Catering manager: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Catering and bar managers (SOC 5436)
About £25,984 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +4% on last year
£2,600 a month About £2,165 a month after tax 34 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £21,290 in 2021 to £31,201 in 2026 (+47%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £15,714 | £18,355 | £21,290 | £24,086 | x |
| 2022 | £16,704 | £20,287 | £23,977 | £27,078 | x |
| 2023 | £19,461 | £22,643 | £26,438 | £30,950 | x |
| 2024 | £19,716 | £23,369 | £27,965 | £32,378 | x |
| 2025 | £22,712 | £26,526 | £30,000 | £36,898 | x |
| 2026 | £22,250 | £27,284 | £31,201 | £38,252 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £31,201 a year and half earn more. That is 24% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £27,284 and £38,252; one in ten earns less than £22,250.
Ranked by median, it is number 270 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,165 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,167 in Scotland.
The median for men is £34,225 and for women £29,777, a gap of 13% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £22,250 | £1,854 |
| 20th | £25,884 | £2,157 |
| 25th (P25) | £27,284 | £2,274 |
| 30th | £27,726 | £2,310 |
| 40th | £29,987 | £2,499 |
| Median (50th) | £31,201 | £2,600 |
| 60th | £33,573 | £2,798 |
| 70th | £36,204 | £3,017 |
| 75th (P75) | £38,252 | £3,188 |
| 80th | £38,840 | £3,237 |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £34,225 | £36,448 | 15 |
| Women | £29,777 | £30,277 | 19 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £25,984 | £2,165 |
| Scotland | £26,007 | £2,167 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £31,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 28 job titles to SOC 5436 Catering and bar managers. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Airline caterer
- Bar duty manager
- Bar manager
- Breakfast manager
- Canteen manager
- Caterer
- Catering adviser
- Catering consultant
- Catering contractor
- Catering controller
- Catering franchisee
- Catering manager
- Catering officer
- Chief steward
- Club steward
- Coffee stall keeper
- Dining room manager
- Duty manager
- Floor manager
- Food and beverage manager
- Head of kitchen
- Kitchen manager
- Kitchen superintendent
- Shift manager
- Shift running manager
- Steward
- Superintendent
- Unit manager
Similar occupations
All jobs in Skilled trades occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.