factory hand
Factory hands assist machine operators and product assemblers. They clean the machines and the working areas. Factory hands make sure supplies and materials are replenished.
factory hand factory hands assist machine operators and product assemblers. They clean the machines and the working areas. Factory hands make sure supplies and materials are replenished. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include cleaning products, industrial tools, cleaning techniques, supply machine with appropriate tools, maintain work area cleanliness.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £29,619 a year for Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,460 to £33,739 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9139). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Elementary occupations” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only factory hand, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 9. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
What you'd actually do
- Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
- Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
- Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
- Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
- Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
- Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does factory hand do?
Factory hands assist machine operators and product assemblers. They clean the machines and the working areas. Factory hands make sure supplies and materials are replenished.
What skills does factory hand need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include cleaning products, industrial tools, cleaning techniques, supply machine with appropriate tools, maintain work area cleanliness, wear appropriate protective gear. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace factory hand?
Our AI-durability model gives factory hand a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.