jobfacts

Publican

Publicans and managers of licensed premises — SOC 2020 1223

Publicans and managers of licensed premises organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources of public houses (non-residential and residential) and bar and catering facilities at non-residential clubs.

Also calledPub landlordBar managerLicensed premises managerClub ownerManagerSocial club managerand 28 more titles
Typical full-time pay£38,0002025 Provisional
People in the job31,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month127↓ 13%on last year · 379th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time publicans earn, 2025
£38,000 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£38,000
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £38,000
East of England!£44,700
North West!£34,800
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £38,000
East of England£44,700 (small sample)
North West£34,800 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £34,300
  • 2024 £36,300
  • 2025 Provisional£38,000
↑ 11% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 127 jobs for publicans 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)
Show as table
Aug 2026126
Jul 2026116
Jun 2026121
May 2026122
Apr 2026131
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026142
Jan 2026141
Dec 202573
Nov 2025124
Oct 2025153
Sept 2025142
Aug 2025167
Jul 2025177
Jun 2025160
May 2025170
Apr 2025121
Mar 2025153
Feb 2025154
Jan 2025130
Dec 202465
Nov 2024123
Oct 2024150
Sept 2024181
Aug 2024127
Jul 2024162
Jun 2024167
May 2024184
Apr 2024254
Mar 2024206
Feb 2024181
Jan 2024195
Dec 2023144
Nov 2023114
Oct 2023211
Sept 2023199
Aug 2023246
Jul 2023225
Jun 2023195
May 2023185
Apr 2023173
Mar 2023141
Feb 2023118
Jan 2023218
Dec 2022190
Nov 2022158
Oct 2022191
Sept 2022194
Aug 2022197
Jul 2022202
Jun 2022172
May 2022215
Apr 2022150
Mar 2022210
Feb 2022200
Jan 2022194
Dec 2021151
Nov 2021188
Oct 2021192
Sept 2021198
Aug 2021186
Jul 2021193
Jun 2021205
May 2021155
Apr 2021128
Mar 2021164
Feb 202181
Jan 202167
Dec 202062
Nov 202089
Oct 202083
Sept 2020119
Aug 2020113
Jul 2020128
Jun 202098
May 202067
Apr 202087
Mar 2020133
Feb 2020214
Jan 2020181
Dec 2019106
Nov 2019215
Oct 2019196
Sept 2019177
Aug 2019152
Jul 2019145
Jun 2019205
May 2019166
Apr 2019161
Mar 2019139
Feb 2019138
Jan 2019154
Dec 2018101
Nov 2018178
Oct 2018186
Sept 2018187
Aug 2018185
Jul 2018220
Jun 2018184
May 2018152
Apr 2018151
Mar 2018275
Feb 2018263
Jan 2018461
Dec 2017277
Nov 2017416
Oct 2017296
Sept 2017389
Aug 2017367
Jul 2017457
Jun 2017667
May 2017552
Apr 2017493
Mar 2017598
Feb 2017316
Jan 2017255
Is there a shortage of publicans?
Not high

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

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
46%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for managers and proprietors in hospitality and leisure services, which includes publicans. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London74
Glasgow City13
Birmingham10
Cornwall6
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon6
Bristol, City of5
Buckinghamshire5
City of Edinburgh5
Newark and Sherwood5
Wigan5
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where publicans 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 publicans
n/p
26%!
23%!
20%!
21%!
9.3%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3426% (small sample)
35–4423% (small sample)
45–5420% (small sample)
55–6421% (small sample)
65+9.3% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!30%
Higher education below degree!3.3%
A levels or equivalent!32%
GCSEs or equivalent!15%
Other qualifications!8.7%
No qualifications!7.7%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent30% (small sample)
Higher education below degree3.3% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent32% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent15% (small sample)
Other qualifications8.7% (small sample)
No qualifications7.7% (small sample)

Main employers: beverage serving activities (77%), event catering activities (6.7%), restaurants and mobile food service activities (6.7%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
30%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 32%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Hospitality Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

This might help you find work as a deputy bar manager. You could apply to become a pub landlord once you've built up your experience in the drinks trade.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Apply directly

There are no set requirements to apply directly for jobs, but you'll find it useful to have experience in hospitality, catering or customer service at a supervisory or management level.

You'll usually need to do the Pre-Entry Awareness Training online learning course before you apply for jobs.

You'll also need to complete the British Institute of Innkeeping's Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders to apply for a licence to sell alcohol.

It's possible for anybody with enough financial backing to buy a pub or bar.

As a manager of a pub or bar that sells food, you may need a food safety qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as a bar person or cellar technician and get experience on the job. You might then move on to become a bar manager or landlord through further training and promotion.

Other routes

Some larger pub chains run graduate management trainee schemes.

You'll usually need relevant work experience and a degree in an area like:

  • business
  • marketing
  • hotel and catering
  • hospitality management

What you’ll need

  • get a licence to sell alcohol
  • be over 18 to sell alcohol and other restricted goods
  • pass enhanced background checks

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Some jobs will include live-in accommodation as part of the benefits package.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Institute of Innkeeping or British Beer & Pub Association, for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in the drinks trade from the British Institute of Innkeeping and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for publican. 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

  • arranges purchase of alcoholic and other beverages, bar snacks, cigarettes and other items and ensures that stocks are stored in proper conditions
  • supervises bar, kitchen and cleaning staff and, if necessary, assists with the serving of drinks
  • observes licensing laws and other statutory regulations and regulates behaviour of customers as necessary
  • maintains financial records for the establishment determines financial, staffing, material and other short- and long-term needs

Skills

  • develop working procedures
  • forecast occupancy demand
  • handle customer complaints
  • maintain customer service
  • manage budgets
  • manage health and safety standards
  • manage hospitality revenue
  • manage inspections of equipment
  • manage staff
  • monitor financial accounts
  • schedule shifts
  • greet guests
  • think analytically
  • assess cleanliness of areas

Knowledge

  • local area tourism industry

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes publicans.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 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.