Are waiters in Italy well paid?

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Pinguino

It depends A LOT on: is it a fixed salary? The work is permanent or seasonal? Anyway, a regular work (with all papers) is paid from 1,400 to 1,700 Euro (NOT including extra hours and tips), possibly more on places like a 5 stars hotel, etc.
In tourist resorts the only real difference is more chance to get a tip from foreign tourists, but that's all.
Remember (especially if you're from the US) than when talking about a regular job (I mean with all due papers) in Italy we're used to refer to *net salary* while in some Countries like the US is common talking about *gross salary*. This is really important and I know lot of both Italians and Americans that too easily forget it.

It's true in Italy tips are definitely not an habit, but waiters are definitively the workers whose more easily a tip is given. I'm sure you can met some stupid people giving a waiter a 20 cents tip, but usually something less than 5 Euro is considered even offensive, so if a person is not willing to give at least that amount, better no tips at all.
The only exception is paying what's due revised upwards and let the waiter keeping the change.

alessia

In Italy you have to go in a touristic place if you want to get good tips...

Al M

As others have said, people working in food service in Italy are not well paid and they don't even get much income from tips since this is something Italians just do not do under any circumstance. If they should be feeling particularly generous and do leave a tip, it's an almost derisory amount: maybe something like 20 cents on a bill of 20â‚¬.

If the reason for your question is that you're wondering if you can come to Italy to live for a while and find work here as a waiter, I advise you to think very carefully about this and gather as much information as you can before you commit yourself. In a nutshell, you might be able to do this, but you'd need to be lucky, persuasive (in Italian) and willing to accept a considerably lower standard of living from the one you probably enjoy now.

imamidnightlover

Tips are almost always included in the cost of the meal (by law this must be posted on the menu either way). Who knows if they acually make it to the server....

roger 21

No also if you speak five languages ! It is a season work !

Orange B

Hi!
No, generally waiters in Italy are not well paid. And in Italy you are not obliged to leave a tip to the waiter (sometimes it happens that customers leave a tip, but it doesn't happen very often.)
Bye!

Don

Even a head waiter has been on the job for many years and their pay is peanuts in compare to USA.

tolinrome

nothing in Italy is well paid, unless your the owner.
If you're looking to be a waiter there look in the touristic restaurants where the Americans go, then you'll get good tips.
In Italian culture they rarely leave tips and if they do it's like 50 cents or something.

Crilaw

Better paid in USA
In Italy not is as in USA for the tips, just if people want leave tips, and if they do that are very low...

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