Plastics process operatives salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for plastics process operatives in the UK is £32,644 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,252 a month.
Pay range for plastics process operatives
This is the ONS occupation group "Plastics process operatives" (SOC 2020 code 8114). ONS figures for 2025 show that a quarter earn less than £24,377 and half earn less than £32,644.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £24,377 | £2,031 | £21,071 | £1,756 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,644 | £2,720 | £27,023 | £2,252 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for plastics process operatives as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.6%. ONS estimates about 11,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where plastics process operatives rank
The median for plastics process operatives ranks 226th of 362 occupations on this site, in the lower half, and 19th of 35 in process, plant and machine operatives. It is £6,395 (16.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for plastics process operatives rose 26.0%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 3 of 358 occupations had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one occupation come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Floorers and wall tilers (£32,861), Painters and decorators (£32,763), Youth and community workers (£32,654), Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (£32,643), Graphic and multimedia designers (£32,510) and Construction operatives n.e.c. (£32,446).
How spread out pay is
ONS published the 25th percentile (£24,377) but not the 75th, so we cannot show the middle half of the range for plastics process operatives.
The mean for plastics process operatives (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £32,064, which is £580 (1.8%) lower than the median. The two are close, so very high or very low salaries are not pulling the average far from the middle. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for plastics process operatives is smaller.
Plastics process operatives and related jobs
Among these 6 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the 3rd highest median. The highest median among them is £33,959 (chemical and related process operatives) and the lowest £27,915 (textile process operatives).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical and related process operatives | 8113 | £33,959 | £2,331 |
| Metal making and treating process operatives | 8115 | £32,871 | £2,266 |
| Plastics process operatives | 8114 | £32,644 | £2,252 |
| Process operatives n.e.c. | 8119 | £31,717 | £2,196 |
| Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | 8111 | £28,243 | £1,988 |
| Textile process operatives | 8112 | £27,915 | £1,968 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, plastics process operatives take home about £2,252 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics process operatives | £32,644 | £2,252 | £2,253 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Process, plant and machine operatives table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 8114. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £32,644, take-home pay is about £2,252 a month (£27,023 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £2,253 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that a quarter earn less than £24,377 and half earn less than £32,644. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
No. The median for plastics process operatives is £32,644, which is £6,395 (16.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 226th of 362 occupations on this site.