What a Dock Worker / Stevedore payslip looks like
A typical UK dock worker / stevedore payslip is paid monthly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Port operatives and stevedores who load, unload and move cargo at container and bulk ports on 24/7 shift patterns. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include container ports (Felixstowe, London Gateway), Peel Ports and ABP, bulk and ro-ro terminals. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two dock worker / stevedore payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: Employed on PAYE with union-negotiated shift, night and continuous-working premiums itemised as taxable lines that materially lift gross. Plant-ticket allowances are taxable pay; high-premium months can briefly tip earnings into higher-rate tax, correcting on a cumulative code.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Named by this scheme and excluded from it
Seafarers' Earnings Deduction and dock worker / stevedore pay
Almost certainly not, and the reason is where the job happens. Stevedoring is quayside work: the lashing, the crane, the straddle carrier and the reach stacker are all on the land side of the ship's rail, and section 384 needs an employment that consists of duties on a ship. Going aboard a berthed vessel to secure a load does not convert it, because that vessel is alongside in a UK port and you are in the UK at midnight, so no day of absence is earned. The picture only changes if the same person signs on as crew and sails, which is a different engagement under a different contract.
- Rate of the deduction
- 100%
- Shortest eligible period
- 365 days
Educational only. Whether this reaches your own pay turns on your contract and how you are engaged, and tribunal and claim time limits are short. Check the limit that applies to you before relying on a date.
Seafarers' Earnings Deduction: the rates, the payslip lines, what goes wrong and the 31 primary sources. Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, Part 5, Chapter 6 (sections 378 to 385), with the meaning of "offshore installation" taken from section 1001 of the Income Tax Act 2007, in force 6 April 2011 and 15 March 2018, the two dated changes confirmed from source.
Dock Worker / Stevedore salary bands (UK 2024)
ONS ASHE 2024 full-time gross pay. Net figures use 2026/27 PAYE bands and assume 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) under a net-pay arrangement — before income tax, but not before National Insurance.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £27,500 | £22,469 | £1,872 |
| Median | £32,000 | £25,529 | £2,127 |
| 75th percentile | £39,000 | £30,289 | £2,524 |
Common deductions for a Dock Worker / Stevedore
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Dock Worker / Stevedores commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Dock Worker / Stevedore payslip FAQ
What is the average Dock Worker / Stevedore salary in the UK in 2024?
According to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024 for SOC code 9260, the median full-time gross annual salary for a Dock Worker / Stevedore in the UK is approximately £32,000. The 25th percentile sits at £27,500 and the 75th at £39,000.
What is take-home pay on a median Dock Worker / Stevedore salary?
On £32,000 gross with the standard 1257L tax code and 5% of qualifying earnings into a net-pay pension, monthly take-home is approximately £2,127 after PAYE income tax, Class 1 employee National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension. Actual figures vary if you have student loan, salary sacrifice or a non-cumulative tax code.
What is unusual about a Dock Worker / Stevedore payslip?
Employed on PAYE with union-negotiated shift, night and continuous-working premiums itemised as taxable lines that materially lift gross. Plant-ticket allowances are taxable pay; high-premium months can briefly tip earnings into higher-rate tax, correcting on a cumulative code.
Which tax code should a Dock Worker / Stevedore typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
Related roles
Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.