jobfacts

Packer

Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers — SOC 2020 9132

Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers pack, wrap, fill, label and seal containers by hand or machine.

Also calledOrder packerFood packaging workerBottlerBox dresserFillerFolderand 179 more titles
Typical full-time pay£26,2002025 Provisional
People in the job63,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month814↑ 0.2%on last year · 208th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time packers earn between £23,600 and £30,300 a year.

What full-time packers earn, 2025
£26,200 typical£21,400lowest 10%£23,60025%£31,800top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£23,600–£30,300)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£21,400
Lowest 20% earn less than£23,200
25%£23,600
Median£26,200
75%£30,300
Top 20% earn more than£31,800
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £26,200
Wales!£30,300
London!£27,600
West Midlands£26,600
East Midlands£26,500
South East£26,000
South West£25,800
North West£25,700
North East!£24,800
Scotland£24,600
Yorkshire and The Humber!£24,300
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £26,200
Wales£30,300 (small sample)
London£27,600 (small sample)
West Midlands£26,600
East Midlands£26,500
South East£26,000
South West£25,800
North West£25,700
North East£24,800 (small sample)
Scotland£24,600
Yorkshire and The Humber£24,300 (small sample)
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £23,100
  • 2024 £25,400
  • 2025 Provisional£26,200
↑ 13% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 814 jobs for packers 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 (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026770
Jul 2026868
Jun 2026823
May 2026829
Apr 2026651
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026623
Jan 2026717
Dec 2025360
Nov 2025874
Oct 20251,093
Sept 20251,347
Aug 2025962
Jul 20251,028
Jun 2025855
May 2025862
Apr 2025703
Mar 2025762
Feb 2025639
Jan 2025629
Dec 2024360
Nov 2024802
Oct 20241,051
Sept 20241,043
Aug 20241,032
Jul 2024953
Jun 2024911
May 2024943
Apr 2024993
Mar 2024703
Feb 2024681
Jan 2024768
Dec 2023636
Nov 2023849
Oct 20231,030
Sept 2023924
Aug 2023960
Jul 2023985
Jun 20231,432
May 20231,082
Apr 2023983
Mar 20231,183
Feb 20231,074
Jan 20231,348
Dec 20221,429
Nov 20222,435
Oct 20223,122
Sept 20222,456
Aug 20222,074
Jul 20221,946
Jun 20221,867
May 20222,170
Apr 20221,708
Mar 20222,210
Feb 20222,017
Jan 20222,765
Dec 20212,308
Nov 20212,992
Oct 20213,219
Sept 20213,083
Aug 20212,517
Jul 20212,523
Jun 20212,001
May 20211,643
Apr 20211,368
Mar 20211,491
Feb 2021811
Jan 2021897
Dec 20201,140
Nov 20201,495
Oct 20202,098
Sept 20201,605
Aug 20201,269
Jul 20201,035
Jun 2020868
May 2020624
Apr 2020682
Mar 2020967
Feb 20201,027
Jan 20201,021
Dec 20191,125
Nov 20191,376
Oct 20191,671
Sept 20191,341
Aug 20191,177
Jul 20191,124
Jun 20191,158
May 20191,159
Apr 2019848
Mar 2019971
Feb 2019746
Jan 20191,100
Dec 2018793
Nov 20181,242
Oct 20181,498
Sept 20181,749
Aug 20181,255
Jul 2018988
Jun 20181,237
May 20181,038
Apr 2018804
Mar 2018791
Feb 2018727
Jan 2018997
Dec 2017848
Nov 20171,271
Oct 20171,498
Sept 20171,634
Aug 20171,338
Jul 2017997
Jun 20171,336
May 20171,227
Apr 20171,072
Mar 20171,126
Feb 2017871
Jan 2017985
Is there a shortage of packers?
Not high

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

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • 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
29%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for elementary process plant occupations, which includes packers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
Somerset174
London134
Leeds42
North Yorkshire41
West Northamptonshire34
North Northamptonshire31
Bristol, City of31
South Gloucestershire30
Manchester29
Dorset28
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where packers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 355 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Moldova, Poland, Bulgaria, ranking it 47th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of packers
15%!
22%!
22%!
19%!
19%!
3.8%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2415% (small sample)
25–3422% (small sample)
35–4422% (small sample)
45–5419% (small sample)
55–6419% (small sample)
65+3.8% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!9.6%
Higher education below degree!3.7%
A levels or equivalent18%
GCSEs or equivalent21%
Other qualifications19%
No qualifications27%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent9.6% (small sample)
Higher education below degree3.7% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent18%
GCSEs or equivalent21%
Other qualifications19%
No qualifications27%

Main employers: warehousing and storage (7%), processing and preserving of poultry meat (5.6%), other postal and courier activities (4.4%), manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations (4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
9.6%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
No qualifications
held by 27%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, such as:

  • Food and Drink Process Operator
  • Supply Chain Warehouse Operative
  • Express Delivery Sortation Hub Operative

You can do these with retail, warehouse distribution and manufacturing companies. They normally take around 1 year to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Apply directly

Employers often advertise vacancies for temporary staff and seasonal packing workers through recruitment agencies, which can lead to a permanent job.

There are no set qualifications to work as a packer, though basic computer skills would be useful for using online ordering systems and stock control scanners.

You may have to take an assessment to check your practical skills before being offered a job.

Experience in packing, bottling, order picking or warehouse work can be helpful, though employers will offer you full training when you start.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Some employers may put you through forklift training once you've been with them for a few months.

Further information

You can find more details about working in packing and warehousing from Generation Logistics.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for packer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • selects appropriate cylinder, ensures that there is no corrosion or other damage and fills with gas
  • fills tubes, ampoules, bottles, drums, barrels, bags, sacks, cans, boxes and other containers by hand using measuring/weighing aid or by positioning container under feeder spout
  • packs heavy goods in crates and boxes using hoist, mobile crane or similar lifting equipment
  • loads machine with packaging containers, materials, adhesive, etc., loads hopper with items to be packaged/wrapped, monitors filling, wrapping and packaging, adjusts controls as necessary and clears any blockages
  • examines cans, bottles and seals and rejects any that are faulty
  • labels goods by hand or machine
  • packs specialist items according to specifications and completes necessary documentation

Skills

  • check quality of products on the production line
  • apply GMP
  • apply HACCP
  • apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages
  • work in conveyor belts in food manufacturing
  • carry out checks of production plant equipment
  • check quality of raw materials
  • clean food and beverage machinery
  • dispose non-food waste within the food industry
  • follow given instructions
  • follow hygienic procedures during food processing
  • handle chemicals for clean in place
  • measure precise food processing operations
  • monitor machine operations

Knowledge

  • health, safety and hygiene legislation
  • carbonation techniques
  • crafting

Suits people who like

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

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for elementary trades and related occupations, a group of 8 jobs that includes packers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 21%about 97,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 203556,000including 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.