Male head waiters earn 20% more than women
Male head waiters earn almost 20%, or £4,300 more per year, more than their female counterparts according to new analysis that shows women's salaries are lagging behind men in hospitality.
Analysis from The Change Group, London's largest recruitment company in the sector, showed that the gap existed despite the fact that women are increasingly dominating front of house roles.
A review of six years of data from the Office of National Statistics as well as the Change Group database of candidate registrations shows that while women hold seven out of 10 chef de rang or waiter positions, men are still paid around £1,150 more per annum than women.
While there are more female than male catering and bar managers (on average 56%), men hold more restaurant (67%) and pub manager (60%) roles. Women restaurant managers on average earn almost £3,500 less than men (10% less). The gap is narrower for bar managers where women earn on average around £600 less than men and female assistant bar managers are earning around £600 more than men.
In certain categories, women are marginally ahead of men. Women sommeliers registered with The Change Group are on average paid £827 more than men, and female floor managers are paid £670 more than men.
"Our analysis shows that while there isn't as straightforward a male/female divide as there once was, men are clearly still the winners front of house," said Craig Allen, founder and director of The Change Group. "Even in roles such as waitering, where women clearly dominate, men earn more money. We know that many restaurants and employers are addressing this situation but we all need to do more to ensure fair pay for all."
Earlier this year, ONS and Change Group figures showed that female chefs were still under-represented in top kitchens and earned on average £4,000 per year less than male chefs.
Recently a number of firms, notably in the foodservice sector, have endeavoured to take action on the issue, with Compass launching its Women in Food programme, designed to address the national shortage of female chefs in the industry.
Meanwhile, Carringtons Catering last week revealed that women make up 75% of its workforce.
‘Macho culture' is off-putting for female chefs, says new report >>Carringtons Catering champions women in hospitality >>
Viewpoint: Creating a gender-balanced workforce >>
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