Food Production Operative Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 11,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£29,642
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 7.1% change on the previous year
Mean
£32,646
Jobs measured
11,000
What a typical food production operative takes home
On the median of £29,642, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,075
Take-home a year
£24,900
Income Tax
£3,376
National Insurance
£1,366
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.
How Scotland ranks for food production operative pay
4th
of 10 GB regions with a published figure
North East tops the table on £31,175 and Wales sits at the bottom on £27,927. Scotland is £1,534 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
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 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 Scotland?
The median is £29,642 a year and the mean is £32,646, 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 Scotland.
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 Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £29,642 against £29,258 across the UK, 1.3% higher, which places it 4th highest of the 10 GB regions with a precise estimate.
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 Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many food production operatives are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 11,000 employee jobs in “Food, drink and tobacco process operatives” (SOC 8111) in Scotland. 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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