tanning technician
Tanning technicians have knowledge of the technical management of all tannery production departments, from beamhouse to tanning, post-tanning and finishing of leather. They ensure compliance with product specifications and secure consistent leather quality, fitness for use and process and product sustainability.
tanning technician tanning technicians have knowledge of the technical management of all tannery production departments, from beamhouse to tanning, post-tanning and finishing of leather. 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 tanning process, leather technology, leather goods components, emission standards, physico-chemical properties of hides and skins.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £36,102 a year for Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,401 to £46,772 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3119). 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)
No official India pay figure is available for this career.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Production and Processing
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
What you'd actually do
- Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials.
- Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.
- Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.
- Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy.
- Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.
- Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does tanning technician do?
Tanning technicians have knowledge of the technical management of all tannery production departments, from beamhouse to tanning, post-tanning and finishing of leather. They ensure compliance with product specifications and secure consistent leather quality, fitness for use and process and product sustainability.
What skills does tanning technician need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include tanning process, leather technology, leather goods components, emission standards, physico-chemical properties of hides and skins, test leather chemistry. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace tanning technician?
Our AI-durability model gives tanning technician 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.