Salary guide
Mealtime Assistant salary
What mealtime assistants are advertised at on live vacancies we hold — we name the nation whenever we publish a figure.
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)Typical advertised pay
£4,804 per year – £6,004 per year
Median advertised range for Midday Supervisor roles in England
Based on Midday Supervisor adverts
We don't yet have enough Mealtime Assistant adverts with pay to publish a figure of their own, so this shows the closest main role. Based on 83 live public vacancies. Support-staff pay is set locally, so individual adverts vary.
See the Midday Supervisor salary guideMealtime Assistant job openings
Meal Time Assistant
Umberleigh Primary Academy · Umberleigh
Mealtime Assistant, 4.25 hours a week
Oreston Community Academy · Plymouth
Mealtime Assistant
Okehampton Primary School and Foundation Unit · Okehampton
Mealtime Assistant
Pomphlett Primary School · Plymouth
EYFS Assistant (Including Mealtime Assistant Responsibilities)
Woodfield Primary School · Plymouth
Mealtime Assistant
Sidmouth Church of England Primary School · Sidmouth
Schools hiring mealtime assistants
Ranked by live vacancy volume. We do not publish employer-level pay figures.
Where mealtime assistants are being advertised
Areas with the most live mealtime assistant vacancies.
Similar roles to Mealtime Assistant
Academy Trustee
See academy trustee salary guide
Access Arrangements Assessor
See access arrangements assessor salary guide
Access Arrangements Coordinator
See access arrangements coordinator salary guide
Accounts Assistant
See accounts assistant salary guide
Activities Coordinator
See activities coordinator salary guide
Admin Assistant
Local-government support-staff pay structures (England and Wales)
See admin assistant salary guide
Career advice for mealtime assistant roles
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mealtime assistant earn?
We do not yet hold enough verified salary evidence to publish a mealtime assistant figure. Rather than estimate, we show live vacancies so you can see what employers are actually advertising.
Does mealtime 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 mealtime assistant?
There is no single pay framework that generally applies to this role: pay depends on the employer, the contract and the nation. Use the advertised salary evidence on this page and check the individual advert.
Find your next mealtime assistant job
Live UK mealtime assistant vacancies from schools, trusts and agencies.
Browse Mealtime Assistant jobs