This is not a job offer
We don't offer jobs and we don't find work for you. We run a food hygiene course. Never pay anyone who promises you a job.
Short answer
- The Spanish name: ayudante de cocina. You also see auxiliar de cocina and pinche de cocina. Search job sites with these words.
- The pay: set by your province's hospitality collective agreement (convenio colectivo de hostelería). In the ads we read: 1,100 to 2,200 € gross a month, full time.
- The certificate: many ads say "carnet de manipulador de alimentos", as a must or a plus.
- The law: EU Regulation 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) says everyone who handles food at work must be trained in food hygiene, and the employer is responsible. Since Real Decreto 109/2010 there is no official card: a private trainer or the employer gives the certificate.
- The certificate doesn't guarantee a job. It shows you know the hygiene rules.
Kitchen assistant salary per month in real ads
Figures from ayudante de cocina ads on InfoJobs (November 2026). These are the ads' own numbers, not a promise:
| Place | What the ad says |
|---|---|
| Málaga | Kitchen assistant and dishwashing: 1,100-1,300 € gross a month |
| Madrid | Full time, permanent contract: 1,400-1,500 € gross a month |
| Benalmádena (Málaga) | Hotel, seasonal permanent contract (fijo discontinuo): 1,700-2,200 € gross a month |
| Barcelona | Permanent contract, at least 3 years' experience: 1,800-2,000 € gross a month |
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Málaga
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Madrid
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Benalmádena
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina con experiencia, Barcelona
Gross means before tax and social security (bruto). Ads change and disappear.
Pay for every restaurant job on one page: Spain restaurant jobs: salary for cook, waiter, bartender, dishwasher
What the ads ask for
Examples from ayudante de cocina ads on InfoJobs (November 2026):
| Place | What they wrote | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| San Fernando de Henares (Madrid) | No es necesaria experiencia previa. Disponer de carnet de manipulador de alimentos. | No experience needed, but the certificate is |
| Adeje (Tenerife) | Experiencia previa en cocina restaurantes/hoteles. Carné de manipulador de alimentos. | Kitchen experience, and the certificate |
Ads change and disappear. Each employer decides what it asks for.
What the job involves, in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| kitchen assistant | ayudante de cocina |
| dishwasher (the person) | friegaplatos |
| head chef | jefe de cocina |
| peel and cut vegetables | pelar y cortar verduras |
| prep before service | la mise en place / preparar |
| receive deliveries | recibir la mercancía |
| label with the date | etiquetar con fecha |
| clean and disinfect | limpiar y desinfectar |
| gross monthly salary | salario bruto mensual |
| Does it contain allergens? | ¿Lleva alérgenos? |
More: Dishwasher job in Spain · Cook and chef salary in Spain · Spain restaurant job: the food handler certificate
Questions people ask
What's the pay? It is set by each province's hospitality collective agreement (convenio colectivo de hostelería), so it varies by province, contract and hours. See the table above. We promise no job and no pay.
Little Spanish? Our lessons are in English, and every key word is in Spanish too, so you recognise it in the kitchen.
Who gives the certificate? Curso Sano, a private course, not a government body. Each employer decides whether to accept it.
How much? The 7 lessons and the test (21 questions, pass with 16) are free. Your certificate in Spanish, in your name: €11, once, after you pass.
Your certificate in Spanish, in your name: €11
The lessons and the test are free. Pass the test first. Then, if you want the certificate in your name, pay €11 once. Your delivery code is on the purchase page.
Private course, not official. Curso privado, no es un certificado oficial. Each employer decides whether to accept it.
Read the free lessonsPassed the test? Buy your certificate: €11
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