UK mean monthly pay: manufacturing
UK mean monthly pay: manufacturing stood at £3,786 in Jul 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Pay and employment from PAYE table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jul 2014 to Jul 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Pay and employment from PAYE table
| Indicator | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean monthly pay by industry | |||||||||||
| C — Manufacturing | 3,786 | 3,761 | 3,736 | 3,728 | 3,753 | 3,712 | 3,715 | 3,689 | 3,671 | 3,680 | |
| D — Energy production and supply | 5,907 | 5,896 | 5,942 | 5,693 | 5,619 | 5,493 | 5,458 | 5,443 | 5,403 | 5,438 |
Understanding UK mean monthly pay: manufacturing
Employer real-time tax submissions from manufacturing enterprises across the United Kingdom form the foundation of this arithmetic mean monthly earnings metric. The calculation divides the total monthly wage bill of all factory workers, production supervisors, and administrative staff by the total manufacturing headcount. This industrial average captures goods-producing operations ranging from food processing to aerospace manufacturing, reflecting plant-floor shift patterns, overtime enhancements, and technical skill premiums. Self-employed craftspeople operating without formal company payroll structures remain excluded.
Seasonality influences manufacturing pay through scheduled summer plant shutdowns, holiday factory closures, and autumn production ramps that alter monthly overtime hours. Preliminary data releases are subject to routine administrative revisions as industrial employers correct late payroll submissions. Twelve-month comparisons provide the most robust measure of underlying wage growth, neutralising recurring factory shutdown schedules and annual pay review cycles. Analysts must remember that arithmetic means in manufacturing can be influenced by high-earning technical engineering staff within the overall headcount.
Frequently asked questions
- How do factory shutdown periods affect monthly manufacturing earnings?
- Scheduled summer or holiday closures can reduce overtime hours and lower average monthly pay temporarily.
- Are self-employed makers and craftspeople captured in these manufacturing figures?
- Sole traders operating without a registered company payroll system are excluded from the tax records.
- Why is the twelve-month comparison preferred for factory wage analysis?
- Annual comparisons account for recurring factory shutdown schedules and seasonal production cycles.