Food and beverage service activities: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in food and beverage service activities earned a median £28,473 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £10,566 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
Only 1 of 84 divisions have a lower full-time median.
Part-time work is common: only 38% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £26,844, men £29,870.
The median rose 45.1% from £19,622 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 2,010,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 8% since 2019; 18% are in London.
There were 200,745 business sites in March 2026, 165 of them employing 250 or more (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £17,416 | £419.70 | £12.21 | £4,092 | £73.60 | £10.00 |
| 20th percentile | £21,384 | £463.50 | £12.46 | £7,226 | £127.10 | £12.15 |
| 25th percentile | £22,860 | £485.80 | £12.60 | £8,834 | £156.90 | – |
| 30th percentile | £24,198 | £504.40 | £12.89 | £9,998 | £183.80 | £12.21 |
| 40th percentile | £26,381 | £545.60 | £13.45 | £12,526 | £234.60 | £12.26 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,473 | £583.30 | £14.00 | £15,733 | £293.00 | £12.54 |
| 60th percentile | £30,917 | £625.70 | £14.79 | £19,948 | £378.50 | £13.09 |
| 70th percentile | £34,224 | £679.80 | £15.95 | £24,797 | £475.20 | £13.95 |
| 75th percentile | £36,309 | £717.40 | £16.62 | £26,930 | £521.60 | £14.41 |
| 80th percentile | £38,472 | £757.50 | £17.83 | £29,525 | £574.90 | £15.18 |
| 90th percentile | £47,969* | £923.10 | £21.57 | £37,270 | £702.90 | £18.04 |
| Mean | £31,609 | £650.60 | £16.10 | £19,455 | £367.30 | £14.80 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £19,622 | £386.60 | £9.50 | £11,143 | £213.40 | 1,015 |
| 2022 revised | £22,858 | £469.20 | £11.07 | £14,046 | £237.80 | 1,099 |
| 2023 revised | £25,063 | £505.80 | £12.17 | £13,633 | £249.20 | 1,110 |
| 2024 revised | £27,174 | £563.70 | £13.36 | £15,161 | £286.40 | 1,115 |
| 2025 provisional | £28,473 | £583.30 | £14.00 | £15,733 | £293.00 | 1,058 |
Where the 2,010,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 365,000 | 367,000 |
| South East | 278,000 | 283,000 |
| South West | 212,000 | 219,000 |
| North West | 211,000 | 216,000 |
| East of England | 166,000 | 170,000 |
| West Midlands | 157,000 | 161,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 156,000 | 159,000 |
| Scotland | 152,000 | 155,000 |
| East Midlands | 126,000 | 130,000 |
| Wales | 79,000 | 83,000 |
| North East | 65,000 | 66,000 |
| Great Britain | 1,967,000 | 2,010,000 |
200,745 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 140,700 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 55,450 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 4,430 |
| Large (250 or more) | 165 |
| Total | 200,745 |
2021: 191,800; 2022: 198,410; 2023: 197,150; 2024: 196,070; 2025: 197,420; 2026: 200,745.
Related
Accommodation and food service activities · Accommodation · Publishing activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026