Average Culinary Assistant Salary in Mexico for 2026
A culinary assistant in Mexico earns about 116,420 MXN a year. That's 71% below the national average of 398,300 MXN.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Mexico sit around 53,840 MXN a year, while the very top stretches to 183,700 MXN. Everything on this page is in Mexican peso (MXN, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Mexico, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a culinary assistant make in Mexico?
A typical culinary assistant working in Mexico brings home around 9,701 MXN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 53,840 MXN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 183,700 MXN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior culinary assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How culinary assistant pay ranges in Mexico
A good way to think about salary in Mexico is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all culinary assistants in Mexico earn less than 124,400 MXN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 78,120 MXN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 168,100 MXN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of culinary assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 53,840 MXN. The highest stretch to 183,700 MXN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Culinary assistant pay by experience in Mexico
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a culinary assistant in Mexico, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical culinary assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years58,440 MXN
- 2-5 Years+38% from previous80,800 MXN
- 5-10 Years+47% from previous119,020 MXN
- 10-15 Years+23% from previous146,200 MXN
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous159,100 MXN
- 20+ Years+8% from previous172,200 MXN
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a culinary assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Culinary assistant pay by education in Mexico
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving culinary assistant pay in Mexico. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average culinary assistant salary in Mexico broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School69,060 MXN
- Certificate or Diploma+97% from previous136,200 MXN
Culinary assistant gender pay gap in Mexico
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Mexico is no exception. Male culinary assistants in Mexico earn an average of 125,100 MXN a year, while female culinary assistants earn around 106,780 MXN. That works out to a 17% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Culinary Assistant gender pay gap
15%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Mexico.
Pay raises for a culinary assistant in Mexico
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Mexico sees a raise of about 9% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 6% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Mexico, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Mexico:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel2%
- Construction
- Education1%
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Culinary assistant bonus rates in Mexico
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
32% of culinary assistants in Mexico reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a culinary assistant a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 68% of culinary assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Mexico
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Culinary assistant: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Mexico is about 8% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
8%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Mexico on average.
Culinary assistant salary by city in Mexico
Culinary assistant pay is not even across Mexico. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Puebla
- Ecatepec de Morelos
- Nezahualcoyotl
- Culiacan
- Naucalpan
- Mexicali
- Monterrey
- Guadalajara
- Chihuahua
- Mexico City
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puebla | City | 152,100 MXN | 161,600 MXN | 67,800-239,000 MXN |
| Ecatepec de Morelos | City | 151,800 MXN | 161,300 MXN | 68,400-238,900 MXN |
| Nezahualcoyotl | City | 148,300 MXN | 159,100 MXN | 65,920-232,400 MXN |
| Culiacan | City | 148,300 MXN | 159,100 MXN | 67,360-232,400 MXN |
| Naucalpan | City | 148,300 MXN | 159,400 MXN | 67,300-233,600 MXN |
| Mexicali | City | 146,200 MXN | 157,600 MXN | 66,100-231,000 MXN |
| Monterrey | City | 146,200 MXN | 158,700 MXN | 67,020-231,000 MXN |
| Guadalajara | City | 143,200 MXN | 152,300 MXN | 66,940-228,500 MXN |
| Chihuahua | City | 143,200 MXN | 152,300 MXN | 64,920-228,500 MXN |
| Mexico City | City | 142,300 MXN | 152,000 MXN | 65,940-225,700 MXN |
| Zapopan | City | 142,300 MXN | 152,000 MXN | 65,940-225,700 MXN |
| Tijuana | City | 142,300 MXN | 154,700 MXN | 66,440-228,000 MXN |
| Chimalhuacan | City | 139,100 MXN | 151,800 MXN | 64,300-221,500 MXN |
| Leon | City | 138,800 MXN | 152,100 MXN | 63,040-221,500 MXN |
| Hermosillo | City | 138,800 MXN | 152,100 MXN | 66,020-222,300 MXN |
| Torreon | City | 138,800 MXN | 152,000 MXN | 64,180-221,500 MXN |
| Tlalnepantla de Baz | City | 138,800 MXN | 152,100 MXN | 63,040-221,500 MXN |
| Acapulco | City | 138,800 MXN | 152,100 MXN | 66,020-222,300 MXN |
| Guadalupe | City | 138,200 MXN | 151,800 MXN | 64,560-218,900 MXN |
| Aguascalientes | City | 138,200 MXN | 151,800 MXN | 64,640-218,900 MXN |
| Tuxtla Gutierrez | City | 137,400 MXN | 148,300 MXN | 63,500-217,900 MXN |
| Durango | City | 136,200 MXN | 148,300 MXN | 63,700-215,100 MXN |
| Queretaro | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 63,380-212,500 MXN |
| Saltillo | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 63,380-212,500 MXN |
| Matamoros | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 60,600-212,500 MXN |
| Tlaquepaque | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 62,060-210,500 MXN |
| San Luis Potosi | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 60,600-212,500 MXN |
| Merida | City | 136,100 MXN | 146,200 MXN | 60,600-212,500 MXN |
| Cancun | City | 130,400 MXN | 142,300 MXN | 58,800-208,600 MXN |
| Ciudad Lopez Mateos | City | 130,400 MXN | 143,200 MXN | 60,160-209,700 MXN |
| Tonala | City | 129,000 MXN | 138,200 MXN | 57,860-205,700 MXN |
| Morelia | City | 128,900 MXN | 142,300 MXN | 58,720-207,700 MXN |
| Cuautitlan Izcalli | City | 128,900 MXN | 138,800 MXN | 61,400-207,700 MXN |
| Reynosa | City | 128,900 MXN | 138,800 MXN | 61,400-207,700 MXN |
| Villahermosa | City | 128,900 MXN | 138,800 MXN | 61,180-207,700 MXN |
| Ciudad Apodaca | City | 128,500 MXN | 138,800 MXN | 61,460-207,800 MXN |
| Nuevo Laredo | City | 128,500 MXN | 138,200 MXN | 57,820-204,000 MXN |
| Toluca | City | 127,700 MXN | 136,200 MXN | 59,240-200,000 MXN |
| Celaya | City | 127,700 MXN | 136,200 MXN | 59,240-200,000 MXN |
| Veracruz | City | 127,700 MXN | 136,200 MXN | 59,240-197,600 MXN |
| Tepic | City | 125,700 MXN | 137,400 MXN | 59,000-201,100 MXN |
| Ensenada | City | 125,100 MXN | 134,600 MXN | 57,900-195,200 MXN |
| General Escobedo | City | 125,100 MXN | 134,600 MXN | 57,080-195,200 MXN |
| Ciudad Obregon | City | 124,400 MXN | 136,100 MXN | 55,820-197,600 MXN |
| Irapuato | City | 124,400 MXN | 136,200 MXN | 57,800-197,600 MXN |
| San Nicolas de los Garza | City | 123,400 MXN | 130,400 MXN | 58,200-194,600 MXN |
| Cuernavaca | City | 123,400 MXN | 130,400 MXN | 58,200-196,800 MXN |
| Mazatlan | City | 123,400 MXN | 130,400 MXN | 54,560-194,600 MXN |
| Xalapa | City | 123,400 MXN | 130,400 MXN | 55,580-194,600 MXN |
| Coacalco | City | 119,700 MXN | 128,500 MXN | 56,100-192,000 MXN |
| Ciudad Santa Catarina | City | 119,500 MXN | 125,700 MXN | 55,220-187,300 MXN |
| Villa Nicolas Romero | City | 118,520 MXN | 128,500 MXN | 56,060-190,500 MXN |
| Tampico | City | 118,260 MXN | 125,700 MXN | 52,300-187,500 MXN |
| Uruapan | City | 117,440 MXN | 129,000 MXN | 53,320-190,500 MXN |
| Soledad de Graciano Sanchez | City | 116,960 MXN | 124,400 MXN | 53,660-183,700 MXN |
| Xico | City | 116,780 MXN | 129,000 MXN | 54,700-189,300 MXN |
| Ixtapaluca | City | 116,420 MXN | 124,400 MXN | 53,840-183,700 MXN |
| Los Reyes la Paz | City | 115,640 MXN | 124,400 MXN | 51,900-185,100 MXN |
| Monclova | City | 115,560 MXN | 123,400 MXN | 50,620-181,600 MXN |
| Ciudad Victoria | City | 115,260 MXN | 127,700 MXN | 51,900-185,100 MXN |
| Gomez Palacio | City | 114,820 MXN | 123,400 MXN | 53,600-180,500 MXN |
| Los Mochis | City | 112,620 MXN | 119,900 MXN | 53,120-180,300 MXN |
| Tehuacan | City | 112,560 MXN | 119,900 MXN | 52,180-175,900 MXN |
| La Paz | City | 112,180 MXN | 125,100 MXN | 50,540-181,600 MXN |
| Pachuca | City | 111,240 MXN | 119,900 MXN | 53,120-180,300 MXN |
| Oaxaca | City | 111,240 MXN | 118,800 MXN | 49,200-172,200 MXN |
| Ojo de Agua | City | 110,120 MXN | 119,560 MXN | 51,080-172,200 MXN |
| Metepec | City | 109,720 MXN | 119,080 MXN | 50,980-174,000 MXN |
| Campeche | City | 108,800 MXN | 117,440 MXN | 50,020-172,400 MXN |
| Buenavista | City | 108,320 MXN | 117,660 MXN | 50,080-172,200 MXN |
| Ciudad del Carmen | City | 108,120 MXN | 113,740 MXN | 48,560-169,000 MXN |
| Acuna | City | 107,960 MXN | 115,600 MXN | 48,300-172,400 MXN |
| Coatzacoalcos | City | 107,680 MXN | 113,700 MXN | 48,640-169,000 MXN |
| Tapachula | City | 107,320 MXN | 115,260 MXN | 48,940-172,200 MXN |
| Poza Rica | City | 106,980 MXN | 117,440 MXN | 50,020-172,400 MXN |
| San Pablo de las Salinas | City | 105,980 MXN | 112,660 MXN | 47,400-164,200 MXN |
| Puerto Vallarta | City | 104,140 MXN | 115,260 MXN | 48,920-167,100 MXN |
| Chilpancingo | City | 103,600 MXN | 109,460 MXN | 48,820-161,300 MXN |
| Nogales | City | 103,260 MXN | 111,240 MXN | 47,580-164,200 MXN |
| San Cristobal de las Casas | City | 102,720 MXN | 110,380 MXN | 48,820-161,300 MXN |
| Piedras Negras | City | 102,720 MXN | 110,380 MXN | 48,140-161,300 MXN |
| Chicoloapan | City | 102,160 MXN | 109,340 MXN | 45,600-161,600 MXN |
| Salamanca | City | 102,160 MXN | 111,920 MXN | 45,600-161,600 MXN |
| Ciudad Juarez | City | 101,960 MXN | 110,340 MXN | 46,040-163,800 MXN |
| Colima | City | 101,920 MXN | 107,960 MXN | 45,000-159,400 MXN |
| San Luis Rio Colorado | City | 101,920 MXN | 107,960 MXN | 45,000-159,400 MXN |
| Cholula de Rivadabia | City | 101,920 MXN | 109,740 MXN | 47,180-159,400 MXN |
| Chalco | City | 99,560 MXN | 107,680 MXN | 46,840-157,600 MXN |
| Cuautla | City | 97,300 MXN | 107,820 MXN | 43,800-158,700 MXN |
| Chetumal | City | 96,540 MXN | 103,900 MXN | 43,080-152,100 MXN |
| Cordoba | City | 96,520 MXN | 105,620 MXN | 42,960-154,700 MXN |
| Jiutepec | City | 96,500 MXN | 105,980 MXN | 45,600-152,300 MXN |
| Boca del Rio | City | 96,340 MXN | 102,380 MXN | 44,140-151,800 MXN |
| Delicias | City | 96,220 MXN | 104,080 MXN | 43,080-152,100 MXN |
| Ciudad Valles | City | 96,180 MXN | 102,960 MXN | 44,540-154,700 MXN |
| Zamora de Hidalgo | City | 95,980 MXN | 103,580 MXN | 46,280-154,700 MXN |
| San Juan del Rio | City | 95,720 MXN | 104,900 MXN | 44,720-152,300 MXN |
| Zacatecas | City | 93,280 MXN | 101,920 MXN | 43,220-148,300 MXN |
| Guaymas | City | 93,280 MXN | 101,920 MXN | 43,220-148,300 MXN |
| Iguala | City | 92,880 MXN | 98,120 MXN | 44,180-148,300 MXN |
| Playa del Carmen | City | 92,500 MXN | 101,840 MXN | 43,340-148,300 MXN |
| Orizaba | City | 89,800 MXN | 96,980 MXN | 41,660-138,800 MXN |
| Fresnillo | City | 89,340 MXN | 99,560 MXN | 41,560-142,300 MXN |
| Manzanillo | City | 87,760 MXN | 97,060 MXN | 40,040-142,300 MXN |
| Navojoa | City | 87,520 MXN | 93,780 MXN | 38,340-139,100 MXN |
| Hidalgo del Parral | City | 87,060 MXN | 96,540 MXN | 42,040-138,800 MXN |
| San Pedro Garza Garcia | City | 85,760 MXN | 95,620 MXN | 39,560-139,100 MXN |
| Minatitlan | City | 84,580 MXN | 92,720 MXN | 38,620-137,400 MXN |
Culinary Assistant in Mexico: FAQs
-
How much does a culinary assistant make per month in Mexico?
A culinary assistant in Mexico earns about 9,701 MXN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 116,420 MXN.
-
What's the salary range for a culinary assistant in Mexico?
Entry-level culinary assistants in Mexico start near 53,840 MXN. Top-end pay reaches around 183,700 MXN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 78,120 and 168,100 MXN.
-
Is the median culinary assistant salary in Mexico higher or lower than the average?
The median is 124,400 MXN, higher than the average of 116,420 MXN. Half of culinary assistants in Mexico earn below the median, half earn above it.
-
What's the gender pay gap for culinary assistants in Mexico?
Men working as a culinary assistant in Mexico earn around 17% more than women on average (125,100 vs 106,780 MXN a year).
-
Do culinary assistants in Mexico get bonuses?
About 32% of culinary assistants in Mexico reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
-
Do culinary assistants earn more in the public or private sector in Mexico?
In Mexico, the public sector pays a culinary assistant about 8% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
-
How often do culinary assistants in Mexico get a pay raise?
A culinary assistant in Mexico sees a raise of around 9% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.