jobfacts

Precision instrument makers and repairers

SOC 2020 5224

Precision instrument makers and repairers make, calibrate, test and repair precision and optical instruments such as barometers, compasses, cameras, calibrators, watches, clocks and chronometers.

Also calledWatch or clock repairerHorologistClock makerInstrument mechanicMeter makerCamera technicianand 115 more titles
Typical full-time pay£40,1002025 Provisional
People in the job16,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month400↓ 7.9%on last year · 279th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time precision instrument makers and repairers earn, 2025
£40,100 typical£30,700lowest 20%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£30,700
25%£31,700
Median£40,100
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £40,100
South West!£31,700
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £40,100
South West£31,700 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,300
  • 2024 £33,200
  • 2025 Provisional£40,100
↑ 32% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 400 jobs for precision instrument makers and repairers 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 2026411
Jul 2026421
Jun 2026475
May 2026410
Apr 2026369
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026370
Jan 2026401
Dec 2025246
Nov 2025408
Oct 2025460
Sept 2025428
Aug 2025373
Jul 2025488
Jun 2025599
May 2025501
Apr 2025420
Mar 2025477
Feb 2025490
Jan 2025413
Dec 2024294
Nov 2024373
Oct 2024390
Sept 2024436
Aug 2024394
Jul 2024544
Jun 2024439
May 2024497
Apr 2024540
Mar 2024473
Feb 2024458
Jan 2024551
Dec 2023486
Nov 2023469
Oct 2023512
Sept 2023449
Aug 2023601
Jul 2023533
Jun 2023824
May 2023737
Apr 2023540
Mar 2023736
Feb 2023789
Jan 2023766
Dec 2022670
Nov 2022730
Oct 2022745
Sept 2022756
Aug 2022755
Jul 2022768
Jun 2022868
May 2022770
Apr 2022605
Mar 2022746
Feb 2022686
Jan 2022773
Dec 2021610
Nov 2021703
Oct 2021699
Sept 2021631
Aug 2021577
Jul 2021682
Jun 2021617
May 2021712
Apr 2021519
Mar 2021624
Feb 2021420
Jan 2021509
Dec 2020377
Nov 2020367
Oct 2020474
Sept 2020414
Aug 2020350
Jul 2020375
Jun 2020359
May 2020308
Apr 2020411
Mar 2020628
Feb 2020691
Jan 2020596
Dec 2019487
Nov 2019660
Oct 2019626
Sept 2019639
Aug 2019714
Jul 2019802
Jun 2019822
May 2019865
Apr 2019560
Mar 2019682
Feb 2019566
Jan 2019708
Dec 2018466
Nov 2018620
Oct 2018626
Sept 2018658
Aug 2018599
Jul 2018674
Jun 2018701
May 2018638
Apr 2018587
Mar 2018600
Feb 2018567
Jan 2018683
Dec 2017427
Nov 2017686
Oct 2017605
Sept 2017596
Aug 2017582
Jul 2017536
Jun 2017767
May 2017722
Apr 2017715
Mar 2017728
Feb 2017607
Jan 2017685
Is there a shortage of precision instrument makers and repairers?
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 not high.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
57%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for metal machining, fitting and instrument making trades, which includes precision instrument makers and repairers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London244
Birmingham26
Manchester24
Bristol, City of23
Glasgow City22
Leeds19
Norwich16
Milton Keynes14
Derby13
Exeter13
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where precision instrument makers and repairers 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 precision instrument makers and repairers
n/p
29%!
n/p
n/p
24%!
15%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3429% (small sample)
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–6424% (small sample)
65+15% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!20%
Higher education below degree!28%
A levels or equivalent!42%
GCSEs or equivalent!8.3%
Other qualifications!15%
No qualifications!4.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent20% (small sample)
Higher education below degree28% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent42% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent8.3% (small sample)
Other qualifications15% (small sample)
No qualifications4.6% (small sample)

Main employers: repair of watches, clocks and jewellery (11%), manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation (8%), machining (6.9%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
20%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 42%
Apprenticeships
5
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 3½ years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

There is a small number of university courses in England, covering this subject, for example:

  • a degree in horology
  • a foundation degree in historic craft practices - clocks
  • a diploma in conservation studies - clocks
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You may be able to do a part-time course in clock or watch servicing, which could help you to get a trainee position with a watch and clock repair company.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on a Watchmaker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship takes around 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other routes

You could take training through the British Horological Institute. They offer short courses for beginners along with more advanced qualifications.

You can study for a professional qualification on the Watchmaker Training Programme at The British School of Watchmaking.

The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers also has details about full-time and part-time training courses.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Horological Institute and The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers for training opportunities and professional development.

Further information

You can find out more about watch and clockmaking careers from the British Horological Institute.

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

Apprenticeships

5 for this job
Level 3About 3½ years

Engineering maintenance technician

Leads to
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
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

  • examines drawings or specifications to determine appropriate methods, materials and sequence of operation
  • marks out and machines aluminium, brass, steel and plastics using machine tools such as grinders, lathes and shapers
  • tests watches and clocks for repair to diagnose faults and removes, repairs or replaces damaged and worn parts
  • tests completed timepiece for accuracy using electronic or other test equipment
  • carries out service tasks such as cleaning, oiling and regulating
  • checks prepared parts for accuracy using measuring equipment, assembles parts and adjusts as necessary using hand and machine tools
  • positions, aligns and secures optical lenses in mounts
  • tests, adjusts and repairs precision and optical instruments

Skills

  • ensure conformity to specifications
  • operate precision measuring equipment
  • replace defect components
  • use precision tools
  • apply health and safety standards
  • apply precision metalworking techniques
  • inspect quality of products
  • meet deadlines
  • read standard blueprints
  • remove defective products
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • communicate with customers
  • keep records of work progress
  • resolve equipment malfunctions

Knowledge

  • quality standards
  • blueprints
  • components of clocks
  • electric clocks
  • glass tempering
  • mechanical clocks
  • optical equipment standards
  • optical glass characteristics

Suits people who like

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

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes precision instrument makers and repairers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including 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.