Waiters and waitresses: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time waiters and waitresses in the UK earned a median £22,936 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 6 of 382 occupations with a published full-time median are lower.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £18,363 and £27,395.
Median full-time pay: women £22,738 a year, men £22,921 a year.
Most jobs here are part-time: 52,000 of about 265,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 42.5% (from £16,097), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 259,800 people in this line of work, 16% 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 | £14,151* | £385.50 | £11.14 | £2,423* | £42.70 | £8.49 |
| 20th percentile | £16,918 | £416.40 | – | £3,991 | £70.90 | £10.00 |
| 25th percentile | £18,363 | £428.30 | £12.21 | £4,784 | £86.70 | £10.50 |
| 30th percentile | £19,521 | £441.50 | £12.21 | £5,750 | £102.10 | £11.44 |
| 40th percentile | £21,181 | £470.70 | £12.45 | £7,793 | £141.80 | – |
| Median (50th percentile) | £22,936 | £488.70 | £12.73 | £10,000 | £194.10 | £12.21 |
| 60th percentile | £24,646 | £518.10 | £13.28 | £12,174 | £240.00 | £12.45 |
| 70th percentile | £26,604 | £549.40 | £13.97 | £15,484 | £306.80 | £12.96 |
| 75th percentile | £27,395 | £564.30 | £14.40 | £17,788 | £349.00 | £13.38 |
| 80th percentile | £28,535 | £585.00 | £14.73 | £19,684 | £391.90 | £13.83 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | £25,105* | £492.50 | £15.48 |
| Mean | £22,787 | £503.90 | £13.31 | £11,958 | £232.30 | £12.68 |
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 | £16,097 | £316.20 | £8.59 | £7,267 | £132.90 | 161 |
| 2022 revised | £17,112 | £365.20 | £9.73 | £7,991* | £132.40 | 196 |
| 2023 revised | £18,576 | £419.70 | £11.00 | – | £134.80 | 237 |
| 2024 revised | £21,596 | £469.70 | £12.02 | £8,647 | £172.30 | 239 |
| 2025 provisional | £22,936 | £488.70 | £12.73 | £10,000 | £194.10 | 265 |
Waiters and waitresses by region
UK: 259,800 (± 19,800), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 42,400 | ± 8,200 |
| London | 42,000* | ± 10,600 |
| North West | 33,100* | ± 7,000 |
| Scotland | 26,100* | ± 5,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 25,700* | ± 5,900 |
| South West | 19,500* | ± 5,000 |
| West Midlands | 19,100* | ± 5,700 |
| East of England | 16,100* | ± 5,500 |
| East Midlands | 14,700* | ± 5,100 |
| Northern Ireland | 7,800* | ± 2,800 |
| North East | 6,600* | ± 2,500 |
| Wales | 6,600* | ± 2,300 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What waiters and waitresses do
Waiters and waitresses serve food and beverages in hotels, clubs, restaurants public houses and other establishments. (ONS SOC 2020, 9264)
Also covers: food and beverage assistant, silver service waiter, steward (catering), waiter, waitress, canteen steward, catering steward, food runner, hospitality assistant, mess steward, messroom steward, party hostess, party organiser, restaurant waiter, runner (catering), saloon boy, seater (catering) and shift runner (42 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Sets tables with clean linen, cutlery, crockery and glassware
- Presents menus and wine lists to patrons and may describe dishes and advise on selection of food or wines
- Takes down orders for food and/or drinks and passes order to kitchen and/or bar
- Serves food and drinks
- Presents bill and accepts payment at end of the meal
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available at levels 1 and 2.
Related
Other elementary services occupations (median £23,628) · Kitchen and catering assistants · Bar staff · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026