Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors in the UK earned a median £31,692 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 19% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 249th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £27,257 and £37,814.
Median full-time pay: women £30,820 a year, men £32,643 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40.3 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 57,000 employee jobs, 88% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 37.8% (from £22,996), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 140,500 people in this line of work, 21% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,393 | £499.20 | £12.77 | £16,092* | £311.80* | £12.58 |
| 20th percentile | £25,987 | £553.00 | £13.50 | £22,302 | £493.40 | £13.24 |
| 25th percentile | £27,257 | £574.40 | £13.87 | £24,095 | £521.20 | £13.48 |
| 30th percentile | £28,435 | £585.40 | £14.03 | £25,982 | £552.70 | £13.85 |
| 40th percentile | £29,978 | £618.70 | £14.50 | £28,846 | £594.10 | £14.22 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,692 | £652.40 | £15.25 | £30,513 | £626.10 | £14.98 |
| 60th percentile | £33,704 | £688.70 | £16.00 | £32,740 | £665.10 | £15.63 |
| 70th percentile | £35,592 | £728.30 | £16.73 | £34,708 | £698.80 | £16.49 |
| 75th percentile | £37,814 | £759.70 | £17.30 | £36,068 | £736.50 | £16.85 |
| 80th percentile | £39,143* | £802.40 | £18.21 | £38,203 | £784.20 | £17.77 |
| Mean | £33,185 | £717.90 | £16.96 | £30,918 | £659.80 | £16.76 |
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 | £22,996 | £463.80 | £11.32 | £22,304 | £436.70 | 55 |
| 2022 revised | £28,066 | £565.40 | £13.00 | £25,359 | £527.30 | 46 |
| 2023 revised | £31,244 | £623.40 | £14.05 | £28,912 | £561.80 | 46 |
| 2024 revised | £31,524 | £619.80 | £14.68 | £29,787 | £604.90 | 51 |
| 2025 provisional | £31,692 | £652.40 | £15.25 | £30,513 | £626.10 | 57 |
Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors by region
UK: 140,500 (± 14,500), April 2025 to March 2026. 6 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 30,100* | ± 8,900 |
| South East | 16,800* | ± 5,100 |
| North West | 15,700* | ± 4,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14,300* | ± 4,400 |
| South West | 12,300* | ± 4,000 |
| Scotland | 10,900* | ± 3,800 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors do
Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors plan, direct and co-ordinate the catering services of restaurants, hotels and large-scale catering services within other organisations. (ONS SOC 2020, 1222)
Also covers: café owner, operations manager (catering), restaurant manager, shop manager (take-away food shop), buffet manager, catering director, mess manager, restaurant owner, shop manager, store manager, takeaway owner, catering services manager, chip shop owner, club manager (catering), coffee shop manager, coffee shop owner, district manager (catering) and food service manager (30 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Plans catering services and directs staff
- Decides on range and quality of meals and beverages to be provided
- 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 is as required, that kitchen and dining areas are kept clean and appropriate hygiene standards are maintained in compliance with statutory requirements
- Plans and arranges food preparation in collaboration with other staff and organises the provision of waiting or counter staff
There are no set entry routes. Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Larger restaurants and catering chains offer managerial trainee schemes, entry to which may be based on a variety of qualifications and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is provided. Various vocational qualifications are available at levels 2 to 4.
Related
Managers and proprietors in hospitality and leisure services (median £33,821) · Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors · Publicans and managers of licensed premises · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026