Salaries and Costs
Pay in Burnley’s warehouses and workshops sits in a tight band, with many operative roles advertised at £11 to £14 per hour for days, and higher rates for nights and weekends. Annual pay for warehouse staff often lands around £20,000 to £25,000, with overtime and shift premiums pushing that higher. Supervisors and team leaders in fast moving operations can reach £27,000 to £33,000, and engineering technicians and CNC operators sit higher again depending on licences and machine groups. Recruiters can quote temp mark ups that reflect holiday pay, NI, and overheads, and client rates for general warehousing staff often land in the mid teens per hour. Permanent recruitment fees for shop floor hires are often 12% to 18% of starting salary, with senior technical posts priced higher, and many agencies give fixed fee deals for volume campaigns.
Qualifications
Forklift tickets such as Counterbalance or Reach remain common asks, and many Burnley employers value in house assessments before sign off. For assembly, warehouse, and packing, agencies look for basic numeracy, manual handling, and recent references. Engineering shops often want time served trades, NVQ or City and Guilds in machining or maintenance, and proof of competence on specific plant. Food sites ask for hygiene awareness. Clean DBS checks may be requested for work on certain contracts or secure sites.
Key Sectors and Employers In The Area
Burnley has a strong manufacturing base with aerospace, precision engineering, and advanced materials alongside logistics and ecommerce fulfilment. Business parks tied to the M65 corridor, including sites near junctions 8, 9, and 10, host distribution centres, component makers, and packaging firms. Network 65, Shuttleworth Mead, Burnley Bridge, and Vision Park draw a steady flow of blue collar and technical vacancies. Local recruiters keep shortlists ready for pickers, packers, FLT drivers, machine minders, assemblers, and quality techs, and can scale up for seasonal peaks.
Local Hiring Challenges
Shifts that run nights or rolling four on four off can limit the available workforce, and sites beyond easy public transport often need drivers, so car ownership narrows the pool. Aerospace and CNC roles can take longer to fill, as employers want recent machine experience and tight tolerance work. Retention improves when companies post clear pay steps and training routes, and when agencies keep a close eye on rota stability and supervisor feedback in the first month.
Regional and Geographic Notes
The M65 links Burnley quickly with Blackburn, Accrington, and Pendle, so candidates can commute in from a wide patch. Network 65 and Shuttleworth Mead sit close to the motorway, and jobs on these parks draw applications from across East Lancashire. Town centre bus and rail links help day shifts, though early starts and late finishes suit drivers best. Recruiters often map candidate travel times to pick the right roster.
Common Roles Agencies Recruit
Warehouse operative, picker and packer, FLT driver, production operative, assembly operative, machine operator, quality inspector, maintenance technician, CNC setter and operator, team leader, and shift supervisor. Employment firms and staffing agencies in Burnley place these on temporary, permanent, and contract work, with temp to perm routes common for steady performers.
Hard To Fill Positions
CNC turning with live tooling, multi axis milling, maintenance engineers with PLC fault finding, and aerospace assembly with traceable work histories often take longer. Recruitment consultants help by testing practical skills, checking certifications, and lining up site trials, which cuts mis hires and supports retention.
Seasonal Trends
Peak demand hits before summer for outdoor products and before October for retail and ecommerce, when extra hands are needed for goods in, picking, and dispatch. Temp agencies scale rosters quickly, then step down after returns periods. Candidates who register early get first refusal on the best shift patterns.
Roles and Career Paths
Operatives can step into FLT work with training, then move into team leader posts. Machine operators can progress to setter or quality roles, then into technician paths. With in house NVQs or college links, some move into maintenance or planning. Agencies can flag sites that invest in training so jobseekers pick workplaces with clear progression.
Quick Facts And FAQs
What pay rates are typical for warehouse shifts in Burnley.
Many day shifts run between £11 and £14 per hour, with uplift for nights and weekends, and overtime on peak weeks.
How do recruitment fees and agency costs work.
Permanent hires are often billed at a percentage of salary, and temp hourly charge rates cover pay, holiday, NI, and the agency margin, with clear itemisation on request.
Can agencies help with licences.
Agencies can book refresher training for Counterbalance or Reach, and many clients welcome on site assessments before a start date.
Do local employers take temp to perm.
Yes, many businesses move reliable temps onto contracts after set hours, and recruiters track milestones so offers land on time.
How fast can I hire staff.
With strong shortlists, same week starts are common for warehousing and packing, and technical roles move faster when skills tests are booked early.
How Recruiters Support Local Employers And Jobseekers
Industrial recruitment agencies in Burnley understand the local job market and workforce, and they match shift patterns to travel and family needs to improve attendance. Recruiters keep talent pools live for temporary surges, permanent expansion, and contract work, and they help local employers hire staff, find employees for new lines, or register with an agency for future needs. For candidates and jobseekers, clear pay rates, rota detail, and site briefings set expectations and improve retention. For businesses, good agencies reduce recruitment fees over time by lifting first time pass rates and cutting churn.