Food, drink and tobacco process operatives Salary in West Midlands
Updated May 2026
Official salary data
Based on approximately 12,000 employees
Median
£25,554
Mean
£27,348
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £25,554 |
| Mean | £27,348 |
Pay by period
Weekly
£507
Mean £530
Hourly
£12.69
Mean £14.15
| Pay period | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | £507 | £530 |
| Hourly | £12.69 | £14.15 |
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) · 2024 revised
Regional pay context
Median pay in West Midlands is £2,484/month. Food, drink and tobacco process operatives earn 14% below the local median.
Source: HMRC PAYE Real Time Information (via ONS) · March 2026
Sector pay context
Average weekly earnings in the Manufacturing sector are £814/week. Earnings grew +3.5% over the past 12 months vs +3.7% nationally.
Source: ONS Average Weekly Earnings (EARN01), seasonally adjusted · February 2026
Employment patterns
- 92% of Food, drink work full-time · vs 81% nationally
- 6% are self-employed (national average)
- 95.3% of employees have permanent contracts · vs 91% nationally
Source: ONS Annual Population Survey (APS218), 2025
Take-home pay estimate
Estimate only · 2026/27 HMRC rates · Standard allowances · Not financial or tax advice
Pay by gender
Median annual pay
All employees
£25,554
Male
£26,524
Female
£22,247
Mean annual pay
All employees
£27,348
Male
£29,066
Female
£22,820
| All employees | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median | £25,554 | £26,524 | £22,247 |
| Mean | £27,348 | £29,066 | £22,820 |
Full-time vs part-time
Full-time (median)
£26,297
Part-time (median)
£18,631
Full-time (mean)
£29,268
Part-time (mean)
£18,446
| Full-time | Part-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Median | £26,297 | £18,631 |
| Mean | £29,268 | £18,446 |
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