Occupation 8111 · Process, plant and machine operatives
Food, drink and tobacco process operatives set, operate and attend machinery to bake, freeze, heat, crush, mix, blend and otherwise process foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco leaves.
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though some GCSEs/S grades can be an advantage. Off and on-the-job training is available. Vocational qualifications related to food and drink manufacturing, including apprenticeships, are available at up to level 3.
Baker (food products mfr) · Bakery assistant · Factory worker (food products mfr) · Meat processor (meat packing) · Process worker (brewery) · Process worker (dairy)
| Measure | Hours | Basis | Period | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 105,700.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 114,000.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 124,600.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 5,300.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 10,600.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 129,900.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 8,300.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.
| Region | Measure | Hours | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 10,400.00 | 2026-03 |
| East Midlands | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 20,700.00 | 2026-03 |
| London | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 5,800.00 | 2026-03 |
| North East | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 3,700.00 | 2026-03 |
| North West | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 17,000.00 | 2026-03 |
| Northern Ireland | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 5,300.00 | 2026-03 |
| Scotland | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 10,600.00 | 2026-03 |
| South East | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 6,700.00 | 2026-03 |
| South West | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 9,700.00 | 2026-03 |
| Wales | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 8,300.00 | 2026-03 |
| West Midlands | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 17,000.00 | 2026-03 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8111 : Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | None | 14,600.00 | 2026-03 |
ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 12 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.
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