Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers Pay Data UK — 2025

Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers roles in the UK earn a median of £32,500 per year, equivalent to £16.04 per hour as of 2025. Pay decreased 2.2% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £27,000 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £36,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £28,936/yr (12% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay fell by -2.2% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers

Glass and ceramics workers, form, shape, decorate, smooth and polish glassware, earthenware, refractory goods, clay bricks and other ceramic goods.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• uses hand tools and operates machinery to heat, bend, shape, press, drill and cut glass
• makes artificial eyes, laminated glass sheets or blocks, glass fibre tissue, wool, filament and matting, marks optical lenses and assembles rimless spectacles
• makes models and moulds from moulding clay and plaster for use in the making and casting of pottery and other ceramic goods
• throws, casts and presses clay by hand or machine to form pottery, stoneware or refractory goods such as bricks, crucibles, ornaments, sanitary furnishings, saggars, cups, saucers, plates and roofing tiles
• cuts and joins unfired stoneware pipes to form junctions and gullies, moulds sealing bands on clay pipes, prepares and joins porcelain or earthenware components and assists crucible makers and stone workers with their tasks
• applies decorative designs and finishes to glassware, optical glass and ceramic goods by grinding, smoothing, polishing, cutting, etching, dipping, painting or transferring patterns or labels

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs at levels 1, 2 and 3 are available in some areas.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.