Kitchen Assistant Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 37,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£12,932
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 13% change on the previous year
Mean
£14,967
Jobs measured
37,000
What a typical kitchen assistant takes home
On the median of £12,932, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,069
Take-home a year
£12,831
Income Tax
£72
National Insurance
£29
What most kitchen assistants actually earn
Half of kitchen assistants in South East earn between £6,429 and £19,911. Earning above £19,911 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 “Other Elementary Services Occupations” group in South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of kitchen assistants earn less than this.
How South East ranks for kitchen assistant pay
1st
of 3 GB regions with a published figure
South East pays kitchen assistants more than anywhere else ONS measures — £375 above West Midlands, the lowest of the 3.
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
- Kitchen and catering assistants
- SOC 2020 code
- 9263
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 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.
Kitchen Assistant salary FAQs
What is the average Kitchen Assistant salary in South East?
The median is £12,932 a year and the mean is £14,967, 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 kitchen assistant earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £13.02 excluding overtime, or £13.50 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 Kitchen Assistant salary?
Half of kitchen assistants earn between £6,429 and £19,911. Anything above £19,911 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a kitchen assistant?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of kitchen assistants earn under £3,255 and the lowest quarter under £6,429 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid kitchen assistants earn?
The top 10% of kitchen assistants earn more than £27,029 a year, and the top quarter more than £19,911. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do kitchen assistants in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £12,932 against £13,397 across the UK, 3.5% lower, which places it 1st highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has kitchen assistant pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +13.0% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many kitchen assistants are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 37,000 employee jobs in “Kitchen and catering assistants” (SOC 9263) 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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