jobfacts

Process operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 8119

Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of processing occupations not elsewhere classified in minor group 811: Process operatives.

Also calledMixerBurnerCutterMachinistFirerSetterand 662 more titles
Typical full-time pay£31,7002025 Provisional
People in the job26,000across the UK
New adverts a month273↑ 9.2%on last year · 321st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time process operatives n.e.c. earn, 2025
£31,700 typical£25,200lowest 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£25,200
25%£26,100
Median£31,700
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £31,700
North East!£33,200
East of England!£32,400
Wales!£31,700
West Midlands!£29,900
South East!£27,500
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £31,700
North East£33,200 (small sample)
East of England£32,400 (small sample)
Wales£31,700 (small sample)
West Midlands£29,900 (small sample)
South East£27,500 (small sample)
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £27,900
  • 2024 £29,400
  • 2025 Provisional£31,700
↑ 14% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 273 jobs for process operatives n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026332
Jul 2026314
Jun 2026286
May 2026291
Apr 2026239
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026235
Jan 2026270
Dec 2025146
Nov 2025269
Oct 2025327
Sept 2025298
Aug 2025254
Jul 2025286
Jun 2025261
May 2025256
Apr 2025226
Mar 2025255
Feb 2025282
Jan 2025235
Dec 2024132
Nov 2024239
Oct 2024270
Sept 2024312
Aug 2024341
Jul 2024361
Jun 2024305
May 2024342
Apr 2024302
Mar 2024249
Feb 2024234
Jan 2024237
Dec 2023225
Nov 2023200
Oct 2023217
Sept 2023215
Aug 2023264
Jul 2023266
Jun 2023389
May 2023303
Apr 2023261
Mar 2023332
Feb 2023312
Jan 2023365
Dec 2022312
Nov 2022358
Oct 2022433
Sept 2022400
Aug 2022404
Jul 2022383
Jun 2022359
May 2022394
Apr 2022292
Mar 2022358
Feb 2022301
Jan 2022372
Dec 2021255
Nov 2021299
Oct 2021345
Sept 2021361
Aug 2021335
Jul 2021363
Jun 2021332
May 2021332
Apr 2021331
Mar 2021432
Feb 2021239
Jan 2021292
Dec 2020212
Nov 2020246
Oct 2020314
Sept 2020304
Aug 2020268
Jul 2020211
Jun 2020171
May 2020113
Apr 2020169
Mar 2020282
Feb 2020376
Jan 2020303
Dec 2019215
Nov 2019329
Oct 2019312
Sept 2019308
Aug 2019281
Jul 2019322
Jun 2019339
May 2019354
Apr 2019274
Mar 2019274
Feb 2019289
Jan 2019382
Dec 2018221
Nov 2018392
Oct 2018413
Sept 2018398
Aug 2018329
Jul 2018336
Jun 2018534
May 2018363
Apr 2018334
Mar 2018340
Feb 2018418
Jan 2018360
Dec 2017237
Nov 2017375
Oct 2017345
Sept 2017335
Aug 2017410
Jul 2017533
Jun 2017391
May 2017387
Apr 2017392
Mar 2017435
Feb 2017332
Jan 2017322
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
18%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London114
Manchester17
Birmingham15
Bristol, City of13
City of Edinburgh11
Glasgow City11
Nottingham10
Leeds9
Somerset9
Buckinghamshire9
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where process 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 process operatives n.e.c.
n/p
30%!
21%!
27%!
9.9%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3430% (small sample)
35–4421% (small sample)
45–5427% (small sample)
55–649.9% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!14%
Higher education below degree!6.9%
A levels or equivalent!36%
GCSEs or equivalent!19%
Other qualifications!17%
No qualifications!5.7%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent14% (small sample)
Higher education below degree6.9% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent36% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent19% (small sample)
Other qualifications17% (small sample)
No qualifications5.7% (small sample)

Main employers: engineering activities and related technical consultancy (6.8%), manufacture of rubber tyres and tubes; retreading and rebuilding of rubber tyres (6.6%), manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations (5.7%), manufacture of hollow glass (5.2%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
14%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 36%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
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

  • packs products ready for kiln setting
  • operates kilns, furnaces and ovens to produce cement clinker, linoleum cement and asphalt, to fire abrasive and carbon products, to make and treat glass and ceramic items, and otherwise cook and heat treat materials and products not elsewhere classified
  • operates masticating, calendaring, mixing, forming, shaping, moulding, extruding, cutting, trimming and winding machines to make and repair rubber products
  • operates machines to mix, blend, crush, wash and separate seeds and other materials not elsewhere classified
  • operates machines to produce flat and corrugated asbestos cement pipes and sheets
  • performs other processing tasks not elsewhere classified

Skills

  • inspect quality of products
  • optimise production processes parameters
  • maintain equipment
  • manage waste
  • measure materials
  • monitor automated machines
  • set up the controller of a machine
  • consult technical resources
  • report defective manufacturing materials
  • supply machine
  • troubleshoot
  • inspect glass sheet
  • keep records of work progress
  • manage kiln ventilation

Knowledge

  • mechanics
  • quality standards
  • types of pottery material

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 process 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.