Metal making and treating process operatives: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 8115 · Process, plant and machine operatives

Metal making and treating process operatives

Metal making and treating process operatives operate furnaces, ovens and other heating vessels, drawing, rolling, extruding, galvanising, forging and other metal processing equipment to smelt, shape, coat and treat metal and metal products.

How people enter it

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. Vocational qualifications at level 2 and 3 in relevant areas, including metal and materials processing and finishing. are available.

What the work involves

charges furnace, operates controls to regulate furnace temperature, and adds oxidising, alloying and fluxing agents as required
withdraws samples of molten metal for analysis, taps slag from surface of molten metal and directs flow of molten metal into casts
sets rolling speed, tension and space between rolls, guides the metal to and from rollers, and monitors the rolling process to detect irregularities, and ensure that the gauge and finish match required specifications
operates equipment to remove dirt, scale and other surface impurities by immersion in chemical solution
heats metal or metal articles in furnace, allows to cool for a specified time or quenches in brine, oil or water to harden, reduces brittleness and restores ductility
operates piercing, extruding, pressing and other metal processing equipment to shape and treat metal or metal articles
coats metal parts and articles electrolytically, forms metal articles by electro- and vacuum-deposition, dips and sprays articles with another metal, plastic powder or material and treats articles chemically to produce desired finishes

Also called

Degreaser (metal trades) · Electroplater · Furnaceman (metal trades) · Process worker (nickel mfr) · Wire drawer

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	10,600.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	10,800.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	11,200.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	—	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	—	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	11,500.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	None	2026-03	—	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500

Every regional figure

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	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	500.00	2026-03
East Midlands	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	2,200.00	2026-03
London	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	1,000.00	2026-03
North East	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	withheld	2026-03
North West	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	600.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	withheld	2026-03
Scotland	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	withheld	2026-03
South East	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	1,400.00	2026-03
South West	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	900.00	2026-03
Wales	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	withheld	2026-03
West Midlands	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	2,500.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	8115 : Metal making and treating process operatives	None	1,400.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for metal making and treating process operatives vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 8 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

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.

The Datum Report