Food, drink and tobacco process operatives Salary in South West
Updated May 2026
Official salary data
Based on approximately 9,000 employees
Median
£25,876
Mean
£25,124
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £25,876 |
| Mean | £25,124 |
Pay by period
Weekly
£513
Mean £495
Hourly
£12.80
Mean £13.47
| Pay period | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | £513 | £495 |
| Hourly | £12.80 | £13.47 |
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) · 2024 revised
Regional pay context
Median pay in South West is £2,498/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
- 81% of Food, drink work full-time (national average)
- 6% are self-employed (national average)
- 91% of employees have permanent contracts (national average)
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
£25,876
Male
£27,119
Mean annual pay
All employees
£25,124
Male
£26,581
| All employees | Male | |
|---|---|---|
| Median | £25,876 | £27,119 |
| Mean | £25,124 | £26,581 |
Full-time vs part-time
Full-time (median)
£26,900
Full-time (mean)
£27,785
| Full-time | |
|---|---|
| Median | £26,900 |
| Mean | £27,785 |
Live job listings
Salary ranges from active postings on Reed and Adzuna.
No live listings found right now. Check back tomorrow after the daily refresh.