Catering and bar managers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time catering and bar managers in the UK earned a median £29,789 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 24% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (101st from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £26,380 and £36,691.
Median full-time pay: women £28,610 a year, men £31,557 a year.
About 76% of the roughly 45,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 39.9% (from £21,290), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 75,500 people in this line of work, 19% 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 | £22,595 | £467.80 | £12.89 | £14,404* | £264.20 | £12.50 |
| 20th percentile | £24,960 | £517.70 | £13.63 | £19,223 | £386.10* | £13.34 |
| 25th percentile | £26,380 | £539.90 | £13.91 | £21,618 | £448.10 | £13.62 |
| 30th percentile | £27,184 | £555.70 | £14.03 | £23,484 | £470.50 | £13.89 |
| 40th percentile | £28,380 | £580.20 | £14.55 | £26,137 | £526.40 | £14.38 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,789 | £615.60 | £15.34 | £27,888 | £568.70 | £14.87 |
| 60th percentile | £31,730 | £645.40 | £16.30 | £29,549 | £603.40 | £15.88 |
| 70th percentile | £35,528 | £693.70 | £17.35 | £32,956 | £645.70 | £16.54 |
| 75th percentile | £36,691 | £721.40 | £18.01 | £35,261 | £673.00 | £17.66 |
| 80th percentile | £37,571* | £752.20 | £18.54 | £36,738 | £718.30 | £18.24 |
| Mean | £31,909 | £644.30 | £16.28 | £28,408 | £556.40 | £16.08 |
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 | £21,290 | £409.40 | £10.05 | £19,582 | £383.60 | 50 |
| 2022 revised | £23,977 | £479.60 | £11.99 | £21,365* | £443.80 | 44 |
| 2023 revised | £26,438 | £538.50 | £13.38 | £25,030 | £518.00 | 50 |
| 2024 revised | £27,965 | £574.90 | £14.00 | £25,377 | £543.00 | 47 |
| 2025 provisional | £29,789 | £615.60 | £15.34 | £27,888 | £568.70 | 45 |
Catering and bar managers by region
UK: 75,500 (± 10,700), April 2025 to March 2026. 10 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 14,600* | ± 4,800 |
| North West | 10,500* | ± 3,900 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What catering and bar managers do
Catering and bar managers plan, direct and co-ordinate the catering and bar facilities and services of licensed premises, factories, shops, theatres, educational premises and other establishments. They also manage outside catering businesses and shops selling food cooked on the premises. (ONS SOC 2020, 5436)
Also covers: bar manager, catering manager, floor manager (restaurant), kitchen manager, steward (club), airline caterer, breakfast manager, canteen manager, catering adviser, catering consultant, catering contractor, catering controller, catering franchisee, chief steward, club steward, duty manager, floor manager and kitchen superintendent (26 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Plans catering or bar services and supervises staff
- Decides on range and quality of meals and beverages to be provided or discusses customer’s requirements for special occasions
- Purchases or directs the purchasing of supplies and arranges for preparation of accounts
- Verifies that quality of food, beverages and waiting service are as required and that kitchen and dining areas are kept clean in compliance with statutory requirements
- Checks that supplies are properly used and accounted for to prevent wastage and loss and to keep within budget limit
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Larger catering and licensed premises chains offer managerial trainee schemes. Candidates for these usually require a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification, or a professional qualification. Off and on-the-job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 2 to 4.
Related
Food preparation and hospitality trades (median £29,376) · Cooks · Chefs · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026