Chef Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 24,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£27,113
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 6.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£26,461
Jobs measured
24,000
What a typical chef takes home
On the median of £27,113, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,920
Take-home a year
£23,041
Income Tax
£2,909
National Insurance
£1,163
What most chefs actually earn
Half of chefs in South East earn between £15,991 and £31,822. Earning above £31,822 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Food Preparation and Hospitality Trades” group in South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of chefs earn less than this.
How South East ranks for chef pay
2nd
of 3 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £30,928 and North West sits at the bottom on £26,000. South East is £3,815 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Chefs
- SOC 2020 code
- 5434
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Chef salary FAQs
What is the average Chef salary in South East?
The median is £27,113 a year and the mean is £26,461, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a chef earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.00 excluding overtime, or £14.67 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South East.
What is a good Chef salary?
Half of chefs earn between £15,991 and £31,822. Anything above £31,822 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a chef?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of chefs earn under £9,353 and the lowest quarter under £15,991 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do chefs in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £27,113 against £26,531 across the UK, 2.2% higher, which places it 2nd highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has chef pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +6.3% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many chefs are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 24,000 employee jobs in “Chefs” (SOC 5434) in South East. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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