Kitchen and catering assistants roles in the UK earn a median of £23,000 per year, equivalent to £12.80 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 7.2% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £19,000 in North East to £27,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £22,886/yr (0% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£23,000
as of 2025
Modelled estimateMedian Hourly Pay
£12.80
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+7.2%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£19,000 – £26,500
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~980,000
estimated employees
39 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~956,000 → 2024: ~980,000
Market Signal
Growing marketPay and employment are both rising — competition for workers is increasing.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Median annual pay for Kitchen and catering assistants across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| London | £27,000 |
| Scotland | £24,000 |
| South East | £23,500 |
| West Midlands | £23,000 |
| Wales | £22,500 |
| South West | £22,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £21,500 |
| East Midlands | £21,500 |
| North West | £21,500 |
| North East | £19,000 |
| UK | £23,000 |
Annual pay grew by +7.2% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Kitchen and catering assistants.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
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For employers & recruiters
Kitchen and catering assistants assist in the preparation and service of food and beverages in restaurants, cafés and other eating establishments, and perform various cleaning, fetching and carrying tasks.
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 1 and 2.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.