jobfacts

Kitchen and catering assistants

SOC 2020 9263

Kitchen and catering assistants assist in the preparation and service of food and beverages in restaurants, cafés and other eating establishments, and perform various cleaning, fetching and carrying tasks.

Also calledKitchen porterKitchen assistantCounter service assistantCrew memberFast-food service assistantFood and beverage serverand 170 more titles
Typical full-time pay£22,9002025 Provisional
People in the job424,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month9,500↓ 5.3%on last year · 9th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time kitchen and catering assistants earn between £18,800 and £26,800 a year.

What full-time kitchen and catering assistants earn, 2025
£22,900 typical£15,100lowest 10%£18,80025%£27,900top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£18,800–£26,800)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£15,100
Lowest 20% earn less than£17,400
25%£18,800
Median£22,900
75%£26,800
Top 20% earn more than£27,900
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £22,900
London£27,100
Scotland£24,200
South East£23,400
West Midlands!£22,800
Wales!£22,500
South West£22,300
Yorkshire and The Humber£21,600
East Midlands!£21,500
North West£21,300
East of England!£20,900
North East!£18,900
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £22,900
London£27,100
Scotland£24,200
South East£23,400
West Midlands£22,800 (small sample)
Wales£22,500 (small sample)
South West£22,300
Yorkshire and The Humber£21,600
East Midlands£21,500 (small sample)
North West£21,300
East of England£20,900 (small sample)
North East£18,900 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £20,100
  • 2024 £21,700
  • 2025 Provisional£22,900
↑ 14% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 9,500 jobs for kitchen and catering assistants are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
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Aug 20269,397
Jul 202610,237
Jun 20268,801
May 202611,210
Apr 202610,027
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20268,695
Jan 20269,268
Dec 20254,051
Nov 202510,040
Oct 202511,564
Sept 202511,634
Aug 202511,133
Jul 202510,387
Jun 202510,600
May 202510,878
Apr 202510,154
Mar 202511,233
Feb 20259,793
Jan 20259,173
Dec 20245,184
Nov 20249,515
Oct 202411,408
Sept 202412,550
Aug 202412,483
Jul 202412,143
Jun 202411,419
May 202413,303
Apr 202412,716
Mar 202410,010
Feb 20249,949
Jan 20249,988
Dec 20236,889
Nov 20237,675
Oct 20238,141
Sept 20238,746
Aug 202311,750
Jul 20239,927
Jun 202314,431
May 202314,437
Apr 202312,467
Mar 202314,120
Feb 202312,487
Jan 202314,505
Dec 202210,798
Nov 202214,065
Oct 202216,603
Sept 202216,031
Aug 202216,034
Jul 202216,407
Jun 202215,649
May 202217,912
Apr 202215,943
Mar 202217,515
Feb 202214,625
Jan 202216,515
Dec 202111,450
Nov 202115,348
Oct 202116,057
Sept 202116,809
Aug 202114,000
Jul 202113,455
Jun 202112,566
May 202110,855
Apr 20217,455
Mar 20218,985
Feb 20212,772
Jan 20213,059
Dec 20203,195
Nov 20204,732
Oct 20205,621
Sept 20206,670
Aug 20205,540
Jul 20204,351
Jun 20203,424
May 20202,845
Apr 20203,692
Mar 20209,202
Feb 202010,304
Jan 202010,547
Dec 20197,242
Nov 201911,470
Oct 201911,301
Sept 201912,219
Aug 201911,218
Jul 201910,860
Jun 201911,522
May 201911,130
Apr 20196,965
Mar 20197,415
Feb 20196,550
Jan 20197,502
Dec 20185,490
Nov 201810,894
Oct 201812,429
Sept 201812,810
Aug 201811,828
Jul 201810,402
Jun 201810,166
May 20189,488
Apr 20188,773
Mar 201812,407
Feb 201811,202
Jan 20189,633
Dec 20175,386
Nov 20178,052
Oct 20179,929
Sept 201711,797
Aug 201710,577
Jul 201711,173
Jun 201711,869
May 201710,761
Apr 201710,616
Mar 20179,880
Feb 20176,748
Jan 20176,940
Is there a shortage of kitchen and catering assistants?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
19%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London3,029
City of Edinburgh443
North Yorkshire427
Cornwall359
Somerset357
Manchester350
Leeds318
Bristol, City of305
Birmingham301
Glasgow City296
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where kitchen and catering assistants are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of kitchen and catering assistants
44%
13%
13%
14%
13%
2.9%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2444%
25–3413%
35–4413%
45–5414%
55–6413%
65+2.9% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent11%
Higher education below degree3.9%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent35%
Other qualifications12%
No qualifications8.6%
Show as table
Degree or equivalent11%
Higher education below degree3.9%
A levels or equivalent27%
GCSEs or equivalent35%
Other qualifications12%
No qualifications8.6%

Main employers: restaurants and mobile food service activities (44%), other food service activities (8.1%), primary education (6.9%), event catering activities (6.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
11%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 35%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

Kitchen porter

You can get into this job through:

College

You may find it helpful to do a college course in a related subject like:

  • introduction to employment in the hospitality industry
  • general cookery
  • food safety
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job by applying to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Catering and Hospitality Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Commis Chef Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Food and Beverage Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Apply directly

You can apply directly to employers for a job as a dish washer or general kitchen hand, then train while you're working.

You can find out more about how to become a kitchen porter from Caterer.com.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for kitchen porter. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Counter service assistant

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a course in food and beverage service or hospitality and catering.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Catering and Hospitality Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship, or Food and Beverage Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs. Some employers may expect you to have experience in customer service, catering or hospitality work.

You could start with a weekend or temporary job to build up your skills.

Registration and professional bodies

Further information

You can find out more about working in catering from Caterer.com.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for counter service assistant. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • cleans or prepares food for cooks by hand or machine
  • carries meat, vegetables and other foodstuffs from delivery van to storeroom and from storeroom to kitchen
  • cleans and tidies service area, kitchen surfaces, crockery, cutlery, glassware, kitchen utensils and disposes of rubbish
  • prepares and serves beverages and light refreshments, accepts payment and gives change
  • keeps service area well stocked

Skills

  • carry out stock rotation
  • clean kitchen equipment
  • clean surfaces
  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • dispose waste
  • ensure cleanliness of food preparation area
  • handle chemical cleaning agents
  • handover the food preparation area
  • maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment
  • report on possible hazards
  • use food cutting tools
  • use food preparation techniques
  • work in a hospitality team
  • comply with standard portion sizes

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for elementary administration and service occupations, a group of 26 jobs that includes kitchen and catering assistants.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 48,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 20351.5 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.