Chefs roles in the UK earn a median of £31,000 per year, equivalent to £14.90 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 10.6% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £27,000 in South West to £34,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £30,010/yr (3% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£31,000
as of 2025
Modelled estimateMedian Hourly Pay
£14.90
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+10.6%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£26,500 – £36,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~315,000
estimated employees
98 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~319,000 → 2024: ~315,000
Market Signal
Pay growthPay is growing with broadly stable employment.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Annual pay for Chefs across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
Annual pay grew by +10.6% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Chefs.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Chefs roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Chefs plan menus and prepare, or oversee the preparation of food in hotels, restaurants, clubs, private households and other establishments.
There are no formal academic requirements. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs, BTEC Certificates and Diplomas and foundation degrees are available. Apprenticeships are also available. Courses are also run by private cookery schools.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.