jobfacts

Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 8229

Job holders in this unit group supervise and undertake the operation of machines to transport, excavate, grade, level, and compact sand, earth, gravel and similar materials, drive piles into the ground and lay surfaces of asphalt, concrete and chippings, clear and cultivate land, to sow and harvest plants and crops, and operate other mobile machines not elsewhere classified in minor group 822: Mobile machine drivers and operatives.

Also calledSweeper driverDriverChargerTelehandlerLevellerDeck officerand 135 more titles
Typical full-time pay£37,9002025 Provisional
People in the job53,000across the UK
New adverts a month2,600↓ 4%on last year · 71st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. earn between £30,100 and £45,300 a year.

What full-time mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. earn, 2025
£37,900 typical£26,000lowest 10%£30,10025%£47,400top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£30,100–£45,300)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£26,000
Lowest 20% earn less than£29,200
25%£30,100
Median£37,900
75%£45,300
Top 20% earn more than£47,400
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Many (22%) of mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £37,900
London!£52,600
Scotland!£41,100
North East!£38,800
South East!£38,400
North West!£37,800
South West!£37,200
Wales!£36,500
Yorkshire and The Humber!£35,600
West Midlands!£35,400
East of England!£29,700
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £37,900
London£52,600 (small sample)
Scotland£41,100 (small sample)
North East£38,800 (small sample)
South East£38,400 (small sample)
North West£37,800 (small sample)
South West£37,200 (small sample)
Wales£36,500 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£35,600 (small sample)
West Midlands£35,400 (small sample)
East of England£29,700 (small sample)
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,900
  • 2024 £33,000
  • 2025 Provisional£37,900
↑ 22% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,600 jobs for mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20263,346
Jul 20263,708
Jun 20262,722
May 20262,959
Apr 20262,911
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,077
Jan 20262,039
Dec 2025969
Nov 20252,395
Oct 20252,731
Sept 20253,130
Aug 20253,521
Jul 20253,651
Jun 20253,281
May 20253,591
Apr 20252,709
Mar 20252,755
Feb 20252,489
Jan 20251,945
Dec 20241,096
Nov 20241,969
Oct 20242,843
Sept 20243,095
Aug 20244,036
Jul 20243,883
Jun 20243,432
May 20243,251
Apr 20242,205
Mar 20241,456
Feb 20241,452
Jan 20241,708
Dec 20231,046
Nov 20231,290
Oct 20231,377
Sept 20231,386
Aug 20231,963
Jul 20231,985
Jun 20233,181
May 20232,588
Apr 20232,100
Mar 20232,156
Feb 20232,406
Jan 20232,435
Dec 20221,888
Nov 20222,509
Oct 20222,757
Sept 20223,203
Aug 20223,545
Jul 20223,505
Jun 20223,099
May 20223,323
Apr 20222,612
Mar 20223,242
Feb 20222,664
Jan 20223,000
Dec 20212,283
Nov 20212,750
Oct 20213,024
Sept 20213,007
Aug 20213,139
Jul 20214,060
Jun 20213,398
May 20213,358
Apr 20213,193
Mar 20214,035
Feb 20212,077
Jan 20212,229
Dec 20201,682
Nov 20201,987
Oct 20202,590
Sept 20202,770
Aug 20202,368
Jul 20201,742
Jun 20201,074
May 2020784
Apr 20201,174
Mar 20202,089
Feb 20202,493
Jan 20202,067
Dec 20191,561
Nov 20191,954
Oct 20192,312
Sept 20192,653
Aug 20193,153
Jul 20193,479
Jun 20192,726
May 20193,347
Apr 20192,201
Mar 20192,301
Feb 20192,090
Jan 20192,426
Dec 20181,284
Nov 20181,966
Oct 20182,547
Sept 20183,037
Aug 20183,283
Jul 20183,213
Jun 20183,288
May 20182,975
Apr 20182,716
Mar 20182,584
Feb 20182,264
Jan 20182,442
Dec 20171,709
Nov 20172,458
Oct 20172,862
Sept 20173,207
Aug 20174,050
Jul 20173,980
Jun 20174,198
May 20173,751
Apr 20173,915
Mar 20173,673
Feb 20172,556
Jan 20172,272
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
27%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, which includes mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London363
North Yorkshire149
Somerset144
Leeds121
Bristol, City of108
North Northamptonshire92
Birmingham87
West Northamptonshire80
Wiltshire76
Nottingham73
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. 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
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.
8.7%!
19%!
20%!
23%!
24%!
5.5%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–248.7% (small sample)
25–3419% (small sample)
35–4420% (small sample)
45–5423% (small sample)
55–6424% (small sample)
65+5.5% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!11%
Higher education below degree!2.8%
A levels or equivalent19%
GCSEs or equivalent22%
Other qualifications22%
No qualifications!16%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent11% (small sample)
Higher education below degree2.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent19%
GCSEs or equivalent22%
Other qualifications22%
No qualifications16% (small sample)

Main employers: construction of other civil engineering projects nec (8.6%), collection of non-hazardous waste (6.8%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (6.6%), wholesale of other machinery and equipment (6.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
11%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
Other qualifications
held by 22%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
15 months
typically
Self-employed
22%
of people in the job

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

  • fixes any necessary extensions onto machine and loads machine with asphalt, concrete, bitumen, tar, stone chippings or any other required materials
  • manipulates levers, pedals and switches to manoeuvre vehicle, regulate angle and height of blades, buckets and hammers and starts conveyor, suction or water spraying system
  • watches operation and removes any likely obstacle or obstructions
  • directs refilling of machine hopper and repeats operations as necessary
  • operates tractors, combine harvesters or other farm vehicles, attaches plough, cultivator or other implements and adjusts depth, speed and height to requirements
  • drives and operates machinery to plough, fertilise, plant, cultivate or harvest crops
  • cleans, oils and greases machine and carries out minor repairs

Skills

  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • operate excavator
  • perform minor repairs to equipment
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work ergonomically
  • keep personal administration
  • keep records of work progress
  • drive mobile heavy construction equipment
  • operate bulldozer
  • prevent damage to utility infrastructure
  • react to events in time-critical environments
  • secure heavy construction equipment
  • transport construction supplies
  • work in a construction team

Knowledge

  • mechanical tools
  • mechanical systems
  • electricity
  • excavation techniques
  • machinery load capacity
  • mechanics

Suits people who like

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

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, a group of 14 jobs that includes mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 6.7%about 80,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035748,000including 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.