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Average Operations Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An operations assistant in United Kingdom earns about 82,200 GBP a year. That's 18% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 38,100 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 128,400 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an operations assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
82,200 GBP
6,850 GBP per month
Lowest reported
38,100 GBP
3,175 GBP per month
Highest reported
128,400 GBP
10,700 GBP per month

A typical operations assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 6,850 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 38,100 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 128,400 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior operations assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the operations assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How operations assistant pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all operations assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 87,600 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 57,100 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 117,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of operations assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 38,100 GBP. The highest stretch to 128,400 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

38,100
Low
87,600
Median
128,400
High
57,100
25th
117,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Operations assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an operations assistant in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical operations assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    44,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    56,800 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +49% from previous
    84,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    102,700 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    112,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    121,800 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a operations assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Operations assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving operations assistant pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average operations assistant salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    51,500 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +20% from previous
    61,600 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +46% from previous
    90,000 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +28% from previous
    115,600 GBP

Operations assistant gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male operations assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 83,000 GBP a year, while female operations assistants earn around 80,800 GBP. That works out to a 3% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Operations Assistant gender pay gap

3%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 83,000 GBP
Women 80,800 GBP

Pay raises for an operations assistant in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 13% every 14 months, which works out to roughly 11% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Operations assistant bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

37%

37% of operations assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an operations assistant a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 63% of operations assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Operations assistant: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Operations assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Operations assistant pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Leeds
  • Birmingham
  • Liverpool
  • Cardiff
  • Bristol
  • Nottingham
  • Edinburgh
  • Leicester
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion151,800 GBP161,300 GBP69,400-238,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion107,300 GBP116,400 GBP48,500-168,700 GBP
LeedsCity94,100 GBP101,100 GBP42,800-148,300 GBP
BirminghamCity93,800 GBP100,700 GBP43,400-150,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity91,900 GBP99,100 GBP41,400-142,300 GBP
CardiffCity90,600 GBP97,200 GBP41,900-142,100 GBP
BristolCity90,600 GBP97,300 GBP43,200-146,700 GBP
NottinghamCity90,000 GBP95,400 GBP38,900-142,100 GBP
EdinburghCity87,700 GBP92,200 GBP38,000-139,100 GBP
LeicesterCity87,500 GBP92,100 GBP40,000-138,700 GBP
LondonCity87,400 GBP94,800 GBP39,800-140,200 GBP
NewcastleCity87,200 GBP93,200 GBP38,000-137,100 GBP
PlymouthCity87,200 GBP92,100 GBP40,900-137,100 GBP
WolverhamptonCity86,600 GBP91,600 GBP39,800-137,100 GBP
GlasgowCity85,500 GBP91,500 GBP40,000-138,700 GBP
ArmaghCity84,600 GBP89,900 GBP39,400-130,400 GBP
BradfordCity84,600 GBP93,100 GBP40,900-137,100 GBP
CoventryCity83,800 GBP91,700 GBP37,900-134,100 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity83,700 GBP87,900 GBP39,500-128,400 GBP
SouthamptonCity83,300 GBP91,700 GBP39,100-130,400 GBP
SwanseaCity83,300 GBP91,700 GBP39,100-130,400 GBP
SheffieldCity83,300 GBP92,000 GBP38,000-134,100 GBP
BelfastCity83,100 GBP90,900 GBP40,500-134,700 GBP
SomersetCity83,000 GBP90,900 GBP40,500-134,700 GBP
ManchesterCity83,000 GBP90,900 GBP36,800-132,000 GBP
BrightonCity80,900 GBP84,800 GBP35,200-128,200 GBP
DerbyCity80,200 GBP84,800 GBP36,400-123,800 GBP
YorkCity79,800 GBP86,100 GBP35,400-127,600 GBP
DundeeCity79,500 GBP86,600 GBP36,700-130,500 GBP
GloucesterCity78,700 GBP84,600 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
OxfordCity78,700 GBP87,400 GBP37,100-128,200 GBP
PortsmouthCity78,200 GBP84,800 GBP36,500-125,400 GBP
WalesRegion78,200 GBP83,000 GBP36,000-124,500 GBP
PooleCity78,100 GBP85,500 GBP36,000-124,500 GBP
LisburnCity77,400 GBP82,200 GBP35,300-119,700 GBP
AberdeenCity77,300 GBP86,100 GBP35,000-125,400 GBP
CambridgeCity77,300 GBP79,600 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
NorwichCity77,000 GBP82,300 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
NewryCity77,000 GBP80,300 GBP33,600-119,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity76,800 GBP83,300 GBP36,500-125,400 GBP
NewportCity76,800 GBP84,800 GBP36,500-125,400 GBP
ExeterCity75,500 GBP81,000 GBP35,100-118,900 GBP
ChesterCity74,600 GBP79,800 GBP33,600-119,700 GBP
InvernessCity74,000 GBP79,600 GBP35,500-114,300 GBP
LincolnCity73,700 GBP79,600 GBP34,000-118,900 GBP
RiponCity73,700 GBP78,200 GBP32,900-114,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity73,300 GBP80,000 GBP33,000-118,900 GBP
DurhamCity73,100 GBP79,000 GBP35,400-115,600 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion71,900 GBP80,800 GBP33,000-115,600 GBP
AbingdonCity71,800 GBP78,200 GBP32,300-114,600 GBP
DerryCity71,400 GBP78,700 GBP33,500-114,300 GBP
WakefieldCity70,900 GBP77,300 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
WellsCity70,900 GBP77,300 GBP31,700-111,700 GBP
KirkwallCity70,100 GBP71,900 GBP32,200-109,000 GBP
SalisburyCity69,800 GBP76,900 GBP32,200-114,900 GBP
CanterburyCity69,700 GBP71,900 GBP32,200-109,700 GBP
StirlingCity69,700 GBP75,900 GBP32,900-114,600 GBP
WinchesterCity69,600 GBP76,600 GBP30,700-112,700 GBP
StromnessCity69,200 GBP76,000 GBP31,400-108,200 GBP
TruroCity68,200 GBP75,500 GBP33,200-108,200 GBP
BangorCity67,500 GBP73,500 GBP29,400-107,700 GBP
StrontianCity66,700 GBP70,700 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
St DavidsCity64,800 GBP69,600 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP

Operations Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an operations assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    An operations assistant in United Kingdom earns about 6,850 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 82,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an operations assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level operations assistants in United Kingdom start near 38,100 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 128,400 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 57,100 and 117,100 GBP.

  • Is the median operations assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 87,600 GBP, higher than the average of 82,200 GBP. Half of operations assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for operations assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an operations assistant in United Kingdom earn around 3% more than women on average (83,000 vs 80,800 GBP a year).

  • Do operations assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 37% of operations assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do operations assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an operations assistant about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do operations assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An operations assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 14 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.