Plant Operator jobs in the UK

Live plant operator roles plus reconciled 2026 salary data by region.

1067 live plant operator roles

Plant Operator

Kent

See advert for pay

Blaise Biogas are an anaerobic digestion plant, creating energy from waste.

Manufacturing & Production Permanent
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Excavator Operator

Alness

£28–£41/hr

Morson Vital are looking for Excavator Operators for a site in Alness for long term works - You will be working for one of the UK's Leading Civils /…

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

telehandler

Dorset

See advert for pay

We are currently seeking an experienced Telehandler Operator for an ongoing construction project in Poole .

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Telehandler

Worcestershire

See advert for pay

We are recruiting for a Telehandler, to work on a construction site in Redditch for 2 weeks work.

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Telehandler

Abingdon

£19–£20/hr

We are currently looking for experienced Telescopic Forklift Driver to join a client project in Abingdon

Construction
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Telehandler

Warwickshire

See advert for pay

We are recruiting for a Telehandler, to work on a construction site in Lighthorne for ongoing work on behalf of our client who has a nationwide…

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

360 Excavator

Cottenham

£20–£21/hr

Are you a 360 Driver looking for work? ARC are currently looking for a 360 Driver to join a recycling centre.

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Plant Operator

Hampshire

See advert for pay

Astute's Renewable's Team is partnering with key business and influential player in the UK Anaerobic Digestion sector, to recruit a Nights Plant…

Engineering Permanent
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Telehandler

Gloucestershire

See advert for pay

We are recruiting for a Telehandler, to work on a construction site in Cheltenham for 1 weeks work.

Construction Contract
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Telehandler

Kingstanding

£20–£21/hr

We are seeking an experienced Telehandler Operator for our client’s project in the Birmingham area. Valid Telehandler tickets.

Construction
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Plant Operator salary by region (2026)

RegionSalary range (median)
London (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£36,000 – £48,000 (midpoint £42,000)
South East (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£33,000 – £44,000 (midpoint £38,500)
East of England (indicative)
12 live adverts
£29,000 – £45,760 (midpoint £37,960)
Scotland (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£32,000 – £43,000 (midpoint £37,500)
Midlands (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£31,000 – £42,000 (midpoint £36,500)
North West (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£31,000 – £42,000 (midpoint £36,500)
Yorkshire (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£30,000 – £40,000 (midpoint £35,000)
South West (indicative)
19 live adverts
£20,000 – £50,000 (midpoint £31,718)
Wales (indicative)
8 live adverts
£24,000 – £39,699 (midpoint £30,463)

Methodology: medians reconcile live advertised UK salaries for this role and region; 25th–75th percentiles are shown only where at least 5 live salaried listings back them. They are measured or omitted, never interpolated. Rows marked indicative are anchored to our curated 2026 baseline ranges until enough live data accrues. Listings advertising an implausible annual figure (a mislabelled hourly or daily rate) are excluded rather than converted, because converting one means guessing the hours behind it.

Market view. The ticket is the career: CPCS or NPORS categories determine what you can be booked for, and multi-ticket operators (telehandler + 360 + dumper) stay busiest. Infrastructure and rail possessions pay above general build, and long-shift weeks make real earnings strongly hours-driven.
Full salary guides →

FAQs

What does a plant operator earn in the UK?

Indicatively £30,000–£48,000 employed, with multi-ticketed 360/telehandler operators on infrastructure at the top.

CPCS or NPORS: which do employers want?

Both are recognised; major contractors and infrastructure frameworks most commonly specify CPCS.

Which plant tickets pay best?

360 excavator (above and below 10 tonnes) and telehandler, especially combined, and rail-cleared operators earn a further premium.

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