Food, drink or tobacco process operative
Tasks
- Processes tobacco leaves by hand or machine to make cigarettes, cigars, pipe and other tobacco products.
- Mixes, pulps, grinds, blends and separates foodstuffs and liquids with churning, pressing, sieving, grinding and filtering equipment.
- Operates equipment to cool, heat, dry, roast, blanch, pasteurise, smoke, sterilise, freeze, evaporate and concentrate foodstuffs and liquids used in food processing.
- Attends equipment to make jam, toffee, cheese, processed cheese, margarine, syrup, ice, pasta, ice-cream, sausages, chocolate, maize starch, edible fats and dextrin.
- Operates machinery to crush, mix, malt, cook and ferment grains and fruits to produce beer, wines, malt liquors, vinegar, yeast and related products.
- Sets, operates and attends machinery and ovens to mix, bake and otherwise prepare bread and flour confectionery products.
Typical Education Level
Level 2 NVQ; GCSE at grades A*-C
Will retirement created job openings
In the UK, 22% in this profession are aged 55 or above.* They will likely retire in the next 10 years, creating a demand for new workers
*This is based on national data
£16,380 Average wage
Average annual earnings
The current average wage for food, drink or tobacco process operative is £16,380
4,334 positions
Current Employment
The number of jobs in the career for the current year is 4,334. Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons, and do not distinguish between full- and part-time jobs.
jobs
Job Postings
Over the past year, jobs have been posted for food, drink or tobacco process operative roles.
How well does it pay?
Normal pay for this occupation is £16,380 per year. That is about £1,365 per month or £8.40 per hour. New workers generally start on £15,779, while highly experienced workers can earn as much as £37,395
Is it growing or declining?
This career has remained the same over the last 2 years, and is expected to remain the same over the next 4 years. Currently, 4,334 people are employed in the region.
