Official pay data
Updated 15 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£25,894
Median
£30,010
75th percentile
£36,126
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Chefs; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
The Chef benchmark covers kitchen roles that prepare, cook and present food. The work may also include menu planning, recipe development and maintaining food safety and hygiene. Because Chef titles span several responsibility levels, the benchmark is useful for the general market but does not set pay for one particular seniority or kitchen.
Benchmark fit
Chef maps to the Chefs occupation benchmark (code 5434), so it is a reasonable national comparison for kitchen roles centred on preparing, cooking and presenting food. The match becomes less exact when a vacancy is limited to one station or carries senior kitchen-management responsibility, because the occupation includes several levels and titles.
Nearby titles: Commis chef, chef de partie, sous chef and head chef are titles used for different levels within the Chef occupation..
Do not read the benchmark as the exact pay for a named kitchen level. A commis chef, station chef, sous chef and head chef can have materially different responsibilities, while the occupation benchmark groups them together.
Role scope
A Chef prepares, cooks and presents food to the kitchen's quality standard. Depending on the role, the work may also cover menu planning, recipe development and food-safety duties.
Prepare, cook and present dishes and desserts. · Develop recipes, plan menus and create new dishes where the role includes that work. · Maintain food safety and hygiene standards. · In some kitchens, support or train junior team members and coordinate with kitchen and service colleagues; this depends on seniority and kitchen structure.
The practical output is food that tastes good, looks presentable and meets the kitchen's quality standard. · Some Chef roles also produce menus, recipes and newly created dishes.
An entry-level role focused on learning food-preparation fundamentals, kitchen safety and hygiene under more experienced chefs.
A qualified chef responsible for a specific kitchen section, such as pastry, grill or sauce.
A second-in-command who supports the head chef, manages staff and oversees daily kitchen operations.
The kitchen leader, with overall responsibility for management, creativity and performance.
Read the range
A chef de partie is responsible for a specific kitchen section, such as pastry, grill or sauce, while a sous chef supports the head chef, manages staff and oversees daily kitchen operations. These comparisons describe responsibility scope, not separate salary bands.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Career stage
Learns food-preparation fundamentals, kitchen safety and hygiene under supervision.
Manages a specific kitchen section, such as pastry, grill or sauce.
Supports the head chef, manages staff and oversees daily kitchen operations.
Leads the kitchen and carries overall responsibility for its management, creativity and performance.
Location
Supplementary regional medians are available for the listed areas. Use the figure for the job's location as a second comparison point alongside the national Chef benchmark.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £29,330 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £28,019 | Not published |
| London | Not published | £34,120 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £29,495 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £29,126 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £29,552 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £30,304 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £26,994 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £28,864 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £29,125 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £28,939 | Not published |
A regional figure is not a quote for a particular job. Employer, duties, location and working pattern can all affect how closely an offer matches the benchmark.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer on the same annual-pay and working-hours basis as the benchmark. Separate fixed salary from conditional cash such as overtime, bonuses, commissions or shift premiums, then check benefits on their own terms.
Check the guaranteed basic salary and whether the stated annual figure assumes a particular number of hours.
Ask which overtime, incentive, commission or shift payments are included, and what conditions trigger them. Do not treat a possible payment as guaranteed salary.
Check pension, health cover, leave and any other benefits separately because the gross earnings measure excludes payments in kind and is not the whole benefits package.
Progression
Chef progression changes who and what you are responsible for. Use each transition below to check whether an offer's title matches its actual duties.
Progression here means moving from learning fundamentals under supervision to managing a specific kitchen section. Check whether the offer describes supervised training or station ownership; both roles sit within the broader Chef occupation benchmark.
The scope moves beyond one kitchen section to supporting the head chef, managing staff and overseeing daily operations. Because pay can differ with duties, compare the offer's cash pay with its staff-management and daily-operations scope.
The move is from second-in-command to leading the kitchen with overall responsibility for its management, creativity and performance. Compare the offer's cash pay and benefits with that overall responsibility; the occupation benchmark is not a guaranteed head-chef rate.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Chefs (5434) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Chef vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
