Short answer: From 1 October 2026, the lowest hotel and restaurant wage in Austria (wage group 5, for helpers such as housekeepers and kitchen helpers) is €2,096.50 gross per month in Tirol and Salzburg, up 3.48%. Trained cooks and waiters start at €2,232. On top come pro-rata 13th and 14th salaries. Expect roughly €1,690–1,770 net per month at these minimums.
These amounts come from the hospitality collective agreement (Kollektivvertrag, KV). It is not a law passed by parliament. It is an agreement between employers and unions, and it is binding for the businesses in the hotel and gastronomy sections of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO). Below you find the new tables, which job sits in which group, and what you actually take home.
What changed in the 2026 wage deal?
The new KV raises minimum wages by about 3% on average from 1 October 2026, with a bigger rise for the lowest group. The road there was not smooth:
- 24 June 2026: talks between employers and the unions vida and GPA broke down. The employers had offered 3.4% for the lowest wage group and 3% on average; the union called it "disrespectful" (ORF).
- 18 August 2026: both sides announced a deal for about 250,000 employees (ORF).
- 1 October 2026: new wages apply. According to WKO, wages rise by 3% on average, wage group 5 by 3.48% and apprentice pay by 3.44%.
Before October, the lowest wage group was €2,026 gross. That is the number you may still see in older articles and job ads.
How much do housekeepers, cooks and waiters earn from October 2026?
In Tirol and Salzburg, the new minimum monthly wages for workers (Arbeiter) are €2,096.50 to €2,713 gross, depending on your wage group (Lohngruppe). The table shows the starting level (up to your 5th year with the same employer) from the official Tirol and Salzburg tables. Both tables have the same amounts.
| Wage group | Typical jobs (examples from the KV) | Gross/month from 1 Oct 2026 (Tirol, Salzburg) | Approx. net/month* |
|---|---|---|---|
| LG5 | Housekeeping worker, kitchen helper, dishwasher, service helper, house worker (less than 10 years in hospitality) | €2,096.50 (€2,148.90 from 6th year) | ~€1,693 |
| LG4 | Same helper jobs with 10+ years in hospitality, or people who finished an apprenticeship/school but failed the final exam | €2,153 | ~€1,731 |
| LG3 | Trained skilled worker: cook (Koch/Köchin), restaurant specialist (Restaurantfachmann/-frau, i.e. trained waiter), chef de rang with less responsibility, pastry chef | €2,232 | ~€1,764 |
| LG2 | Chef de rang, chef de partie, sous-chef, bar manager, head of housekeeping | €2,440 | ~€1,869 |
| LG1 | Restaurant manager, head chef | €2,713 | ~€2,009 |
| Apprentices | Year 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | €1,090 / €1,220 / €1,445 / €1,550 | – |
*Net = our estimate for a single person without children, full-time, Tirol or Salzburg, 2026 rules, no overtime and no taxable room/meals. See the method below.
Receptionists are usually employed as salaried staff (Angestellte), with a separate table. In Salzburg, Tirol and Vorarlberg, a receptionist (Rezeptionist/in) is in salary group 3 at €2,330 gross from 1 October 2026 (WKO salary tables).
Two allowances are fixed in the same tables: a foreign language allowance of €40 per month and a night work supplement of up to €28.50 per night for work between midnight and 6:00.
Which wage group am I in?
Your wage group depends on your training and your experience, not only on your job title. The KV text (Salzburg table) defines the groups like this:
- LG3 needs a finished apprenticeship in the field (Lehrabschluss) or a completed vocational school of at least 3 years. A cook or waiter without such a qualification is often placed in LG5 as a helper.
- LG4 is for helpers with at least 10 years of hospitality experience, or people who did the full apprenticeship or school but did not pass the final exam.
- LG5 is for helpers with less than 10 years in hospitality.
If you trained as a cook or waiter in your home country, ask the employer in writing which wage group they will use and why. Foreign diplomas are not listed by name in the KV. If you think the group is wrong, act quickly: the tables say that claims about a wrong wage group expire after six months if you do not raise them in writing.
Do the tables differ by Bundesland?
Yes. Each Bundesland has its own wage table. The lowest groups (LG4, LG5) are the same across the tables we checked, but higher groups differ. Example: in Upper Austria a trained cook (LG3) starts at €2,304, while in Tirol and Salzburg it is €2,232 (Upper Austria table). We used the Tirol and Salzburg tables because most winter jobs are there. Vienna and other states have their own tables — check the one for the state where your hotel is.
Remember: these are minimums. Many Alpine hotels pay more, especially for cooks and experienced service staff. Our wage overview for winter 2026/27 shows ranges from real job listings.
Who gets the €275 one-off bonus?
Only people who were already employed on 1 October 2026 get the bonus, so most winter seasonal workers who start in November or December will not receive it. Under the deal, employees get up to €275 gross and apprentices up to €175, paid by 31 December 2026 (WKO).
The bonus can be reduced or not paid, for example:
- if you started after 1 May 2026,
- if you work part-time (reduced pro-rata),
- if you are in marginal employment (geringfügig),
- for periods of unpaid leave, or if you already received higher overpayments in the previous five months,
- if the amount would be €10 or less.
The WKO currently advises employers not to pay it as a tax-free premium until the Ministry of Finance clarifies the tax rules, so treat it as normal taxed income for now.
Do I still get a 13th and 14th salary?
Yes. The KV gives holiday pay (Urlaubsgeld) and Christmas pay (Weihnachtsgeld). If you work less than a full year — like a seasonal worker — you get the pro-rata share for the time you worked (WKO explanation). For a 5-month season this is about 10/12 of one monthly wage — for LG5 roughly €1,750 gross.
Two conditions matter for workers (Arbeiter): you get it after the probation period, and you can lose it if you are dismissed for a serious reason or quit early without a valid reason. Details are in our post on the 13th and 14th salary.
These payments are taxed at a low rate: the first €620 per year is tax-free, the rest usually at 6% (AK, Meine Lohnabrechnung 2026).
How did we estimate net pay?
We used the official 2026 rates published by the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) in Meine Lohnabrechnung 2026, which uses the same tax table as the Ministry of Finance's Brutto-Netto-Rechner:
- Social insurance (employee share): normally 18.07% outside Vienna. People with lower pay pay less unemployment insurance: 15.12% up to €2,225 gross, 16.12% up to €2,427, 17.12% up to €2,630.
- Wage tax: monthly tax table 2026 applied to gross minus social insurance (0% up to €1,139.25 per month, then 20%, then 30%).
Example LG5: €2,096.50 − €316.99 social insurance − €86.72 wage tax = €1,692.79 net.
Your real net can differ: overtime, night supplements, a taxable room or meals (Sachbezug), the tip flat rate for social insurance, a commuter allowance or children all change it. For your own number, use the BMF Brutto-Netto-Rechner.
Important for January 2027: the lower unemployment-insurance rate for low earners is being phased out. Under the budget law BGBl. I 62/2026, the 0% rate becomes 0.5% in 2027 for jobs that already exist on 31 December 2026, and 1% for jobs that start in 2027. For an LG5 worker this means about €8–17 less net per month.
Is overtime still tax-free in 2026 and 2027?
Partly. In 2026, the 50% overtime supplements for the first 15 overtime hours per month are tax-free, up to €170 per month. From 1 January 2027, this falls to 10 hours and €120 (Forvis Mazars; law: BGBl. I 4/2026).
Only the supplement is tax-free, not the overtime hour itself. If you work a lot of overtime in winter, your net per hour will be a little lower from January 2027 than in December 2026. We show the effect in euros in our guide how much you can save in one winter season.
FAQ
What is the minimum wage for hotel workers in Austria in 2026?
Austria has no general statutory minimum wage. The hospitality collective agreement sets the minimum: from 1 October 2026, €2,096.50 gross per month for helpers (LG5) in Tirol and Salzburg, plus pro-rata 13th and 14th salary.
Is the KV wage gross or net?
Gross. At the LG5 minimum, a single full-time worker takes home about €1,690 per month in 2026 after social insurance and wage tax, by our estimate.
Does the KV apply to seasonal workers from abroad?
Yes. The KV applies to all workers in member hotels and restaurants, whatever their nationality or contract length. For non-EU seasonal permits, the employer must also commit to these wage conditions.
Will I get the €275 bonus if I start in December 2026?
Most likely not. The bonus is for people employed on 1 October 2026, and people who started after 1 May 2026 are excluded or get a reduced amount.
I am a trained cook from abroad. Am I LG3?
LG3 requires a finished apprenticeship or a 3-year vocational school. Foreign diplomas are not named in the KV, so ask the employer to confirm your wage group in the contract before you sign.
Are tips included in the KV wage?
No. Tips are extra. They are income-tax free if guests give them voluntarily, but social insurance is charged on a flat monthly amount (€65 in 2026 for staff who take payments). The KV wage must be paid in full.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change — check with AMS, the Chamber of Labour (AK) or your employer before you act.
On SeasonHop, hotels show the gross pay, the net estimate, housing and meals before you apply, so you can compare offers with the KV minimum. See open seasonal jobs with housing.