Short answer: In Austria, the legal floor for winter 2026/27 is the hospitality collective agreement: from 1 October 2026, €2,096.50 gross per month for helpers and €2,232 for trained cooks and waiters (Tirol/Salzburg), plus pro-rata 13th and 14th salary. Job listings show waiters at €2,100–3,500 and cooks at €2,100–4,900 gross. France and Italy pay similar monthly amounts, usually with free housing.
Here is the full picture by country and role, so you know what to expect before you sign. The listing figures below come from a review of live seasonal job listings in Austria, France and Italy published by the Slovenian business outlet Finance.si in August 2026. They are examples from individual ads, not official statistics. For Austria we added the official minimum wages from the collective agreement.
Where are the winter jobs?
According to the Finance.si review, the heaviest winter hiring is in Austria, France, Finland, Norway and Italy, with smaller volumes in Switzerland and Spain. Many listings ask for EU citizenship or a valid work permit, at least one previous season, and often a driving licence. Guest-facing roles need English almost everywhere — plus German in Austria, French in France and Italian in Italy.
Expect a six-day week, split or peak-hour shifts, and work over Christmas, New Year and Easter. In SeasonHop's own analysis of 8,508 seasonal hospitality ads (summer 2026, one job portal), 33% mentioned English.
What is the minimum wage in Austria this winter?
Austria has no general statutory minimum wage. The minimum comes from the hospitality collective agreement (Kollektivvertrag, KV), which is binding for hotels and restaurants. From 1 October 2026 the wage tables rose by about 3% on average, and the lowest group by 3.48% (WKO). The old lowest wage of €2,026 no longer applies.
| Role | KV group | Minimum gross/month from 1 Oct 2026 (Tirol, Salzburg) |
|---|---|---|
| Housekeeper, kitchen helper, service helper (under 10 years' experience) | LG5 | €2,096.50 |
| Same helper jobs with 10+ years' experience | LG4 | €2,153 |
| Trained cook, trained waiter (finished apprenticeship or 3-year school) | LG3 | €2,232 |
| Receptionist (salaried staff) | BG3 | €2,330 |
| Chef de rang, chef de partie, bar manager | LG2 | €2,440 |
Sources: Tirol wage table, salaried staff table. Other Bundesländer have their own tables with some different amounts. For all groups, the €275 bonus and net estimates, see new Austrian hotel wages from October 2026.
What do Austrian listings pay by role?
Austrian listings in the review paid between €1,850 and €4,900 gross per month, depending on role and resort. Many offers are above the KV minimum, and most include free accommodation and meals. Basic German is the norm.
| Role | Gross/month in listings | Examples from listings (Finance.si review) |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter | €2,100–3,500 | Tirol resorts around €2,000–2,300; slope-side bar in Obertauern €2,100 net for breakfast service (about €3,000 gross); ski-bar service up to €2,500 net (about €3,500 gross) before tips; head waiter in a Salzburg hotel up to €3,500 gross |
| Cook | €2,100–4,900 | Tirol €2,165–3,300 gross; Kitzbühel around €2,900 net (about €4,200 gross); Ischgl €2,700–3,200 net (up to about €4,900 gross); Zell am See around €2,400 net |
| Receptionist | €2,200–3,000 | Ischgl listings up to €3,000 gross; German and English expected |
| Housekeeper | €2,000–2,700 | Salzburg and Tirol listings €1,900–2,050 net |
| Childcare / nanny | €20–30/hour via agencies | Live-in hotel role in Vorarlberg around €2,000 net (about €2,800 gross) |
| Ski instructor | €1,850–3,000 + tips | Katschberg from €1,850 gross; Brandnertal €2,750–3,000 gross, for about 125 working hours a month |
Note: these listings were collected before the new tables started on 1 October 2026. A hotel or restaurant covered by the KV may not pay less than the new table for your wage group (ski schools and childcare agencies have other rules). If an offer looks lower, ask the employer which wage group they use.
What do French listings pay?
French listings in the review paid about €1,950–3,500 gross per month for most hotel roles, often with free housing and meals. Overtime is paid with a premium: under the hotels-cafés-restaurants agreement (HCR), hours 36–39 are paid +10%, hours 40–43 +20%, and hours from the 44th +50% (Legisocial, HCR agreement).
| Role | Gross/month in listings | Examples from listings (Finance.si review) |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter | €2,000–3,000 + tips | Megève €2,200–2,250 with free housing and meals; head waiter in a hotel group €2,350–2,450; restaurant manager in Les Menuires €4,200–4,500 (English required); forum reports put tips at €800–2,000/month |
| Cook | €2,300–3,500 | Restaurants and pizzerias €2,300–2,500, hotels up to €2,700; head chef for up to 1,000 covers a day up to €3,100 |
| Receptionist | €2,000–2,500 | Les Deux Alpes €2,000–2,300 with free housing and meals; French required |
| Housekeeper | €1,950–2,200 | Head housekeeper managing 30–50 staff up to €2,450–2,542 |
| Childcare / nanny | €25–40/hour or about €2,500/month | €2,100–2,600 depending on the children's age; housing, food and transport covered |
| Chalet host | from €2,167 | Often about €1,500 net after deductions; cooking and cleaning for up to 15 guests |
| Ski instructor | €55–80/hour (mostly self-employed) | €9,000–20,000 per season; employed about €2,800 gross |
What do Italian listings pay?
Italian listings in the review paid about €1,500–3,600 gross per month, and many ads quote net pay instead of gross. Many employers add an end-of-season bonus. Housing and meals are usually included.
| Role | Pay in listings | Examples from listings (Finance.si review) |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter / bartender | €2,000–3,600 gross + tips | Livigno bartender €2,000–2,300 gross; Colfosco hotel €2,900–3,600 gross for experienced waiters with Italian and English (sommelier €3,400–4,000); near Toblach €1,800 net (about €2,800 gross); forum estimate for tips about €400/month |
| Cook | €2,500–3,500 gross | Corvara mountain hut, head chef with 5+ years from €3,500; sous-chef near Cortina d'Ampezzo €2,800–3,000 |
| Receptionist | €2,000–3,000 | Near Cortina €1,500–1,800 net (up to about €2,800 gross) with free housing; Livigno from €1,800 net with 4+ years' experience |
| Housekeeper | €1,500–2,100 gross | Livigno area €1,800–2,100 gross; Italian required |
| Ski instructor | €1,500–4,000/month | Mostly paid per lesson as self-employed |
Why is the number on the offer not your real income?
Gross salary alone does not tell you what you keep. Three things change the picture:
- Accommodation and meals. Most roles above include free staff housing and food. On live SeasonHop listings with staff housing (October 2026), 18 of 20 housing records were free; the 2 paid ones averaged €147.50 per month. Over a season, a free room easily makes a difference of several hundred euros.
- 13th and 14th salary in Austria. Austrian KV workers get pro-rata holiday and Christmas pay even on short contracts (WKO). See the 13th and 14th salary explained.
- Tips. Tips can add a lot in guest-facing roles, but they are rarely guaranteed and almost never in the contract. Read do seasonal workers get tips in Austria.
For a full calculation from gross to savings, see how much you can save in one winter season in Austria. Our estimate: about €8,400 for a housekeeper at the KV minimum with a free room, over 5 months.
How does this compare to Slovenia?
Slovenian tourism job ads rarely publish a salary, so a direct comparison is hard. The Finance.si review cited Slovenian national statistics with average monthly gross pay of roughly €1,505 for housekeepers, €1,619 for waiters, €1,786 for cooks, €2,056 for receptionists and €2,103 for childcare workers — below what the same roles pay abroad this winter, before counting free housing and meals.
FAQ
Are these figures gross or net?
Both appear. Austrian and French listings usually quote gross, Italian listings more often net. We labelled each figure. Always ask the employer which one the offer shows and what is deducted for housing.
Is €2,026 still the minimum in Austria?
No. €2,026 was the lowest KV wage before October 2026. From 1 October 2026 it is €2,096.50 gross in Tirol and Salzburg. It is a collective-agreement minimum, not a statutory minimum wage.
Is Austria really the best-paid option?
Often, mainly because of the 13th and 14th salary, not because the monthly wage is much higher. France's paid overtime and tips, or Italy's end-of-season bonuses, close the gap for some roles.
Do tips count as income?
In Austria, tips given voluntarily by guests are income-tax free. Plan your budget with the base wage and treat tips as extra.
Do I need the local language?
For guest-facing roles, usually yes: German in Austria, French in France, Italian in Italy. Kitchen and housekeeping jobs are more open to English speakers. Be honest about your level when you apply.
On SeasonHop, hotels show gross and net pay, housing and meals up front, so you can compare real offers instead of averages. See open seasonal jobs with housing.