Catering Manager: career path and pay in the UK
Where a Catering Manager goes next, what each step typically pays in the United Kingdom, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 3 steps, from Catering Manager to Director of Catering / VP of Catering.
Also for the United States: Catering Manager in the US
The path
Step 1 · 3 to 7 years
Catering Manager
£25K to £40K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Catering Management Certification (optional) - Global, Food Safety Certification (required) - Global, Event Management Certification (optional) - Global, Hospitality Management NVQ Level 3 (optional) - UK/EU.
Step 2 · 7 to 12 years
Senior Catering Manager / Director of Catering
£30K to £45K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Catering Management Certification - Global, Food Safety Certification - Global, Event Management Certification - Global, Hospitality Management NVQ Level 4 - UK/EU.
Step 3 · 12+ years
Director of Catering / VP of Catering
£35K to £55K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Catering Management Certification - Global, Food Safety Certification - Global, Event Management Certification - Global, Hospitality Management NVQ Level 5 - UK/EU.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
24% → 24%
Stays level across the path. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
£25K to £40K → £35K to £55K
UK estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK. No UK estimate was found for Head of Catering; this band is placed between the neighbouring steps.
What the work involves
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Food Production
- English Language
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Sales and Marketing
Education people bring
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 30%
- Post-Secondary Certificate: 21%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree: 19%
Job Zone 2, job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Other paths from here
- Event Coordinator
- Restaurant Manager
- Food & Beverage Director
- Catering Business Owner
More Retail/Hospitality paths in the UK
Related occupations in O*NET: Chefs and Head Cooks, First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, Cooks, Restaurant, Cooks, Private Household.
Your own role
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SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK, UK national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor UK, Indeed UK and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to £5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.