The UK's Largest Salary Survey Revealed

Last week, KAM's MD, Katy Moses CBII had the pleasure of presenting some key insights from the?recently released UK's Largest Hospitality Salary Survey 2025,?at HRC .

The KAM report, in conjunction with Hospitality Jobs UK - More than just a jobs board.! and Access Hospitality spoke to?570 hospitality employees,?looks into?salary trends, job satisfaction, employee benefits, and the impact of technology on the?hospitality?workforce.

So what are the headlines?

Well, an increasing number of hospitality workers earn ï¿¡30,000 or less per year; in 2023, 30% of employees fell into this category, rising to 37% in 2024 and 46% in 2025.?Among full-time employees, early-career professionals (0-3 years of experience), a demographic that hospitality over-indexes in,?are most affected.?And, unfortunately, the?gender pay gap persists, with men?STILL?earning more than women?(rolls eyes), industry-wide.

Although the?life/work balance ratio has got dramatically better since pre-Covid, additional working hours are still a problem. In 2023, 43% of employees worked 8+ extra hours weekly- this dropped to 40% in 2024, but?is back up?to 47% in 2025, with a marked rise in those exceeding 16+ extra hours.?And these additional hours are very often not paid. As an industry, we MUST get better at rewarding our teams fairly and transparently.

What are the most important employee?benefits?(beyond salary)?

• Holiday entitlement
• Training and development
• Flexible hours
• Food and dining discounts
• Bonuses and tips
• Well-being initiatives
• Remote work opportunities

And are the robots coming for our jobs?

Not according to hospitality employees-?The survey found that?71% of employees view AI as a helpful tool, while?only?21% see it as a threat.?

Retention remains a challenge, with only 30% of employees feeling "very likely" to stay with their employer over the next 12 months.?Why do teams STAY in hospitality roles (outside of salary and benefits packages)? No surprise that the number one reason is “working with great people,” which is probably why?many hospitality workers still recommend the industry- 74% told us that they would recommend the industry to family and friends- I want to see this pass 80% next year!

You can download the full ‘Largest Salary Survey’ report here?(and it’s available on the KAM?Knowledge Hub?along with loads more free research!

Research Report | The Mid-Strength Opportunity

We've just launched new research into the growing "mid-strength" category in collaboration with? Club Soda ?&?the Mid-Strength Collective. This report explores the emerging category of mid-strength drinks: beers, ciders, wines and spirits with about half the alcohol content of standard drinks. Access it here.

Hospitality Talks | Dan Hawkie

Phenomenal tips and advice for publicans (& other hospitality businesses) in our latest Hospitality Talks with Dan Hawkie , Chief Commercial Officer at TiPJAR? , to help operators mitigate the impact of the upcoming employee cost increases.? Spoiler Alert Dan reveals a generous offer for licensees in the last few minutes! Watch in full here?(15 mins).

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Thanks to our Clients & Partners - Helping to keep Hospitality Informed: