other heating vessels, drawing, rolling, extruding, galvanising, forging and other metal processing equipment to smelt, shape, coat and treat metal and metal products.

Also calledStokerFurnace operatorMetal platerHelperFiremanSmith's helperand 713 more titles
Typical full-time pay£32,9002025 Provisional
People in the job12,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month2,500↑ 16%on last year · 72nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time metal making and treating process operatives earn, 2025
£32,900 typical£25,800lowest 20%£27,30025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£25,800
25%£27,300
Median£32,900
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £32,900
South East!£38,800
Wales!£37,200
West Midlands!£31,100
Yorkshire and The Humber!£29,000
North West!£28,700
East of England!£27,500
East Midlands!£27,200
North EastNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £32,900
South East£38,800 (small sample)
Wales£37,200 (small sample)
West Midlands£31,100 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£29,000 (small sample)
North West£28,700 (small sample)
East of England£27,500 (small sample)
East Midlands£27,200 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,500
  • 2024 £31,200
  • 2025 Provisional£32,900
↑ 7.6% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,500 jobs for metal making and treating process operatives are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20263,166
Jul 20263,024
Jun 2026Not published
May 20262,418
Apr 20262,554
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,890
Jan 20262,399
Dec 20251,162
Nov 20252,914
Oct 20252,934
Sept 20252,967
Aug 20253,456
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20252,968
Apr 20252,214
Mar 20252,084
Feb 20252,010
Jan 20251,565
Dec 2024981
Nov 20241,652
Oct 20242,078
Sept 20242,324
Aug 20242,457
Jul 20242,778
Jun 20242,216
May 20242,133
Apr 20241,794
Mar 20241,657
Feb 20241,334
Jan 20241,752
Dec 20231,226
Nov 20231,557
Oct 20231,600
Sept 20231,719
Aug 20231,815
Jul 20231,934
Jun 20232,670
May 20232,197
Apr 20231,737
Mar 20231,639
Feb 20231,756
Jan 20232,007
Dec 20221,892
Nov 20222,371
Oct 20223,477
Sept 20222,544
Aug 20222,823
Jul 20222,702
Jun 20222,569
May 20222,880
Apr 20222,278
Mar 20222,754
Feb 20222,262
Jan 20222,592
Dec 20212,076
Nov 20212,767
Oct 20212,819
Sept 20212,883
Aug 20212,891
Jul 20213,802
Jun 20213,630
May 20213,312
Apr 20213,238
Mar 20213,502
Feb 20211,893
Jan 20211,990
Dec 20201,905
Nov 20202,389
Oct 20203,386
Sept 20203,038
Aug 20202,925
Jul 20202,055
Jun 20201,196
May 2020787
Apr 20201,112
Mar 20202,273
Feb 20202,292
Jan 20202,172
Dec 20191,965
Nov 20192,504
Oct 20193,066
Sept 20192,828
Aug 20192,702
Jul 20192,775
Jun 20192,426
May 20192,495
Apr 20191,729
Mar 20191,824
Feb 20191,820
Jan 20192,232
Dec 20181,413
Nov 20182,451
Oct 20182,624
Sept 20182,605
Aug 20182,655
Jul 20182,388
Jun 20182,715
May 20182,154
Apr 20181,734
Mar 20181,828
Feb 20181,803
Jan 20181,984
Dec 20171,465
Nov 20172,027
Oct 20171,965
Sept 20172,157
Aug 20172,350
Jul 20172,406
Jun 20172,649
May 20172,145
Apr 20172,002
Mar 20172,066
Feb 20171,655
Jan 20171,891
Is there a shortage of metal making and treating process operatives?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
17%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for process operatives, which includes metal making and treating process operatives. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London575
West Northamptonshire163
Manchester118
Leeds105
Bristol, City of103
Birmingham100
North Northamptonshire98
North Lanarkshire90
Somerset80
Sheffield78
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where metal making and treating process operatives 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 metal making and treating process operatives
n/p
n/p
25%!
n/p
40%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4425% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–6440% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!31%
GCSEs or equivalent!33%
Other qualifications!25%
No qualifications!36%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent31% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent33% (small sample)
Other qualifications25% (small sample)
No qualifications36% (small sample)

How to get in

Most common qualification
No qualifications
held by 36%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
2 years
typically

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

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

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • charges furnace, operates controls to regulate furnace temperature, and adds oxidising, alloying and fluxing agents as required
  • withdraws samples of molten metal for analysis, taps slag from surface of molten metal and directs flow of molten metal into casts
  • sets rolling speed, tension and space between rolls, guides the metal to and from rollers, and monitors the rolling process to detect irregularities, and ensure that the gauge and finish match required specifications
  • operates equipment to remove dirt, scale and other surface impurities by immersion in chemical solution
  • heats metal or metal articles in furnace, allows to cool for a specified time or quenches in brine, oil or water to harden, reduces brittleness and restores ductility
  • operates piercing, extruding, pressing and other metal processing equipment to shape and treat metal or metal articles
  • coats metal parts and articles electrolytically, forms metal articles by electro- and vacuum-deposition, dips and sprays articles with another metal, plastic powder or material and treats articles chemically to produce desired finishes

Skills

  • consult technical resources
  • monitor automated machines
  • monitor gauge
  • perform test run
  • set up the controller of a machine
  • supply machine
  • troubleshoot
  • ensure equipment availability
  • keep records of work progress
  • monitor moving workpiece in a machine
  • remove inadequate workpieces
  • remove processed workpiece
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • monitor conveyor belt

Knowledge

  • ferrous metal processing
  • metal forming technologies
  • quality standards
  • types of metal
  • quality and cycle time optimisation
  • types of metal manufacturing processes
  • dies
  • manufacturing of metal assembly products

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 metal making and treating process operatives.
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.