SOC 2020 · 5434
Chefs
Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations from
Skilled Worker
Not eligible
No Skilled Worker route through this code.
Salary floor
£41,700
The general threshold, £41,700, is the higher of the two.
Shortage lists
Not listed
This code is on neither the Immigration Salary List nor the Temporary Shortage List.
What this occupation actually pays
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, full-time gross annual pay.
- UK pay for this occupation
View these figures as a table
| Percentile | Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | £21,588 |
| 25th | £25,894 |
| 50th | £30,010 |
| 75th | £36,126 |
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | £21,588 | £25,894 | £30,010 | £36,126 | — |
| East 2025 | — | — | £29,330 | — | — |
| East Midlands 2025 | — | — | £28,019 | — | — |
| London 2025 | — | — | £34,120 | — | — |
| North East 2025 | — | — | £29,495 | — | — |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
Chefs plan menus and prepare, or oversee the preparation of food in hotels, restaurants, clubs, private households and other establishments.
Typical tasks
requisitions or purchases and examines foodstuffs from suppliers to ensure quality
plans menus, prepares, seasons and cooks foodstuffs or oversees their preparation and monitors the quality of finished dishes
supervises, organises and instructs kitchen staff and manages the whole kitchen or an area of the kitchen
ensures relevant hygiene and health and safety standards are maintained within the kitchen
plans and co-ordinates kitchen work such as fetching, clearing and cleaning of equipment and utensils
Entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic requirements. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs, BTEC Certificates and Diplomas and foundation degrees are available. Apprenticeships are also available. Courses are also run by private cookery schools.