Footwear and leather working trades: salary in the UK
About £24,425 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +14.6% on last year
£2,420 a month About £2,035 a month after tax
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 £18,467 in 2021 to £29,035 in 2026 (+57%); 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 | x | x | £18,467 | x | x |
| 2022 | x | x | £20,825 | x | x |
| 2023 | x | x | £24,938 | x | x |
| 2024 | x | x | £27,625 | x | x |
| 2025 | x | x | £25,341 | x | x |
| 2026 | x | x | £29,035 | x | x |
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 £29,035 a year and half earn more. That is 29% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
Ranked by median, it is number 316 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,035 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,039 in Scotland.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | x | x |
| 20th | x | x |
| 25th (P25) | x | x |
| 30th | x | x |
| 40th | £27,223 | £2,269 |
| Median (50th) | £29,035 | £2,420 |
| 60th | £31,356 | £2,613 |
| 70th | x | x |
| 75th (P75) | x | x |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £24,425 | £2,035 |
| Scotland | £24,464 | £2,039 |
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 £29,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 328 job titles to SOC 5412 Footwear and leather working trades. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Alteration hand
- Assembler
- Attaché case maker
- Bag cutter
- Bag machinist
- Bag maker
- Bag manufacturer
- Bag repairer
- Bagging machinist
- Barrer
- Beader
- Beading machinist
- Beater
- Bellows maker
- Belt cutter
- Belt fitter
- Belt maker
- Belt mender
- Belt piecer
- Belt repairer
- Belting fitter
- Belting maker
- Belting repairer
- Belting sewer
- Beltman
- Bench hand
- Bench man
- Bench worker
- Bespoke last fitter
- Beveller
- Binder
- Blanking presser
- Blocker
- Boot and shoe finisher
- Boot and shoe maker
- Boot and shoe operative
- Boot and shoe repairer
- Boot and shoe worker
- Boot ironer
- Boot lace maker
- Boot machinist
- Boot maker
- Boot operator
- Boot polisher
- Boot stainer
- Boot trimmer
- Bottom filler
- Bottom finisher
- Bottomer
- Boxing glove cutter
- Boxing glove stitcher
- Brace cutter
- Braces maker
- Bridle cutter
- Bridle maker
- Brush case maker
- Brush machinist
- Brusher
- Brusher-up
- Buffer maker
Show all 328 titles
- Burnisher
- Case preparer
- Cementer
- Channeller
- Cleaner
- Clicker
- Clicking presser
- Clog maker
- Clogger
- Closer
- Closing machinist
- Closing room operator
- Cobbler
- Collar stitcher
- Consol operator
- Console operator
- Corder
- Cordwinder
- Coverer
- Creaser
- Cricket ball maker
- Cricket ball stitcher
- Crimper
- Crowner
- Cutter
- Die cutter
- Die planner
- Dresser
- Dressing case maker
- Edge stainer
- Elastic spring fitter
- Eyelet holer
- Eyeletter
- Factory worker
- Fancy leather maker
- Fancy leather worker
- Finisher
- Fitter
- Fitter-up
- Fittings cutter
- Flat machinist
- Folder
- Foot ball maker
- Football maker
- Football stitcher
- Footwear assembler
- Footwear maker
- Footwear manufacturing operative
- Foreman
- Framer
- Glosser
- Glove maker
- Guillotine cutter
- Hand bag maker
- Handle maker
- Harness maker
- Hat case maker
- Heel bar operator
- Heel breaster
- Heel compressor
- Heel fitter
- Heel maker
- Heel presser
- Heel scraper
- Heel trimmer
- Heeler
- Horse collar maker
- Hydraulic and mechanical leather worker
- Injection moulder
- Inker
- Insole moulder
- Iron pattern cutter
- Ironer
- Lacer
- Lady's bag maker
- Last builder-up
- Last slipper
- Laster
- Lasting machinist
- Lathe man
- Leather case maker
- Leather craft worker
- Leather cutter
- Leather goods maker
- Leather goods manufacturer
- Leather goods worker
- Leather hose maker
- Leather lace stripper
- Leather machinist
- Leather moulder
- Leather stainer
- Leather stitcher
- Leather worker
- Leveller
- Levelling machinist
- Lining cutter
- Lining machinist
- Lining maker
- Lining presser
- Lock stitcher
- Looker-over
- Machine beltman
- Machine clicker
- Machine cutter
- Machinist
- Maintenance man
- Maker-up
- Manufacturer
- Marker
- Moulder
- Nailer
- Orthopaedic leather worker
- Outsole cementer
- Outsole rougher
- Parer
- Paster
- Pattern cutter
- Pattern maker
- Pegger
- Perforating machinist
- Perforator
- Photo frame maker
- Picker maker
- Polisher
- Post machinist
- Pouffe maker
- Pounder
- Preparer
- Press clicker
- Press cutter
- Presser
- Pressure machinist
- Pricker
- Pricker-up
- Profile cutter
- Puff cutter
- Puffer
- Puller-on
- Puller-over
- Pullover operator
- Puncher
- Purse maker
- Putter-on
- Ranger
- Rapid stitcher
- Re-laster
- Rectifier
- Repairer
- Repairs closer
- Riveter
- Riveting machinist
- Roller coverer
- Room hand
- Rosette maker
- Rounder
- Rubber-down
- Rubber-off
- Saddle cutter
- Saddle maker
- Saddle worker
- Saddler
- Sample cutter
- Sample hand
- Scabbard maker
- Scourer
- Seat last operator
- Seat sinker
- Sewer
- Shanker
- Shoe cutter
- Shoe finisher
- Shoe hand
- Shoe interlacer
- Shoe machinist
- Shoe maker
- Shoe maker and repairer
- Shoe maker's assistant
- Shoe manufacturer
- Shoe mender
- Shoe operative
- Shoe operator
- Shoe presser
- Shoe repairer
- Shoe room worker
- Shoe slipper
- Shoe stainer
- Shoe worker
- Shoeroom worker
- Skin rug sewer
- Skiver
- Skiver machinist
- Skiving machinist
- Slipper binder
- Slipper cutter
- Slipper machinist
- Slipper maker
- Slipper operative
- Slipper stapler
- Slipper turner
- Slipper worker
- Slugger
- Small case maker
- Sock maker
- Sock paster
- Socker
- Sole cutter
- Sole layer
- Sole moulder
- Sole sewer
- Sole sticker
- Solutioner
- Spotter
- Squarer-up
- Stainer
- Stapler
- Stapling machinist
- Sticker
- Stiffener
- Stiffener moulder
- Stiffening cutter
- Stitch marker
- Stitch separator
- Stitcher
- Strap cutter
- Strap maker
- Strap man
- Strap mender
- Strap piercer
- Stringer
- Strip marker
- Suit case maker
- Surgical boot maker
- Table man
- Tack puller
- Tacker
- Taper
- Taping machinist
- Tapper
- Tracer
- Travelling bag maker
- Treer
- Trimmer
- Trimming maker
- Trimmings maker
- Trunk maker
- Turner
- Upper cementer
- Upper marker
- Upper rougher
- Vamp creaser
- Vamp crimper
- Vamper
- Washer maker
- Welder
- Welt butter and tacker
- Welt machinist
- Welt maker
- Welt sewer
- Welt wheeler
- Welter
- Wetter
- Wheeler
- Whip maker
- Whip stocker
- Whipper
- Wire sewer
- Wire stitcher
- Zigzag machinist
Similar occupations
All jobs in Skilled trades occupations
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.