Food Production Operative Salary in North West
Official ONS earnings for North West, covering 14,000 jobs.
Median salary — North West
£27,963
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 7.1% change on the previous year
Mean
£29,583
Jobs measured
14,000
What a typical food production operative takes home
On the median of £27,963, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,971
Take-home a year
£23,653
Income Tax
£3,079
National Insurance
£1,231
What most food production operatives actually earn
Half of food production operatives across the UK earn between £24,686 and £34,873. Earning above £34,873 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
This range is UK-wide — ONS publishes no regional breakdown of the spread for this occupation.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of food production operatives earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Food, drink and tobacco process operatives
- SOC 2020 code
- 8111
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
ONS publishes a sampling error of 13.1% for this figure and asks that anything above 10% is treated as imprecise — too few people in this region answered the survey for this occupation. The figure is shown because it is the one ONS published, but it is not firm enough to rank North West against anywhere else, so this page doesn't.
ONS doesn't measure “food production operative” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Food, drink and tobacco process operatives”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS measures food, drink and tobacco process operatives.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Food Production Operative salary FAQs
What is the average Food Production Operative salary in North West?
The median is £27,963 a year and the mean is £29,583, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a food production operative earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.04 excluding overtime, or £14.30 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for North West.
What is a good Food Production Operative salary?
Half of food production operatives earn between £24,686 and £34,873. Anything above £34,873 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a food production operative?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of food production operatives earn under £18,570 and the lowest quarter under £24,686 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid food production operatives earn?
The top 10% of food production operatives earn more than £41,707 a year, and the top quarter more than £34,873. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do food production operatives in North West earn more than the UK average?
The median in North West is £27,963 against £29,258 across the UK, 4.4% lower. ONS marks the North West figure as imprecise, so treat the gap as indicative.
Has food production operative pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +7.1% for this occupation in North West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many food production operatives are there in North West?
ASHE counts around 14,000 employee jobs in “Food, drink and tobacco process operatives” (SOC 8111) in North West. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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