Average Cooks Salary in Leeds
ONS ASHE 2025 · Yorkshire and The Humber region · Updated October 2025
How Leeds compares
The numbers for 2025 show that a typical cooks in the Yorkshire and The Humber earned £19,373. Compared to the UK median of £17,885, that's 8.3% above. In practical terms, living costs in the Yorkshire and The Humber run 9.5% below average. That means £19,373 stretches to roughly £21,407 in real spending power. Compared to the Leeds average across all roles (£32,953), cookss take home 41.2% less.
Cost of Living Adjustment
After adjusting for the regional cost of living (Yorkshire and The Humber index: 90.5, UK=100), a salary of £19,373 has an effective purchasing power of approximately £21,407 — equivalent to earning that amount in an area with average UK costs. The cost of living in the Yorkshire and The Humber is 9.5% below the UK average.
Cooks salary across UK regions
Cooks salary in areas near Leeds
Salary data is by ONS region. Leeds is in the Yorkshire and The Humber region. Below are neighbouring regions — click to explore salaries there.
Cooks Salary Guide
The full salary guide includes regional breakdowns, cost-of-living adjustments, year-on-year trends, and in-depth FAQs.
Read the full Cooks salary guide →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cooks salary in Leeds?
The median cooks salary in the Yorkshire and The Humber (which includes Leeds) is £19,373 per year, based on ONS ASHE 2025 data. The mean salary is typically higher due to top earners pulling the average up.
How does cooks pay in Leeds compare to the UK average?
Cooks in the Yorkshire and The Humber earn 8.3% above the national median of £17,885. This makes the Yorkshire and The Humber one of the higher-paying regions for this role.
Is cooks a well-paid job in Leeds compared to other roles?
The average salary across all jobs in Leeds is £32,953. Cooks in the Yorkshire and The Humber earn £19,373, which is 41.2% below the local average across all occupations.
About this data
Salary figures for cookss cover the Yorkshire and The Humber region. The all-jobs average is specific to Leeds. Source: ONS ASHE 2025. Methodology.