Head cooks, or chefs, oversee a team of cooks, or kitchen workers, at establishments, such as restaurants or hotels. Individuals who take on these roles are normally skilled cooks who develop recipes and manage the kitchen staff.

As of 2010, the average head cook, or chef, earns a mean average wage of £29,107, which amounts to £13.90 per hour. The top 10 per cent of earners bring home an annual wage of £46,124, or £22.10 per hour. The lowest paid 10 per cent of head chefs earn an annual wage of just £15,119, or £7.20 per hour.

Head chefs in the London area are the best paid chefs in the United Kingdom. In this region, average head chef's wages amount to £51,883, or £24.90 per hour. The next best paid head chefs are in the City where average annual salaries amount to £41,281, or £19.8 per hour.

The best paid chefs in a non-metropolitan area are found in the south of England. Head cooks, or chefs, in this area earn an average annual wage of £42,211, or £20.2 per hour.

The soutern counties has the best paid head cooks, or chefs, as the average wage for these workers in that state amounts to £40,274, or £19.3 per hour.