Female front of house staff paid up to 20% less than men

Female front of house staff are being paid up to 20% less than men, despite increasingly dominating front of house roles within the hospitality industry.

New analysis from recruitment firm The Change Group found that while women hold seven out of 10 waiter positions in the sector, men are still paid around £1,150 more per year than women.

The research found head waitresses earn almost 20%, or £4,300 less per year, than their male counterparts.

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 (10%) less than men.

The gap is narrower for bar managers where women earn on average around £600 per year less than men, and female assistant bar managers earn around £600 more than men.

Women are ahead of men in some categories. Women sommeliers registered with The Change Group are on average paid £827 more than men and female floor managers are paid £670 more.

Craig Allen, co-founder and director of the firm, said: “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.

“Even in a role such as chef de rang [waiter], 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.”