Production manager: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Production managers and directors in manufacturing (SOC 1121)
About £45,181 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +2% on last year
£4,975 a month About £3,765 a month after tax 351 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £44,978 in 2021 to £59,695 in 2026 (+33%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £24,000 | £32,016 | £44,978 | £66,228 | £93,027 |
| 2022 | £24,278 | £33,430 | £47,075 | £67,689 | £96,134 |
| 2023 | £26,195 | £37,615 | £51,597 | £75,411 | £104,097 |
| 2024 | £30,000 | £40,000 | £55,039 | £83,224 | £118,937 |
| 2025 | £31,459 | £42,861 | £58,530 | £84,768 | £121,117 |
| 2026 | £31,585 | £43,013 | £59,695 | £87,192 | £125,969 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £59,695 a year and half earn more. That is 46% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £43,013 and £87,192; the middle 80% between £31,585 and £125,969.
Ranked by median, it is number 26 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
The mean (£73,174) is well above the median: a minority in this job earn much more than most.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £3,765 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £3,620 in Scotland.
The median for men is £60,000 and for women £57,881, a gap of 4% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £31,585 | £2,632 |
| 20th | £39,634 | £3,303 |
| 25th (P25) | £43,013 | £3,584 |
| 30th | £46,097 | £3,841 |
| 40th | £52,110 | £4,343 |
| Median (50th) | £59,695 | £4,975 |
| 60th | £68,728 | £5,727 |
| 70th | £80,003 | £6,667 |
| 75th (P75) | £87,192 | £7,266 |
| 80th | £96,244 | £8,020 |
| 90th (P90) | £125,969 | £10,497 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £60,000 | £74,348 | 276 |
| Women | £57,881 | £68,883 | 75 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £45,181 | £3,765 |
| Scotland | £43,437 | £3,620 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £60,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 60 job titles to SOC 1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Abattoir manager
- Boat yard manager
- Boat yard owner
- Brewery manager
- Clothing manager
- Colour shop manager
- Company director
- Composing room manager
- Composition manager
- Dairy manager
- Director
- Director of engineering
- Director of manufacturing
- District manager
- Divisional manager
- Dye house manager
- Electro-plating manager
- Engineering director
- Engineering manager
- Fabrication manager
- Factory manager
- Floor manager
- Foundry manager
- Foundry owner
- Front line manager
- General manager
- Head of manufacturing
- Head of operations
- Manager
- Managing director
- Manufacturing director
- Manufacturing manager
- Mill manager
- Operations director
- Operations manager
- Owner
- Plant manager
- Product manager
- Production control manager
- Production line manager
- Production manager
- Production shift manager
- Progress manager
- Regional manager
- Sawmill manager
- Sawmill owner
- Service manager
- Shift manager
- Ship yard manager
- Shop manager
- Site director
- Steelworks manager
- Systems manager
- Technical director
- Technical manager
- Technical services manager
- Textile manager
- Textile mill owner
- Works director
- Works manager
Similar occupations
All jobs in Managers, directors and senior officials
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.