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.
This guide uses the national benchmark for the Chefs occupation (code 5434) to help you assess a Commis Chef offer. A commis is a junior, entry-level chef learning kitchen fundamentals and supporting more senior chefs, so the benchmark is useful for the occupation’s shared kitchen work but does not describe a qualified station manager’s role.
Benchmark fit
Commis Chef fits the mapped Chefs occupation because it is the entry-level part of the chef progression, focused on learning fundamentals and supporting more senior chefs. The comparison stops at seniority: a chef de partie manages a designated station, while a commis is not a qualified station-management role. This benchmark gives occupational context, not an exact rate for every junior post.
Nearby titles: Commis (junior) chef.
The profile is career guidance rather than a legal definition, and tasks can vary with experience, cuisine and workplace. Do not read the benchmark as a guaranteed rate for every Commis Chef job or as a proxy for senior chef pay.
Role scope
A Commis Chef builds basic kitchen skills while supporting more senior chefs. The role is centred on learning, preparation and reliable execution of assigned kitchen work.
Learn basic cooking techniques, including measuring ingredients and knife skills, while handling food safely. · Assist a chef de partie with food preparation, basic cooking and plating across different kitchen stations. · Check stock levels, accept deliveries and monitor food expiry dates when those tasks form part of the assignment. · Keep the kitchen area clean and tidy, follow instructions and work effectively as part of the team.
The practical output is prepared and plated food, supported by orderly stock handling, safe working practices and a clean kitchen area.
A chef de partie is described as a qualified chef responsible for managing a specific kitchen station. A commis supports that work while learning the fundamentals.
The profile describes first commis work as a step with greater responsibility and more complex tasks than the entry-level commis role.
Read the range
For a practical comparison, a Commis Chef may assist with preparation and plating across stations, while a chef de partie manages one designated station and supervises its preparation and service. That difference describes responsibility scope; it does not create a separate salary band in this benchmark.
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.
Location
The benchmark is national. Supplementary medians are available for East, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber where published.
| 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 still an occupational benchmark, not a local offer estimate; pay can differ with employer, duties and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare an offer on the same annual-pay and working-hours basis as the benchmark, then separate fixed cash from any conditional payments and value benefits on their stated terms.
Check the guaranteed basic pay and whether the stated figure is annual, before deductions and based on comparable hours.
Ask whether overtime, bonuses, commissions or shift premiums are included, and what conditions or rates apply. These payments are part of gross cash pay only when actually offered or earned.
Check the written terms for pension contributions, health cover, paid leave or other benefits separately; payments in kind are not included in the benchmark’s gross-earnings measure.
Progression
The profile describes progression from commis chef to first commis chef, with greater responsibility and more complex tasks.
The role takes on greater responsibility and more complex tasks than the entry-level commis position. This responsibility change does not establish a separate pay band or a guaranteed increase in the occupational benchmark.
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 Commis Chef vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
