Trying to determine whether pursuing a career as a plant operator is right for you?
Fortunately, the experienced assessors at SB Skills Solutions have supported countless individuals with obtaining the necessary qualifications to become a plant operator in the construction sector.
Thanks to our extensive experience in this industry, we understand the right training can be crucial to boosting your earning potential.
Below, we consult various reliable sources to explore the typical wage you can expect to earn as a plant operator in the UK.
What is a plant operator?
A plant operator is a position that involves supervision of the daily running of an industrial plant.
One of the main responsibilities of this role is operating the plant’s heavy machinery.
In the construction industry, this often refers to machinery such as ride-on road rollers, crawler cranes, forward tipping dumpers, and mini excavators.
Typically, plant operators can find work in power plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, wastewater treatment plants, gas extraction facilities, and a wide range of other industrial, chemical, and nuclear plants.
In general, the responsibilities of a plant operator include:
- Supervising and overseeing operations
- Monitoring process parameters
- Performing maintenance tests on machinery and equipment
- Making sure relevant safety rules are followed
- Operation of heavy machinery and equipment
- Transportation of a range of materials
How much do plant operators make?
To provide you with a more accurate idea of how much plant operators can earn in the UK, our team has consulted several reliable job recruitment sources – including Glassdoor, Totaljobs, and Talent.com.
According to the jobs and recruiting marketplace, Glassdoor, the typical plant operator salaries in the UK vary between £23K-£34K a year, with an average wage of £28K per year.
However, one of the UK’s leading job boards, Totaljobs, suggests a slightly higher average salary for plant operators in the UK – £32,500.
It also provides a wide overall range of wages for this position of between £27,681 and £37,500.
Another trusted source, Talent.com, a leading job search platform, provides similar figures to Totaljobs. Based on 5381 salaries, it adds that the average plant operator salary in the UK is £27,836 per year (or £14.27 per hour), with entry-level positions starting at £24,000 and increasing up to £37,050 per year.
As a result, based on the information available to these job and recruitment sources, we can surmise that a plant operator in the UK is likely to make in the range of £23K-£37 a year.
What is the highest salary for a plant operator?
According to information from the aforementioned sources, the highest salary a plant operator can achieve in the UK seems to be just over £37K.
However, other sources, such as the job search engine Adzuna, puts the average plant operator salary at £41,238 per year in the UK – based off live stats from their plant operator vacancies posted on their database.
Using this same information, it also states that the average annual wage for a plant operator in Cumbria, UK, is substantially higher at £56,520.
As with most professions, the individual’s location will therefore also play a role in determining their earning potential.
This is substantiated by the job matching and hiring platform, Indeed, which shows a significant difference between the salary for a plant operator in Avonmouth, Bristol (£19.68 per hour) compared to those in Sidcup, London (£13.98).
If you’d like a clearer idea of your earning potential as a plant operator in the UK, you must therefore take into account your location – as well as your experience, qualifications, and the current demand for plant operators.
Are plant operators in demand?
According to the latest analysis from PwC following the publication of their Construction & Housebuilding Outlook 2024 report, the UK construction sector is on track to experience a slight decline in activity in 2024.
However, it also predicts that there will be a return to growth in 2025.
This is due to a purported “substantial shift in the UK construction sector” as the industry transitions from repair and maintenance activities to focusing on new builds.
In some cases, construction plant operators may not be needed for repair and maintenance works, but they are particularly crucial on new build construction sites thanks to their heavy machinery skills.
They can use this machinery to dig, lift, and move materials on building sites, making them essential to the new build construction process.
Based on the findings from this report, it’s therefore likely there will be greater demand for plant operators and other positions within the construction industry in the near future to support this expected growth.
Plant operator training courses with SB Skills Solutions
Does a career as a plant operator in the construction industry seem like a good fit for you and your salary aspirations?
If so, please don’t hesitate to contact the professional team at SB Skills Solutions today.
We offer a wide range of plant operator training courses in the UK and can even help you to achieve your NVQ Level 2 Plant Operations qualification – a Construction Plant Competence Scheme-recognised qualification that can increase your earning potential.
Once you obtain this crucial qualification, you can then apply for your blue CPCS Competence Card.
As the holder of a blue CPCS Competence Card, you’ll be able to easily demonstrate to employers that you have the competency, skills, and experience to safely operate a certain type of plant.
Whether you require expert help choosing the right plant operator course or have a question about our services, we’d love to hear from you.
To learn more about the contents of one of our plant operator courses or to discuss your specific training requirements in more detail, please feel free to give us a call on 01695 558420. You can also reach out via email by sending your enquiry to info@sbskills.co.uk. Upon receiving your enquiry regarding our plant operator training courses, you can rest assured that we’ll be in touch shortly to find out more about your needs
