jobfacts

Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out

SOC 2020 5222

Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out mark out metal for machining and fit, assemble and repair machine and press tools, dies, jigs, fixtures and other tools.

Also calledToolmakerCraft machinistTool engineerTool fitterTool makerSurface table manand 48 more titles
Typical full-time pay£39,9002025 Provisional
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month228↑ 4.2%on last year · 337th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out earn, 2025
£39,900 typicaln/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%Not published
Median£39,900
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £39,900
North West!£58,100
South East!£42,400
South West!£34,200
North EastNot 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–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £39,900
North West£58,100 (small sample)
South East£42,400 (small sample)
South West£34,200 (small sample)
North EastNot 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
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £36,100
  • 2024 £38,400
  • 2025 Provisional£39,900
↑ 11% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 228 jobs for tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026239
Jul 2026240
Jun 2026280
May 2026266
Apr 2026248
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026204
Jan 2026242
Dec 2025127
Nov 2025245
Oct 2025202
Sept 2025217
Aug 2025274
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025322
Apr 2025199
Mar 2025227
Feb 2025246
Jan 2025152
Dec 2024125
Nov 2024139
Oct 2024211
Sept 2024242
Aug 2024215
Jul 2024262
Jun 2024241
May 2024257
Apr 2024207
Mar 2024237
Feb 2024234
Jan 2024291
Dec 2023199
Nov 2023228
Oct 2023291
Sept 2023254
Aug 2023259
Jul 2023240
Jun 2023359
May 2023348
Apr 2023267
Mar 2023359
Feb 2023370
Jan 2023425
Dec 2022292
Nov 2022306
Oct 2022340
Sept 2022334
Aug 2022328
Jul 2022390
Jun 2022392
May 2022392
Apr 2022331
Mar 2022351
Feb 2022324
Jan 2022322
Dec 2021249
Nov 2021249
Oct 2021303
Sept 2021266
Aug 2021274
Jul 2021303
Jun 2021270
May 2021291
Apr 2021292
Mar 2021396
Feb 2021266
Jan 2021260
Dec 2020230
Nov 2020231
Oct 2020265
Sept 2020222
Aug 2020196
Jul 2020193
Jun 2020155
May 2020150
Apr 2020233
Mar 2020353
Feb 2020419
Jan 2020369
Dec 2019251
Nov 2019333
Oct 2019387
Sept 2019356
Aug 2019412
Jul 2019555
Jun 2019537
May 2019493
Apr 2019338
Mar 2019451
Feb 2019394
Jan 2019476
Dec 2018275
Nov 2018341
Oct 2018323
Sept 2018352
Aug 2018279
Jul 2018387
Jun 2018387
May 2018450
Apr 2018401
Mar 2018506
Feb 2018548
Jan 2018542
Dec 2017344
Nov 2017447
Oct 2017388
Sept 2017389
Aug 2017377
Jul 2017375
Jun 2017453
May 2017447
Apr 2017453
Mar 2017535
Feb 2017369
Jan 2017455
Is there a shortage of tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out?
Not high

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

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • 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 tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London83
Birmingham24
Redditch20
Telford and Wrekin20
Manchester15
Worcester13
Sheffield12
Dudley10
Bedford9
Canterbury9
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out 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 tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
Higher education below degree!43%
A levels or equivalent!114%
GCSEs or equivalent!30%
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
Higher education below degree43% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent114% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent30% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: machining (36%), manufacture of other parts and accessories for motor vehicles (17%).

How to get in

Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 114%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
3½ years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You could start by doing a college course to learn some of the skills you'll need in this job.

Courses include:

  • engineering technology
  • engineering operations
  • engineering
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with an engineering company. These include:

  • Engineering and Manufacturing Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Engineering Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Machining Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Engineering Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Work your way up

You could start as an engineering operative in a workshop or factory and do further training on the job to move into toolmaking and craft machining.

You can find out more about careers in engineering from Tomorrow's Engineers.

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

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© 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
Engineering, manufacturing, processing and control​T Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings and specifications to determine appropriate method and sequence of operations
  • marks out reference points using measuring instruments and tools such as punches, rules and squares
  • operates hand and machine tools to shape workpieces to specifications and checks accuracy of machining
  • assembles prepared parts, checks their alignment with micrometers, optical projectors and other measuring equipment and adjusts as necessary
  • repairs damaged or worn tools

Skills

  • operate precision measuring equipment
  • apply precision metalworking techniques
  • consult technical resources
  • maintain customer service
  • maintain records of maintenance interventions
  • monitor automated machines
  • perform test run
  • read standard blueprints
  • set up the controller of a machine
  • supply machine
  • supply machine with appropriate tools
  • troubleshoot
  • perform machine maintenance
  • tend CNC drilling machine

Knowledge

  • types of metal
  • mechanics
  • precision mechanics
  • ferrous metal processing
  • metal joining technologies
  • casting processes
  • dies
  • electronic locks

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 tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out.
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.