Chefs: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)
Chefs is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 3434) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.
- Chef
- Executive chef
- Head chef
- Pastry chef
- Saucier
- Sous-chef
Latest chefs job ads
Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).
Germany
1,145 open ads- Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
Restaurant LEOPOLD am SEE · Lindau (Bodensee) · Posted 2026-10-15 - Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
refueat Food Production GmbH · Schönefeld bei Berlin · Posted 2026-10-15 - Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
Kaiser & Krawall · Duisburg · Posted 2026-10-15 - Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
Wildbad Rothenburg GmbH · Rothenburg ob der Tauber · Posted 2026-10-15 - Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
Hotel bora GmbH & Co KG · Radolfzell am Bodensee · Posted 2026-10-15 - Head chef
German title: Küchenchef
Barfüßer Hausbrauerei - Singen · Singen (Hohentwiel) · Posted 2026-10-15
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany
Sweden
70 open ads- Curator of M/S Eckerö
Swedish title: Intendent till M/S Eckerö
Rederi Eckerö Sverige AB · Norrtälje · Posted 2026-10-15 - Chef The Sparrow Hotel
Swedish title: Köksmästare The Sparrow Hotel
The Sparrow Hotel AB · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-14 - Deputy Manager The Sparrow Hotel
Swedish title: Souschef The Sparrow Hotel
The Sparrow Hotel AB · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-14 - Sous chef
Swedish title: Souschef
Göteborgsfamiljen AB · Göteborg · Posted 2026-10-14 - Diet coordinator - the elderly care's new diet unit, Hägersten-Älvsjö sdf
Swedish title: Kostsamordnare - äldreomsorgens nya kostenhet, Hägersten-Älvsjö sdf
Stockholms kommun · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-14 - Chef for Ski Lodge in Tänndalen
Swedish title: Köksmästare till Ski Lodge i Tänndalen
Tänndalens Fjällanläggning AB · Härjedalen · Posted 2026-10-13
Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden
Where chefs are needed in Europe
| Country | EURES 2025 | Average gross pay, all technicians and associate professionals (2022) | 1-bed rent in the capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Shortage | €3,816 a month * | Vienna: €1,250 |
| Bulgaria | Shortage | €966 a month | Sofia: €650 |
| Croatia | Shortage | €1,543 a month * | Zagreb: €1,050 |
| Cyprus | Shortage | €2,095 a month | Nicosia: €750 |
| Czechia | Shortage | €1,724 a month | Prague: €1,250 |
| France | Shortage | €2,918 a month * | Paris: €1,550 |
| Germany | Shortage | €3,856 a month | Berlin: €1,350 |
| Greece | Shortage | €1,682 a month * | Athens: €1,150 |
| Ireland | Shortage | €4,667 a month | Dublin: €2,000 |
| Luxembourg | Shortage | €5,642 a month * | Luxembourg: €1,900 |
| Netherlands | Shortage | €3,769 a month | Not yet verified |
| Slovenia | Shortage | €2,149 a month | Ljubljana: €950 |
| Sweden | Shortage | €3,915 a month * | Stockholm: €2,100 |
| Belgium | Shortage and surplus | €4,368 a month * | Brussels: €1,150 |
| Finland | Shortage and surplus | €3,684 a month * | Helsinki: €1,150 |
| Portugal | Shortage and surplus | €1,723 a month * | Lisbon: €1,400 |
| Latvia | Surplus | €1,618 a month | Riga: €870 |
Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all technicians and associate professionals in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for chefs alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.
What chefs do
Chefs design menus, create dishes and oversee the planning, organization preparation and cooking of meals in hotels, restaurants and other eating places, on board ships, on passenger trains and in private households.
Typical tasks
- Planning and developing recipes and menus, estimating food and labour costs, and ordering food supplies
- Monitoring quality of dishes at all stages of preparation and presentation
- Discussing food preparation issues with managers, dieticians, kitchen and waiting staff
- Supervising and coordinating the activities of cooks and other workers engaged in food preparation
- Inspecting supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformity to established standards
- Determining how food should be presented, and creating decorative food displays
- Instructing cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing and presentation of food
- Participating on the recruitment of kitchen staff and monitoring their performance
- Preparing, seasoning and cooking speciality foods and complex dishes
- Explaining and enforcing hygiene and food safety regulations
Finding chefs jobs in Europe
- EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Chef".
- Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
- If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.
Cost of living where the jobs are
Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:
About this data
- Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
- Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
- Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group.
- Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.