Chemical and related process operatives Pay Data UK — 2025

Chemical and related process operatives roles in the UK earn a median of £36,500 per year, equivalent to £16.41 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 8.9% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £30,500 in West Midlands to £40,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £33,959/yr (7% 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 Chemical and related process operatives 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 grew by +8.9% 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 Chemical and related process operatives.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Chemical and related process operatives

Chemical and related process operatives operate machinery in the processing of chemical and related materials by chemical, heat or other treatment, manufacture synthetic materials and bleach, dye or otherwise treat textiles, and treat hides, skins and pelts for making into fur, leather and skin products.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• loads prescribed quantities of ingredients into plant equipment, starts operational cycle, monitors instruments and gauges indicating conditions affecting the operation of the plant and adjusts controls as necessary
• prepares dye, bleaching, water repellent, fixing salt and other chemical solutions to finish and treat textiles
• regulates input of polymer into melting unit, extrudes polymer, gathers extruded filaments and feeds strands through rolling, cutting and treatment units to produce synthetic fibre
• operates kilns, furnaces and ovens to produce charcoal, coke and other carbon products
• operates machines to coat film and tape with sensitising material and otherwise impregnate materials by immersion, split and mould mica and produce asbestos pipes and sheets
• cuts and trims skins, hides and pelts, removes wool, hair, flesh and other waste material, and washes, limes, tans, dyes and otherwise treats hides for making into leather, skin and fur products
• withdraws samples for quality control testing, removes and regulates discharge of batch material upon completion of processing

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers require entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by specialised training courses. Vocational qualifications in Process Technology at levels 2 and 3 and apprenticeships are available.

Related Occupations

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