Salary guide
Catering Assistant salary in England
What catering assistants are advertised at in England, based on live vacancies.
Official support staff pay spine · 2026/27
NJC pay points 3–43
Full-time, full-year rates from 1 April 2026 (3.3% increase agreed). Show all pay points
| Pay point (SCP) | Annual salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | £25,614 | £13.28 |
| 4 | £26,016 | £13.48 |
| 5 | £26,427 | £13.70 |
| 6 | £26,847 | £13.92 |
| 7 | £27,274 | £14.14 |
| 8 | £27,709 | £14.36 |
| 9 | £28,153 | £14.59 |
| 10 | £28,608 | £14.83 |
| 11 | £29,071 | £15.07 |
| 12 | £29,542 | £15.31 |
| 13 | £30,023 | £15.56 |
| 14 | £30,515 | £15.82 |
| 15 | £31,015 | £16.08 |
| 16 | £31,525 | £16.34 |
| 17 | £32,046 | £16.61 |
| 18 | £32,578 | £16.89 |
| 19 | £33,119 | £17.17 |
| 20 | £33,673 | £17.45 |
| 21 | £34,237 | £17.75 |
| 22 | £34,811 | £18.04 |
| 23 | £35,570 | £18.44 |
| 24 | £36,581 | £18.96 |
| 25 | £37,563 | £19.47 |
| 26 | £38,510 | £19.96 |
| 27 | £39,481 | £20.46 |
| 28 | £40,444 | £20.96 |
| 29 | £41,177 | £21.34 |
| 30 | £42,123 | £21.83 |
| 31 | £43,149 | £22.37 |
| 32 | £44,253 | £22.94 |
| 33 | £45,529 | £23.60 |
| 34 | £46,579 | £24.14 |
| 35 | £47,665 | £24.71 |
| 36 | £48,738 | £25.26 |
| 37 | £49,817 | £25.82 |
| 38 | £50,908 | £26.39 |
| 39 | £51,928 | £26.92 |
| 40 | £53,051 | £27.50 |
| 41 | £54,143 | £28.06 |
| 42 | £55,224 | £28.62 |
| 43 | £56,293 | £29.18 |
Source: NJC for Local Government Services pay agreement 2026 (Annex 1)
Councils and most maintained schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland pay support staff on this spine; each employer decides which pay points a role sits on. Annual figures are for a full-time (37-hour), all-year post — term-time and part-time staff are paid a proportion of them. Hourly rates are for a 37-hour week. Pay point 2 was removed, so the spine now starts at point 3. Academies, independent schools and private nurseries may use their own pay.
Read the official pay agreement (Local Government Association)Advertised salary evidence
£14,684 per year – £25,592 per year
Median advertised range in England · Local-government support-staff pay structures (England and Wales)
Midpoint of advertised salary ranges: £20,138 per year
Limited evidence
Based on salary information published in live vacancy adverts on SchoolJobs.uk.
Based on 16 live public vacancies · Last refreshed 26 Oct 2026
Statistics are derived from live public vacancies at the time of the last refresh. They are a snapshot of advertised pay, not a historical earnings series.
How we calculate salary informationCatering Assistant pay in UK education is set by the employer and the applicable pay framework. We publish figures here only where we can evidence them from live public vacancy adverts or an official pay scale.
Advertised pay by unit and nation
Annual, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly adverts are measured separately, and each nation is measured on its own evidence.
| Nation | Unit | Median advertised range | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | per year | £14,684 per year – £25,592 per yearMidpoint of advertised ranges: £20,138 per year | Limited evidence16 live vacancies · 16 employers |
| Nation not identified | per year | £11,894 per yearMidpoint of advertised ranges: £11,894 per year | Limited evidence10 live vacancies · 10 employers |
| England | per hour | £12.85 per hourMidpoint of advertised ranges: £12.85 per hour | Limited evidence8 live vacancies · 8 employers |
Catering Assistant job openings
Catering Assistant
Birkenhead High School Academy · Prenton
Catering Assistant
Deeplish Primary Academy · Rochdale
Catering Assistant (7679)
Goole Academy · Goole
Catering Assistant
Minehead Middle School · Minehead
Catering Assistant
Tedburn St Mary School · Exeter
General Catering Assistant
Writhlington School · Radstock
Schools hiring catering assistants
Ranked by live vacancy volume. We do not publish employer-level pay figures.
Where catering assistants are being advertised
Areas with the most live catering assistant vacancies.
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Career advice for catering assistant roles
Frequently asked questions
How much does a catering assistant earn in England?
Across live catering assistant vacancies advertised in England on SchoolJobs.uk, the median advertised range is £14,684 per year – £25,592 per year. That is advertised pay, not pay received — individual salaries depend on experience, pay point, phase and contract.
Does catering assistant pay vary by area?
It can, but we only publish area differences where we have enough evidence for that area — we never apply a regional multiplier to invent a local figure.
What pay framework applies to a catering assistant?
Many maintained schools in England and Wales use support-staff pay structures derived from the NJC national agreement, but grades, points and term-time arrangements are set locally by the employer. Academies, independent schools and private providers may use their own scales.
Find your next catering assistant job
Live UK catering assistant vacancies from schools, trusts and agencies.
Browse Catering Assistant jobs