106 job titles, sorted by UK median salary.
In the UK, the 19 process, plant & machine operatives occupations with ONS data have median pay ranging from £22,767 (Sewing Machinists) to £39,057 (Water and Sewerage Plant Operatives); the average of those medians is about £30,446.
In the US, the 100 occupations with BLS data range from $35,060 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials) to $122,890 (Nuclear Power Reactor Operators), averaging about $51,156.
These are unweighted averages of the occupation medians listed below, not official category-wide figures, and UK and US figures are never converted or combined.
| Job title | UK median | US median |
|---|
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (US) |
— |
$122,890 |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers (US) |
— |
$106,730 |
| Power Plant Operators (US) |
— |
$102,040 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (US) |
— |
$96,710 |
| Gas Plant Operators (US) |
— |
$87,820 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators (US) |
— |
$78,620 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators (US) |
— |
$78,120 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (US) |
— |
$74,450 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers (US) |
— |
$68,120 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (US) |
— |
$65,380 |
| Tool and Die Makers (US) |
— |
$64,050 |
| Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$63,870 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$63,340 |
| Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers (US) |
— |
$62,750 |
| Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters (US) |
— |
$62,620 |
| Plant and System Operators, All Other (US) |
— |
$62,470 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (US) |
— |
$60,020 |
| Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$58,000 |
| Tire Builders (US) |
— |
$57,390 |
| Model Makers, Wood (US) |
— |
$56,550 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers (US) |
— |
$53,710 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$52,800 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (US) |
— |
$52,540 |
| Pourers and Casters, Metal (US) |
— |
$51,810 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$51,610 |
| Semiconductor Processing Technicians (US) |
— |
$51,430 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (US) |
— |
$51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators (US) |
— |
$50,690 |
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$50,620 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$50,270 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$50,140 |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (US) |
— |
$50,060 |
| Patternmakers, Wood (US) |
— |
$49,630 |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians (US) |
— |
$49,610 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$49,080 |
| Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$49,030 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$48,990 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$48,750 |
| Prepress Technicians and Workers (US) |
— |
$48,690 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$48,540 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$48,250 |
| Foundry Mold and Coremakers (US) |
— |
$48,110 |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$48,040 |
| Medical Appliance Technicians (US) |
— |
$48,030 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$47,920 |
| Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$47,720 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$47,180 |
| Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators (US) |
— |
$46,880 |
| Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters (US) |
— |
$46,680 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$46,570 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic (US) |
— |
$46,550 |
| Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$46,460 |
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (US) |
— |
$46,350 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$46,330 |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$46,170 |
| Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other (US) |
— |
$45,950 |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers (US) |
— |
$45,850 |
| Printing Press Operators (US) |
— |
$45,780 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$45,760 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$44,810 |
| Furniture Finishers (US) |
— |
$44,540 |
| Woodworkers, All Other (US) |
— |
$44,530 |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (US) |
— |
$43,960 |
| Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$43,530 |
| Etchers and Engravers (US) |
— |
$43,310 |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood (US) |
— |
$42,770 |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (US) |
— |
$42,660 |
| Food Batchmakers (US) |
— |
$42,290 |
| Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (US) |
— |
$41,640 |
| Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers (US) |
— |
$41,600 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$41,590 |
| Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$41,330 |
| Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators (US) |
— |
$40,610 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers (US) |
— |
$40,130 |
| Production Workers, All Other (US) |
— |
$40,110 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other (US) |
— |
$39,680 |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians (US) |
— |
$39,460 |
| Water and Sewerage Plant Operatives |
£39,057 |
— |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$38,760 |
| Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (US) |
— |
$38,670 |
| Mining and Quarry Workers and Related Operatives |
£38,301 |
— |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers (US) |
— |
$38,300 |
| Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$38,180 |
| Cutters and Trimmers, Hand (US) |
— |
$38,020 |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers (US) |
— |
$37,800 |
| Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other (US) |
— |
$37,280 |
| Sewers, Hand (US) |
— |
$36,480 |
| Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (US) |
— |
$35,650 |
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials (US) |
— |
$35,060 |
| Routine Inspectors and Testers |
£33,982 |
— |
| Chemical and Related Process Operatives |
£33,531 |
$58,040 |
| Metal Making and Treating Process Operatives |
£31,893 |
$54,430 |
| Metal Working Machine Operatives |
£31,344 |
$58,750 |
| Assemblers (Vehicles and Metal Goods) |
£31,041 |
$48,220 |
| Process Operatives N.E.C. |
£30,843 |
— |
| Tyre, Exhaust and Windscreen Fitters |
£30,429 |
$37,710 |
| Printing Machine Assistants |
£29,657 |
— |
| Plastics Process Operatives |
£29,644 |
$44,350 |
| Paper and Wood Machine Operatives |
£29,640 |
$43,380 |
| Plant and Machine Operatives N.E.C. |
£29,142 |
$39,070 |
| Weighers, Graders and Sorters |
£29,141 |
$48,570 |
| Assemblers (Electrical and Electronic Products) |
£28,241 |
— |
| Food, Drink and Tobacco Process Operatives |
£27,267 |
$43,220 |
| Assemblers and Routine Operatives N.E.C. |
£26,975 |
$39,070 |
| Textile Process Operatives |
£25,572 |
$39,530 |
| Sewing Machinists |
£22,767 |
$36,670 |
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Figures are gross annual pay before tax, for reference only. Sources: ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), BLS OES May 2025.
Data: ONS ASHE Table 14/15, 2025 provisional · BLS OES, May 2025 · Page built 2026-10-25