Caterer.com, the UK’s leading dedicated jobs board for the Scottish hospitality and catering sectors, has released the latest employment trends for June-August 2025. Despite periodic tremors in the hospitality market, the figures paint an encouraging picture overall, with steady growth across the summer months of June, July and August.
OVERALL JOB MARKET TRENDS SCOTLAND JUNE TO AUGUST
- Total job postings (June–August): 8,436
- June: 2,576
- July: 2,926
- August: 2,934
- The market showed steady growth across the three months, with August peaking slightly above July
- Glasgow is the most competitive market for employers, while Alness dominated in job posting volume, despite fewer advertisers
TOP ROLES IN DEMAND…
By Number of Advertisers:
- Kitchen Porter (170)
- Kitchen Assistant (152)
- Chef de Partie (151)
- Chef (151)
- Housekeeper (121)
By Number of Job Postings:
- Chef (419)
- Catering Assistant (417)
- Kitchen Porter (345)
- Chef de Partie (310)
- Kitchen Assistant (285)
- Barista (277)
Demand is highest for chefs and catering assistants, while operational support roles including porters and kitchen assistants remain consistently advertised.
SALARIES (MIDPOINT VS UK AVERAGE)
- Chef: £30,400 (↑ above UK avg £28,905)
- Kitchen Porter: £26,404 (≈ in line with UK avg £26,280)
- Kitchen Assistant: £26,241 (slightly ↓ UK avg £26,366)
- Chef de Partie: £30,641 (≈ in line with UK avg £30,547)
- Barista: £26,962 (≈ in line with UK avg £26,944)
- Head Chef: £38,805 (↓ below UK avg £40,666)
- Bar Staff: £25,950 (slightly ↓ UK avg £26,084)
- Front of House: £27,088 (↑ above UK avg £26,660)
- Waiter/Waitress: £26,484 (↓ below UK avg £29,235)
Salaries in Scotland are generally competitive and inline with the UK average, with chef roles slightly above. However, head chef and waiter/waitress positions saw a fall north of the Border, below UK benchmarks.
AT A GLANCE:
- Growth: Job postings rose steadily throughout summer, suggesting rising seasonal demand
- Regional hotspots: Alness and Glasgow lead the market but Glasgow has far more employers competing for talent
- Role demand: Strong need for chefs, catering assistants, and porters, highlighting continued pressure on back-of-house staffing
- Pay trends: Scotland offers slightly better salaries for core chef roles, but leadership (Head Chef) and service (Waiter/Waitress) pay lags behind the UK average
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