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Average Cafeteria Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom earns about 23,600 GBP a year. That's 66% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 10,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 38,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a cafeteria assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
23,600 GBP
1,966 GBP per month
Lowest reported
10,000 GBP
833 GBP per month
Highest reported
38,700 GBP
3,225 GBP per month

A typical cafeteria assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 1,966 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 10,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 38,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior cafeteria assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the cafeteria assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How cafeteria assistant pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 27,300 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 18,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 35,300 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of cafeteria assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 10,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 38,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

10,000
Low
27,300
Median
38,700
High
18,800
25th
35,300
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Cafeteria assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical cafeteria assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    13,400 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +17% from previous
    15,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +76% from previous
    27,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +9% from previous
    30,200 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +17% from previous
    35,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    35,200 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 76%. That is the point at which a cafeteria assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Cafeteria assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving cafeteria assistant pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average cafeteria assistant salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    14,500 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +112% from previous
    30,800 GBP

Cafeteria assistant gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 24,400 GBP a year, while female cafeteria assistants earn around 26,200 GBP. That works out to a 7% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Cafeteria Assistant gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much less than women on average in United Kingdom.

Women 26,200 GBP
Men 24,400 GBP

Pay raises for a cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 10% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Cafeteria assistant bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

35%

35% of cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a cafeteria assistant a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 65% of cafeteria assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Cafeteria assistant: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Cafeteria assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Cafeteria assistant pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Cardiff
  • Somerset
  • Newcastle
  • Glasgow
  • Derby
  • Lincoln
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion44,200 GBP49,400 GBP21,700-73,200 GBP
ScotlandRegion36,600 GBP39,100 GBP16,800-58,200 GBP
ManchesterCity29,600 GBP30,000 GBP13,600-46,300 GBP
BirminghamCity29,300 GBP30,300 GBP13,900-43,800 GBP
CardiffCity29,000 GBP29,600 GBP11,400-45,600 GBP
SomersetCity28,900 GBP32,900 GBP13,900-45,600 GBP
NewcastleCity27,800 GBP26,400 GBP12,200-41,000 GBP
GlasgowCity27,700 GBP30,200 GBP13,500-44,500 GBP
DerbyCity27,600 GBP27,400 GBP10,200-41,900 GBP
LincolnCity27,600 GBP26,500 GBP10,200-39,700 GBP
EdinburghCity27,300 GBP29,300 GBP12,800-42,700 GBP
NottinghamCity27,300 GBP27,400 GBP13,400-41,500 GBP
BrightonCity27,300 GBP27,400 GBP13,400-41,500 GBP
LeedsCity27,300 GBP30,600 GBP14,700-46,100 GBP
WolverhamptonCity27,100 GBP27,700 GBP12,600-44,300 GBP
AberdeenCity27,000 GBP27,700 GBP12,600-42,800 GBP
SouthamptonCity27,000 GBP28,900 GBP12,600-43,500 GBP
SheffieldCity26,900 GBP30,800 GBP11,800-43,400 GBP
SwanseaCity26,600 GBP29,000 GBP12,200-42,400 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity26,600 GBP29,000 GBP12,200-42,400 GBP
BradfordCity26,600 GBP29,000 GBP12,200-42,400 GBP
LeicesterCity26,500 GBP30,800 GBP13,400-42,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity26,400 GBP30,100 GBP13,400-43,100 GBP
LondonCity26,100 GBP31,200 GBP12,800-45,200 GBP
BelfastCity25,800 GBP29,200 GBP12,800-43,500 GBP
BristolCity25,800 GBP29,200 GBP12,800-43,500 GBP
CoventryCity25,800 GBP29,200 GBP12,800-43,500 GBP
NorwichCity25,700 GBP25,500 GBP12,800-39,000 GBP
ArmaghCity25,400 GBP27,300 GBP13,200-40,500 GBP
ExeterCity25,300 GBP27,800 GBP13,000-37,800 GBP
NewportCity24,800 GBP25,800 GBP13,200-39,600 GBP
PooleCity24,400 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-39,500 GBP
PlymouthCity24,400 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-42,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity24,400 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-39,500 GBP
PeterboroughCity24,200 GBP29,600 GBP12,500-40,200 GBP
CanterburyCity23,800 GBP24,200 GBP12,200-35,300 GBP
ChesterCity23,800 GBP22,400 GBP11,900-36,600 GBP
St DavidsCity23,800 GBP25,400 GBP12,200-35,000 GBP
KirkwallCity23,700 GBP24,800 GBP12,400-34,900 GBP
YorkCity23,600 GBP26,500 GBP12,200-40,300 GBP
CambridgeCity23,600 GBP26,500 GBP12,200-39,300 GBP
DundeeCity23,600 GBP27,300 GBP12,200-40,300 GBP
InvernessCity23,400 GBP23,300 GBP11,300-34,300 GBP
TruroCity23,400 GBP23,300 GBP11,300-33,300 GBP
WakefieldCity23,400 GBP22,400 GBP11,300-34,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity23,300 GBP24,200 GBP10,800-36,200 GBP
DurhamCity23,300 GBP24,200 GBP10,800-36,900 GBP
BangorCity23,200 GBP22,200 GBP11,780-35,300 GBP
LisburnCity23,200 GBP25,300 GBP11,000-34,400 GBP
AbingdonCity23,200 GBP25,300 GBP11,000-34,400 GBP
WalesRegion23,100 GBP24,400 GBP10,300-36,400 GBP
StirlingCity23,100 GBP24,400 GBP12,300-38,100 GBP
RiponCity23,000 GBP21,300 GBP9,010-35,500 GBP
StromnessCity22,600 GBP22,100 GBP10,120-32,200 GBP
OxfordCity22,400 GBP26,600 GBP13,000-39,100 GBP
NewryCity22,400 GBP27,800 GBP13,000-37,800 GBP
StrontianCity22,300 GBP23,400 GBP10,790-35,100 GBP
SalisburyCity22,200 GBP23,600 GBP9,900-37,300 GBP
DerryCity22,000 GBP27,400 GBP10,300-39,500 GBP
GloucesterCity21,500 GBP26,400 GBP9,500-35,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion20,400 GBP23,300 GBP11,300-33,300 GBP
WinchesterCity20,400 GBP23,300 GBP11,300-33,300 GBP
WellsCity20,400 GBP25,300 GBP11,000-34,700 GBP

Cafeteria Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a cafeteria assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    A cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom earns about 1,966 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 23,600 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom start near 10,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 38,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 18,800 and 35,300 GBP.

  • Is the median cafeteria assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 27,300 GBP, higher than the average of 23,600 GBP. Half of cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom earn around 7% less than women on average (24,400 vs 26,200 GBP a year).

  • Do cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 35% of cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do cafeteria assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a cafeteria assistant about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do cafeteria assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A cafeteria assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.