jobfacts

Plant and machine operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 8139

Job holders in this unit group operate a variety of plant and machinery not elsewhere classified in minor group 813: Plant and machine operatives.

Also calledPointerHeald makerPresserPullerMaintenance manCutlerand 584 more titles
Typical full-time pay£29,3002025 Provisional
People in the job23,000across the UK
New adverts a month1,100↑ 5.8%on last year · 182nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time plant and machine operatives n.e.c. earn, 2025
£29,300 typical£26,60025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%£26,600
Median£29,300
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £29,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£30,500
West Midlands!£30,300
North West!£28,900
South West!£28,800
Scotland!£26,200
North East!£25,700
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £29,300
Yorkshire and The Humber£30,500 (small sample)
West Midlands£30,300 (small sample)
North West£28,900 (small sample)
South West£28,800 (small sample)
Scotland£26,200 (small sample)
North East£25,700 (small sample)
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £25,300
  • 2024 £27,200
  • 2025 Provisional£29,300
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,100 jobs for plant and machine operatives n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,093
Jul 20261,078
Jun 2026969
May 2026932
Apr 20261,116
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026961
Jan 20261,150
Dec 2025573
Nov 20251,213
Oct 20251,093
Sept 20251,423
Aug 20251,037
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20251,289
Apr 20251,075
Mar 20251,061
Feb 20251,160
Jan 20251,029
Dec 2024612
Nov 2024904
Oct 2024942
Sept 2024980
Aug 20241,155
Jul 20241,113
Jun 20241,015
May 20241,257
Apr 20241,141
Mar 2024961
Feb 2024910
Jan 20241,136
Dec 2023768
Nov 2023832
Oct 2023921
Sept 2023897
Aug 2023962
Jul 20231,148
Jun 20231,371
May 20231,264
Apr 20231,162
Mar 20231,393
Feb 20231,294
Jan 20231,675
Dec 20221,346
Nov 20221,484
Oct 20221,586
Sept 20221,469
Aug 20221,534
Jul 20221,596
Jun 20221,617
May 20221,510
Apr 20221,279
Mar 20221,525
Feb 20221,353
Jan 20221,462
Dec 20211,256
Nov 20211,203
Oct 20211,304
Sept 20211,249
Aug 20211,208
Jul 20211,602
Jun 20211,358
May 20211,258
Apr 20211,304
Mar 20211,607
Feb 2021956
Jan 20211,001
Dec 2020772
Nov 2020825
Oct 20201,073
Sept 2020934
Aug 2020770
Jul 2020702
Jun 2020775
May 2020619
Apr 2020828
Mar 20201,102
Feb 20201,258
Jan 20201,097
Dec 2019786
Nov 20191,064
Oct 20191,082
Sept 20191,176
Aug 20191,254
Jul 20191,584
Jun 20191,593
May 20191,347
Apr 2019939
Mar 20191,079
Feb 2019956
Jan 20191,098
Dec 2018736
Nov 20181,000
Oct 20181,090
Sept 20181,000
Aug 2018955
Jul 20181,124
Jun 20181,196
May 20181,143
Apr 20181,138
Mar 20181,211
Feb 20181,175
Jan 20181,426
Dec 2017990
Nov 20171,142
Oct 20171,135
Sept 20171,137
Aug 20171,124
Jul 20171,183
Jun 20171,421
May 20171,230
Apr 20171,174
Mar 20171,293
Feb 20171,036
Jan 20171,183
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
43%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for plant and machine operatives, which includes plant and machine operatives n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London346
Manchester70
Birmingham52
Leeds39
Bristol, City of38
Glasgow City35
North Yorkshire34
North Northamptonshire34
Nottingham34
Wakefield33
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where plant and machine 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
Age of plant and machine operatives n.e.c.
n/p
27%!
14%!
17%!
28%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3427% (small sample)
35–4414% (small sample)
45–5417% (small sample)
55–6428% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!7.4%
Higher education below degree!6.2%
A levels or equivalent!29%
GCSEs or equivalent!37%
Other qualifications!5.3%
No qualifications!16%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent7.4% (small sample)
Higher education below degree6.2% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent29% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent37% (small sample)
Other qualifications5.3% (small sample)
No qualifications16% (small sample)

Main employers: manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery (7.2%), manufacture of metal forming machinery (5.8%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
7.4%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 37%
Apprenticeships
3
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 18 months
typically

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 2About 18 months

Material processing plant operator

You gain
Level 2 Diploma in Mineral Products Mobile Plant Operations; Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plant Operations (Construction)
Leads to
The Institute of Quarrying (IQ)
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/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • operates acetylene torches and other cutting equipment to dismantle boilers, cars, ships, railway track, engines, machinery and other scrap metal
  • bends, coils, crimps and spins metal wires in the manufacture of cables, springs, ropes and other wire goods
  • operates machines in the manufacture of nuts, bolts, nails, screws, pins, rivets, etc.
  • fills grease gun with grease of appropriate grade, and applies grease or oil to grease points or lubrication holes in machinery or equipment and over bearings, axles and other similar parts
  • ensures that rollers in rope haulage system are well greased and running freely
  • inspects machines and equipment, and reports any faults

Skills

  • carry out measurements of parts
  • check quality of raw materials
  • dispose of cutting waste material
  • ensure conformity to specifications
  • ensure public safety and security
  • monitor automated machines
  • perform test run
  • remove processed workpiece
  • supply machine
  • inspect quality of products
  • monitor stock level
  • record production data for quality control
  • set up the controller of a machine
  • troubleshoot

Knowledge

  • manufacturing of daily use goods
  • manufacturing of sports equipment
  • edge banding
  • quality standards
  • types of wood
  • types of metal
  • types of paper

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 plant and machine operatives n.e.c..
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.