Chef Salary After Tax UK 2025-26
£28,000/year · £1,973/month take-home · £12.14/hour after tax
UK Chef salary overview
Kitchen porters start at minimum wage. Chefs typically earn £22,000–£30,000; head chefs £30,000–£50,000; executive chefs more.
Chef salary tax breakdown 2025-26
| Item | Annual | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £28,000 | £2,333 | £538 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | £12,570 | £1,048 | £242 |
| Income Tax | −£3,086 | −£257 | −£59 |
| National Insurance | −£1,234 | −£103 | −£24 |
| Net take-home | £23,680 | £1,973 | £455 |
Chef take-home pay UK 2025-26
A Chef on the typical salary of £28,000 takes home £23,680 per year after Income Tax and National Insurance. That works out as £1,973 per month and £455 per week.
Kitchen porters start at minimum wage. Chefs typically earn £22,000–£30,000; head chefs £30,000–£50,000; executive chefs more.
Out of £28,000, you pay £3,086 in Income Tax and £1,234 in National Insurance. Your effective tax rate is 15.43%.
Frequently asked questions
What is the take-home pay for a Chef in the UK?
A Chef earning the typical salary of £28,000 takes home £23,680 per year after Income Tax (£3,086) and National Insurance (£1,234). The effective tax rate is 15.43%.
What will a Chef actually take home each month?
On a typical Chef salary of £28,000, your monthly take-home is £1,973 in 2025-26. Your gross monthly pay is £2,333 — deductions of Income Tax (£257/mo) and National Insurance (£103/mo) leave you £1,973/month. Pension contributions, if applicable, would reduce this further.
What is the hourly rate for a Chef?
A Chef on £28,000 per year earns approximately £12.14 per hour after tax, based on a 37.5-hour week over 52 weeks.
Why is a Chef take-home pay lower than the headline salary suggests?
On the typical Chef salary of £28,000, Income Tax costs £3,086/year and National Insurance costs £1,234/year — £4,320 in PAYE deductions. Add a typical 5–8% workplace pension contribution and any student loan repayments, and the gap between gross and net can feel significant. The effective tax rate (IT + NI only) is 15.43%.
What is a typical Chef salary in the UK?
The typical Chef salary in the UK is around £28,000, with the range spanning £20,000–£45,000 depending on experience, location, and sector. Kitchen porters start at minimum wage. Chefs typically earn £22,000–£30,000; head chefs £30,000–£50,000; executive chefs more.
Is £28,000 a good Chef salary?
At £28,000, a UK Chef salary sits within the typical range of £20,000–£45,000. After tax, you take home £23,680/year (£1,973/month, £12.14/hour), which is around the UK median take-home pay.