How much does a cook earn in Italy
2.008€/month net
≈ 33.200€/year gross (estimated) · 689 positions analysed
Restworld Observatory Report n.1 · updated April 2026 · Aprile 2024 - Marzo 2026
When people search for the cook salary in Italy, they usually mean the chef de partie: runs a station autonomously (meat, fish, starters, pastry) and supervises commis chefs. On Restworld it's the second most requested role in the sector with 689 positions analysed (14% of the dataset), and the hardest to fill: 34 applications per opening on average, less than half of a waiter. From here the career goes up to sous chef, head chef and kitchen manager.
Explore the career path
How salaries grow in the kitchen
Every step of the career with average salary and indicative years of experience. Numbers are averages on Restworld; years of experience are based on industry practice.
| Role | Experience | Net/month | Gross/year (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
Addetto cucinaFirst year | First year | 1.470€ | ≈ 23.600€ |
Aiuto cuoco1-3 years | 1-3 years | 1.586€ | ≈ 25.700€ |
Cuoco capo partita3-7 years | 3-7 years | 2.008€ | ≈ 33.200€ |
Sous chef5-10 years | 5-10 years | 2.261€ | ≈ 37.900€ |
Responsabile cucina10+ years | 10+ years | 2.410€+ | ≈ 40.200€+ |
How salaries spread across the sector
How a salary grows in the restaurant industry
Below, the distribution of all salaries across the entire Restworld dataset. P50 is the sector median; P90 is the top 10% best paid; P99 is the absolute peak.
| Percentile | Net/month | Gross/year (est.) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| P50 | 1.700€ | ≈ 27.400€ | La metà delle posizioni offre di più |
| P75 | 1.965€← Cook: average salary for the role | ≈ 32.300€ | Il 25% migliore del mercato |
| P90 | 2.250€ | ≈ 37.800€ | Il 10% più alto |
| P95 | 2.500€ | ≈ 41.200€ | Le posizioni premium |
| P99 | 3.000€ | ≈ 49.600€ | L'eccellenza del settore |
Where pay is higher
Numbers change by region and venue type
All salaries in the report, not only this role. The North-South gap on full-time positions is 82€/month; the difference between hotellerie and fast/casual is nearly 400€.
By region
| Area | Net/month | Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Nord | 1.836€ | 2.711 |
| Centro | 1.791€ | 1.008 |
| Sud e Isole | 1.754€ | 525 |
By venue type
| Type | Net/month | Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Hotellerie | 1.908€ | 645 |
| Ristorazione tradizionale | 1.779€ | 1.362 |
| Ristorazione formale | 1.754€ | 499 |
| Bar | 1.657€ | 820 |
| Pizza | 1.656€ | 613 |
| Fast/casual | 1.526€ | 209 |
Regional values include only full-time positions (40 hours/week) to avoid distortions from different part-time incidence. The Southern sample (525 FT positions) is significantly smaller than the Northern one (2,711).
Methodology and data perimeter
Transparency first. These numbers reflect what the regular and verified segment of the restaurant labour market on Restworld offers, not the entire industry in Italy.
- 1.Source: Restworld Observatory on Restaurants report, based on positions with declared salary published on the platform.
- 2.Months: all values are annual net divided by 12 (net monthly equivalent), to allow comparison across 12, 13 and 14-month contracts.
- 3.Gross estimates: net-to-gross conversion uses Tourism CCNL coefficients. Indicative margin of error of ±5%.
- 4.Geography: dataset is 64% North, 24% Centre, 12% South and Islands. Regional averages include only full-time positions, 40 hours/week.
- 5.Perimeter: data reflects the regular and verified segment of the restaurant labour market on Restworld, not the entire industry. Positions below legal minimums or irregular ones are excluded from the platform.
- 6.Years of experience: indicative, based on industry practice. Actual salary depends on city, venue type, contract, languages spoken, specific experience and seasonality.
- 7.These are average values. Individual salaries can be higher or lower. The percentiles on this page show how much higher than average the top of the market goes.
Find a cook job on Restworld
See open positions near you, on the map.
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