jobfacts

Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 8149

Job holders in this unit group perform assembly and routine operative tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 814: Assemblers and routine operatives.

Also calledHook tierLacquererFilm applicatorHandlerCard mounterStitcherand 372 more titles
Typical full-time pay£28,0002025 Provisional
People in the job26,000across the UK
New adverts a month756↑ 2%on last year · 219th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. earn between £24,800 and £33,200 a year.

What full-time assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. earn, 2025
£28,000 typical£22,700lowest 10%£35,100top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£24,800–£33,200)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£22,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£24,200
25%£24,800
Median£28,000
75%£33,200
Top 20% earn more than£35,100
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £28,000
Wales!£35,300
North East!£31,300
South West!£30,100
East Midlands£29,000
East of England!£27,900
South East£27,600
West Midlands£27,500
London!£26,900
North West£26,500
Yorkshire and The Humber£26,200
Scotland!£25,500
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £28,000
Wales£35,300 (small sample)
North East£31,300 (small sample)
South West£30,100 (small sample)
East Midlands£29,000
East of England£27,900 (small sample)
South East£27,600
West Midlands£27,500
London£26,900 (small sample)
North West£26,500
Yorkshire and The Humber£26,200
Scotland£25,500 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £25,400
  • 2024 £26,600
  • 2025 Provisional£28,000
↑ 10% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 756 jobs for assemblers and routine 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 2026783
Jul 2026869
Jun 2026807
May 2026798
Apr 2026726
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026704
Jan 2026811
Dec 2025357
Nov 2025750
Oct 2025859
Sept 2025853
Aug 2025809
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025908
Apr 2025654
Mar 2025774
Feb 2025763
Jan 2025733
Dec 2024368
Nov 2024630
Oct 2024798
Sept 2024846
Aug 2024875
Jul 2024909
Jun 2024924
May 2024932
Apr 2024917
Mar 2024773
Feb 2024732
Jan 2024892
Dec 2023592
Nov 2023647
Oct 2023724
Sept 2023742
Aug 2023945
Jul 2023893
Jun 20231,291
May 20231,222
Apr 2023958
Mar 20231,137
Feb 20231,039
Jan 20231,318
Dec 20221,006
Nov 20221,168
Oct 20221,389
Sept 20221,433
Aug 20221,452
Jul 20221,576
Jun 20221,533
May 20221,746
Apr 20221,454
Mar 20221,636
Feb 20221,642
Jan 20221,926
Dec 20211,350
Nov 20211,624
Oct 20211,658
Sept 20211,831
Aug 20211,616
Jul 20211,852
Jun 20211,768
May 20211,545
Apr 20211,165
Mar 20211,627
Feb 2021834
Jan 2021936
Dec 2020685
Nov 2020781
Oct 20201,080
Sept 20201,028
Aug 2020779
Jul 2020713
Jun 2020626
May 2020525
Apr 2020683
Mar 20201,014
Feb 20201,269
Jan 20201,056
Dec 2019917
Nov 20191,240
Oct 20191,176
Sept 20191,106
Aug 20191,136
Jul 20191,401
Jun 20191,219
May 20191,197
Apr 2019887
Mar 20191,043
Feb 20191,039
Jan 20191,417
Dec 2018732
Nov 20181,280
Oct 20181,318
Sept 20181,269
Aug 20181,086
Jul 20181,021
Jun 20181,108
May 2018998
Apr 2018923
Mar 20181,000
Feb 2018941
Jan 20181,008
Dec 2017662
Nov 2017975
Oct 20171,051
Sept 20171,067
Aug 20171,193
Jul 2017993
Jun 20171,267
May 20171,232
Apr 20171,179
Mar 20171,279
Feb 20171,061
Jan 20171,218
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
54%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for assemblers and routine operatives, which includes assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London270
Leeds40
Birmingham36
North Northamptonshire31
Manchester28
Glasgow City27
Bristol, City of26
Nottingham25
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole25
City of Edinburgh23
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where assemblers and routine 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 assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.
n/p
19%!
14%!
19%!
37%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3419% (small sample)
35–4414% (small sample)
45–5419% (small sample)
55–6437% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!12%
Higher education below degree!7.4%
A levels or equivalent!27%
GCSEs or equivalent!21%
Other qualifications!26%
No qualifications!9.9%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent12% (small sample)
Higher education below degree7.4% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent27% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent21% (small sample)
Other qualifications26% (small sample)
No qualifications9.9% (small sample)

Main employers: manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery (5.5%), manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines (5.4%), manufacture of office and shop furniture (4.4%), manufacture of other furniture (3.9%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
12%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 27%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 18 months
typically

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 2About 18 months

Construction assembly and installation operative

You gain
Slinger and signaller CPCS A40
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

  • follows instructions and drawings and positions components on work bench or in assembly machine
  • assembles prepared components in sequence by soldering, bolting, fastening, spot-welding, screwing, nailing, stapling, dipping and fastening using power and hand tools or assembly machine
  • rejects faulty assembly components, inspects finished article for faults, monitors assembly machine operation and reports any faults
  • applies enamel to jewellery and coats, lacquers, dips and touches up articles (other than ceramic)
  • sets up and operates machines to apply colour to wallpaper and to coat articles (other than ceramic) with paint, cellulose or other protective/ decorative material
  • performs miscellaneous painting and coating tasks not elsewhere classified including, staining articles, applying transfers, operating French polishing machines, removing surplus enamel from components and marking design outlines on articles

Skills

  • inspect quality of products
  • monitor automated machines
  • record production data for quality control
  • fasten components
  • set up the controller of a machine
  • use technical documentation
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • align components
  • assemble metal parts
  • check quality of raw materials
  • heat metals
  • perform pre-assembly quality checks
  • read standard blueprints
  • troubleshoot

Knowledge

  • quality standards
  • manufacturing of sports equipment
  • explosives
  • metal joining technologies
  • metal smoothing technologies
  • technical drawings
  • types of metal

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 assemblers and routine 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.