jobfacts

Planning, process and production technicians

SOC 2020 3116

Planning, process and production technicians perform a variety of technical support functions to assist production, process and planning engineers with production programmes and schedules and with manufacturing and processing procedures in order to ensure accuracy, cost-effectiveness and efficiency

Also calledProduction technicianMaintenance plannerProcess technicianScheduling technicianTechnical controllerProduction coordinatorand 3 more titles
Typical full-time pay£36,9002025 Provisional
People in the job23,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month717↓ 2.9%on last year · 222nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time planning, process and production technicians earn, 2025
£36,900 typical£26,500lowest 10%£30,10025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£26,500
Lowest 20% earn less than£28,600
25%£30,100
Median£36,900
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £36,900
Yorkshire and The Humber!£40,100
East of England!£37,800
West Midlands!£37,400
North West!£36,600
Wales!£35,700
South West!£35,200
North East!£34,800
South East!£34,600
East Midlands!£31,700
LondonNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £36,900
Yorkshire and The Humber£40,100 (small sample)
East of England£37,800 (small sample)
West Midlands£37,400 (small sample)
North West£36,600 (small sample)
Wales£35,700 (small sample)
South West£35,200 (small sample)
North East£34,800 (small sample)
South East£34,600 (small sample)
East Midlands£31,700 (small sample)
LondonNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £34,400
  • 2024 £34,800
  • 2025 Provisional£36,900
↑ 7.4% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 717 jobs for planning, process and production technicians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026765
Jul 2026752
Jun 2026761
May 2026682
Apr 2026709
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026632
Jan 2026740
Dec 2025404
Nov 2025937
Oct 2025813
Sept 2025693
Aug 2025754
Jul 2025861
Jun 2025835
May 2025915
Apr 2025674
Mar 2025766
Feb 2025765
Jan 2025727
Dec 2024463
Nov 2024621
Oct 2024775
Sept 2024730
Aug 2024762
Jul 2024776
Jun 2024809
May 2024861
Apr 2024826
Mar 2024729
Feb 2024746
Jan 2024871
Dec 2023630
Nov 2023746
Oct 2023734
Sept 2023769
Aug 2023839
Jul 2023849
Jun 20231,209
May 20231,146
Apr 2023931
Mar 20231,196
Feb 20231,153
Jan 20231,263
Dec 20221,040
Nov 20221,305
Oct 20221,312
Sept 20221,206
Aug 20221,407
Jul 20221,437
Jun 20221,440
May 20221,573
Apr 20221,180
Mar 20221,506
Feb 20221,450
Jan 20221,642
Dec 20211,193
Nov 20211,266
Oct 20211,324
Sept 20211,204
Aug 20211,056
Jul 20211,237
Jun 20211,190
May 20211,152
Apr 20211,055
Mar 20211,365
Feb 2021784
Jan 2021768
Dec 2020668
Nov 2020627
Oct 2020666
Sept 2020605
Aug 2020566
Jul 2020534
Jun 2020433
May 2020439
Apr 2020613
Mar 2020755
Feb 20201,053
Jan 2020936
Dec 2019759
Nov 20191,000
Oct 20191,110
Sept 2019931
Aug 2019977
Jul 20191,351
Jun 20191,305
May 20191,109
Apr 2019802
Mar 2019995
Feb 2019879
Jan 20191,045
Dec 2018727
Nov 2018939
Oct 20181,040
Sept 2018906
Aug 2018911
Jul 2018922
Jun 2018968
May 20181,022
Apr 2018859
Mar 2018882
Feb 2018850
Jan 2018998
Dec 2017668
Nov 2017884
Oct 2017919
Sept 2017944
Aug 2017848
Jul 2017767
Jun 20171,022
May 2017987
Apr 20171,039
Mar 20171,128
Feb 20171,002
Jan 20171,131
Is there a shortage of planning, process and production technicians?
Critical

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

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
30%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for science, engineering and production technicians, which includes planning, process and production technicians. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London256
Somerset46
Cambridge34
Bristol, City of32
Manchester31
North Yorkshire29
Buckinghamshire29
Leeds25
North Somerset24
South Gloucestershire24
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where planning, process and production technicians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 70 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, India, France, ranking it 114th of 313. 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 planning, process and production technicians
6.5%!
32%!
16%!
27%!
20%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–246.5% (small sample)
25–3432% (small sample)
35–4416% (small sample)
45–5427% (small sample)
55–6420% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!27%
Higher education below degree!7.8%
A levels or equivalent!31%
GCSEs or equivalent!24%
Other qualifications!4.2%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent27% (small sample)
Higher education below degree7.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent31% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent24% (small sample)
Other qualifications4.2% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery (4.7%), manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products (4.6%), manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations (3.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
27%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 31%
Apprenticeships
4
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
14 months to 3 years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds

Apprenticeships

4 for this job
Level 3About 3 years

Process industry manufacturing technician

Leads to
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
Employers may ask for
Employers will set their own entry requirements. Typically, they require applicants to have GCSE science grade C or 4. An employer may require applicants to…
Details on Skills England

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

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Management and administrationT Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • supports planning and production engineers in assessing existing and alternative production methods
  • works from, and helps implement, professional engineers’ drawings and specifications for equipment and layout, and helps implement modifications required for existing plant machinery/layout
  • works with engineers on production control methods to monitor operational efficiency and helps to eliminate potential hazards and bottlenecks in production
  • liaises with materials buying, storing and controlling departments to ensure a steady flow of supplies
  • supports professional engineers in reviewing safety, quality, accuracy, reliability and contractual requirements
  • supports implementation of plans of sequence of operations and completion dates for each phase of production or processing
  • ensures implementation of inspection, testing and evaluation methods for bought-in materials, components, semi-finished and finished products
  • plans and coordinates maintenance activities involved in manufacturing and processing procedures
  • ensures accuracy of manufacturing and testing equipment
  • ensures effective completion and implementation of detailed instructions on processes, work methods and quality and safety standards for workers
  • reviews and analyses production data
  • plans the cost impact and staff resources for projects

Skills

  • monitor automated machines
  • perform machine maintenance
  • set up machine controls
  • inspect quality of products
  • keep records of work progress
  • adjust manufacturing equipment
  • perform test run
  • supply machine
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • consult technical resources
  • record production data for quality control
  • apply assembly techniques
  • maintain control systems for automated equipment
  • maintain equipment

Knowledge

  • mechanics
  • automation technology
  • manufacturing processes
  • production processes
  • quality standards
  • robotic components
  • types of digesters
  • types of moulded fibres

Suits people who like

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

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for science, engineering and technology associate professionals, a group of 11 jobs that includes planning, process and production technicians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 4.9%about 34,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035228,000including 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.