Warehouse Operative Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 449,000 jobs.
Median salary
£26,574
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 5.9% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£27,832
Part-time only
£15,510
Mean
£26,197
Jobs measured
449,000
What a typical warehouse operative takes home
On the median of £26,574, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,888
Take-home a year
£22,653
Income Tax
£2,801
National Insurance
£1,120
What most warehouse operatives actually earn
Half of warehouse operatives earn between £21,841 and £31,876. Earning above £31,876 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of warehouse operatives earn less than this.
Warehouse Operative salary by region
11 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| East | £27,651 | £27,719 |
| London | £27,461 | £27,431 |
| South East | £27,203 | £26,672 |
| South West | £27,162 | £26,396 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £26,692 | £26,151 |
| Scotland | £26,620 | £25,609 |
| West Midlands | £26,238 | £26,270 |
| North East | £26,006 | £25,754 |
| North West | £25,960 | £25,751 |
| East Midlands | £25,664 | £24,960 |
| Wales | £25,655 | £25,722 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Warehouse operatives
- SOC 2020 code
- 9252
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
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.
Warehouse Operative salary FAQs
What is the average Warehouse Operative salary in the UK?
The median is £26,574 a year and the mean is £26,197, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £27,832 and part-time employees £15,510.
How much does a warehouse operative earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £13.62 excluding overtime, or £13.73 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Warehouse Operative salary?
Half of warehouse operatives earn between £21,841 and £31,876. Anything above £31,876 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a warehouse operative?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of warehouse operatives earn under £12,645 and the lowest quarter under £21,841 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid warehouse operatives earn?
The top 10% of warehouse operatives earn more than £38,321 a year, and the top quarter more than £31,876. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Which part of the UK pays warehouse operatives the most?
East, at a median of £27,651, is the highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise ONS estimate; Wales is the lowest at £25,655. Regions where ONS marks the figure as imprecise are not ranked.
Has warehouse operative pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +5.9% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many warehouse operatives are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 449,000 employee jobs in “Warehouse operatives” (SOC 9252) in the UK. 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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