This is not a job offer
We don't offer jobs or find work for anyone. We run a food hygiene course. Never pay someone who promises you a job in exchange for money.
Short answer: minimum salary 2026
| How it is counted | Amount (gross) |
|---|---|
| Per month, paid 14 times a year | 1,221 EUR |
| Per month, spread over 12 payments | 1,424.50 EUR |
| Per year (full time) | 17,094 EUR |
| Per day | 40.70 EUR |
- 14 payments: 12 monthly salaries plus two extra payments (pagas extra), usually in summer and at Christmas.
- Per hour: the decree gives no single general hourly rate. Part-time work gets the minimum in proportion to the hours.
- Gross, not net: social security and income tax withholding (IRPF) come off first. They depend on your situation, so your payslip (nómina) shows the real net.
- In force from 1 January 2026.
Source: BOE: Real Decreto 126/2026, salario mínimo interprofesional para 2026 (articles 1 and 3)
Kitchen pay: what the ads say
Restaurant pay is set by each province's hospitality collective agreement (convenio colectivo de hostelería). These are InfoJobs ads from November 2026. They are the ads' own figures, not a promise:
| Job and place | Ad says (per month, gross) |
|---|---|
| Kitchen assistant (ayudante de cocina), Málaga | 1,100 to 1,300 EUR |
| Kitchen assistant, Madrid, full time | 1,400 to 1,500 EUR |
| Kitchen assistant, Benalmádena, hotel | 1,700 to 2,200 EUR |
| Kitchen assistant, Barcelona, 3 years' experience | 1,800 to 2,000 EUR |
| Dishwasher (friegaplatos), Chiclana, full time | 1,600 to 1,700 EUR |
| Dishwasher, Estepona, full time | 1,800 EUR or more |
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Málaga
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Madrid
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Benalmádena
- InfoJobs: Ayudante de cocina, Barcelona
- InfoJobs: Friegaplatos, Chiclana de la Frontera
- InfoJobs: Friegaplatos, Estepona
Ads change and close. Some spread the extra payments over 12 months, some don't. A full-time year can never pay less than the legal minimum.
Which certificate do kitchen jobs ask for?
Many ads say «carnet de manipulador de alimentos», required or preferred. EU Regulation 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) requires food hygiene training for anyone who handles food, and the employer is responsible. Since 2010 there is no official state card: private trainers or the employer issue the certificate.
Pay words in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| minimum wage | salario mínimo (SMI) |
| gross monthly pay | salario bruto mensual |
| net pay | salario neto |
| extra payments | pagas extra |
| payslip | nómina |
| full time / part time | jornada completa / media jornada |
| permanent contract | contrato indefinido |
Your certificate in Spanish, with your name: 11 EUR
The 7 lessons and the test (21 questions, pass at 16) are free, in English. Pass the test first, then pay 11 EUR once if you want the certificate with your name. Your delivery code (código de entrega) is on the purchase page.
A private course, not official. Curso privado, no es un certificado oficial. Each employer decides whether to accept it. A certificate is not a job guarantee.
Passed already? Buy your certificate: 11 EUR
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