Bar staff: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time bar staff in the UK earned a median £23,182 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 41% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
Just 7 of 382 occupations with a published full-time median are lower.
The mean (£22,454) is below the median.
Median full-time pay: women £21,529 a year, men £23,818 a year.
Most jobs here are part-time: 24,000 of about 146,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 54.7% (from £14,981), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 169,900 people in this line of work, 14% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £391.70 | – | £2,307* | £42.70* | £10.00 |
| 20th percentile | £16,889* | £423.80 | £12.21 | £4,002 | £75.00 | £11.44 |
| 25th percentile | £18,534* | £433.10 | £12.22 | £4,579 | £86.80 | £12.17 |
| 30th percentile | – | £444.70 | £12.30 | £5,285* | £108.10 | – |
| 40th percentile | – | £469.50 | £12.54 | £7,201 | £141.40 | – |
| Median (50th percentile) | £23,182* | £495.10 | £12.84 | £9,166 | £177.50 | £12.21 |
| 60th percentile | £24,516* | £523.60 | £13.21 | £10,915 | £224.60 | £12.48 |
| 70th percentile | – | £550.90 | £13.68 | £12,953* | £280.80 | £12.78 |
| 75th percentile | – | £571.00 | £14.00 | £14,246* | £315.80 | £13.00 |
| 80th percentile | – | £592.50 | £14.39 | £16,894* | £363.30 | £13.49 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £476.20* | £14.82 |
| Mean | £22,454 | £518.10 | £13.41 | £10,762 | £223.70 | £12.81 |
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 | £14,981 | £297.00 | £8.36 | £5,540 | £135.90 | 135 |
| 2022 revised | – | £364.60 | £9.77 | £7,666* | £152.00 | 164 |
| 2023 revised | £17,694 | £416.80 | £11.00 | £8,178* | £156.30 | 143 |
| 2024 revised | £20,741 | £457.60 | £12.00 | £8,708* | £177.30 | 140 |
| 2025 provisional | £23,182* | £495.10 | £12.84 | £9,166 | £177.50 | 146 |
Bar staff by region
UK: 169,900 (± 16,000), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 23,700* | ± 6,100 |
| North West | 21,500* | ± 5,600 |
| London | 20,600* | ± 7,400 |
| West Midlands | 17,000* | ± 5,400 |
| South West | 15,800* | ± 4,500 |
| East of England | 13,900* | ± 5,100 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 12,300* | ± 4,100 |
| Scotland | 12,200* | ± 4,000 |
| East Midlands | 11,300* | ± 4,400 |
| North East | 10,200* | ± 3,200 |
| Wales | 9,500* | ± 2,800 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What bar staff do
Bar staff prepare, mix and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and beverages at bars in public houses, hotels, clubs and other establishments. (ONS SOC 2020, 9265)
Also covers: barmaid, bar staff, bartender, glass collector (public house), mixologist (beverages), bar associate, bar cellarman, bar handyman, bar help, bar helper, bar maid, bar operative, bar person, bar steward, bar tender, bar worker, cellarman (catering) and cocktail waiter (30 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Assists in keeping bar properly stocked
- Washes used glassware and cleans and tidies bar area
- Takes customer orders and mixes and serves drinks
- Receives payment for drinks
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. Vocational qualifications in relevant areas are available at levels 1,2 and 3.
Related
Other elementary services occupations (median £23,628) · Waiters and waitresses · Coffee shop workers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026