Average Kitchen Staff Salary in Plovdiv, Bulgaria for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Kitchen Staff salary for 2026 in Plovdiv and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Bulgarian lev. To keep things simple, we are using the BGN currency code instead of the currency symbol лв.

How Much Does a Kitchen Staff Make in Plovdiv?

A Kitchen Staff working in Plovdiv will typically earn around 12,580 BGN per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 5,200 BGN to the highest average salary of 21,300 BGN.

Average Annual Salary12,580 BGN
Average Monthly Salary1,048 BGN
Average Lowest Salary5,200 BGN
Lowest Monthly Salary433 BGN
Average Highest Salary21,300 BGN
Highest Monthly Salary1,775 BGN

These are average salaries for a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Kitchen Staff to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Kitchen Staff salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Kitchen Staff Salaries in Plovdiv

So we've looked at the average salaries a Kitchen Staff will earn in Plovdiv. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Kitchen Staff can earn between 5,200 BGN and 21,300 BGN on average in Plovdiv. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv is 15,580 BGN. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 15,580 BGN, and 50% of the population earn more than 15,580 BGN.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Kitchen Staff salary in Plovdiv, 25% of the population are earning less than 9,460 BGN while 75% of the population earn more than 9,460 BGN.

75% of the population earn less than 20,940 BGN, and 25% of the population earn more than 20,940 BGN.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Kitchen Staff Salary by Experience Level in Plovdiv

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Kitchen Staff salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 7,040 BGN.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Kitchen Staff salary would increase to 9,460 BGN.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Kitchen Staff, the average salary would be 14,660 BGN.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 19,200 BGN.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Kitchen Staff with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 19,480 BGN.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Kitchen Staff with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 21,640 BGN.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
7,040 BGN
2-5 Years+34%
9,460 BGN
5-10 Years+48%
14,660 BGN
10-15 Years+22%
19,200 BGN
15-20 Years+9%
19,480 BGN
20+ Years+8%
21,640 BGN

Kitchen Staff Salary by Education Level in Plovdiv

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv with a high school education can earn an average salary of 9,360 BGN.
  • Certificate or Diploma. A Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 15,300 BGN.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
9,360 BGN
Certificate or Diploma+93%
15,300 BGN

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Bulgaria is around 16,500 to 49,500 BGN and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Kitchen Staff Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Plovdiv, a male kitchen staff will earn an average of 12,580 BGN, while a female kitchen staff will earn around 13,780 BGN.

This means that a male kitchen staff earns approximately 9% less than a female kitchen staff for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Plovdiv

Male-
12,580 BGN
Female+9%
13,780 BGN

Kitchen Staff Average Pay Raise in Plovdiv

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv is around 8% every 20 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Bulgaria is around 7% every 20 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 8 ÷ 20 ) × 12  = 5%

What this means is that a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 5% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Plovdiv for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Bulgaria.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
6%
Energy-
3%
Information Technology-
9%
Healthcare-
6%
Travel-
3%
Construction-
9%
Education-
6%

Kitchen Staff Bonus and Incentive Rates in Plovdiv

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Kitchen Staff is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
30%
No Bonus-
70%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Bulgaria earn approximately 2% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
40,040 BGN
Private Sector-2%
39,160 BGN

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Kitchen Staff

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Kitchen Staff in Plovdiv.

Job TitleCategorySalary
All RounderFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering15,760 BGN
Assistant Executive HousekeeperFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,660 BGN
Assistant Food and Beverage ControllerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering25,220 BGN
Assistant Food and Beverage DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering54,460 BGN
Assistant Hospitality ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering56,460 BGN
Assistant StorekeeperFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering9,740 BGN
Assistant Tour ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,200 BGN
Baker and PastrycookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,900 BGN
Bakery ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering28,900 BGN
Bakery SuperintendentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering19,860 BGN
Banquet CaptainFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,820 BGN
Banquet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering19,980 BGN
Banquet ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,960 BGN
Bar AttendantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,700 BGN
Bar ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering27,620 BGN
Bar SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering18,780 BGN
BaristaFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,820 BGN
BartenderFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering15,580 BGN
BellmanFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering11,360 BGN
Beverage ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering31,520 BGN
Bistro AttendantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,240 BGN
Buffet ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering22,420 BGN
Buffet HostFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,060 BGN
Buffet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering29,840 BGN
Butcher and SlaughtererFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,840 BGN
Cafeteria AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,000 BGN
Cafeteria ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,820 BGN
Cafeteria SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering16,140 BGN
Cake DecoratorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,200 BGN
Casino Shift ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering45,600 BGN
Chain Store Customer SupportFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering19,380 BGN
ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering25,940 BGN
Chef De CuisineFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering35,500 BGN
Club ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering46,720 BGN
Cluster DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering58,280 BGN
Cluster Revenue ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering47,580 BGN
Cocktail ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,540 BGN
Coffee Shop ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering43,340 BGN
ConciergeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,540 BGN
Confectionery BakerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,540 BGN
Conference Services ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering26,400 BGN
Conference and Sales CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering20,760 BGN
CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering21,640 BGN
Corporate Sous ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering38,260 BGN
Corporate Travel ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering36,700 BGN
CroupierFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering15,380 BGN
Culinary AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,840 BGN
Culinary AssociateFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering10,000 BGN
Demi ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,860 BGN
Dietary AideFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering23,260 BGN
Dining Room SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering22,540 BGN
DishwasherFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,020 BGN
Duty ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering27,480 BGN
Events CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering20,120 BGN
Executive ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering29,840 BGN
Executive Pastry ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering21,300 BGN
Fast Food CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering19,060 BGN
Fast Food Shift SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering22,420 BGN
Fine Dining CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering35,300 BGN
Fine Dining Restaurant ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering36,020 BGN
Fleet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering60,920 BGN
Food ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering39,560 BGN
Food Safety CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering26,100 BGN
Food ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,060 BGN
Food Service DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering47,720 BGN
Food Service ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering53,840 BGN
Food Service SalesFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering33,440 BGN
Food Service WorkerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,620 BGN
Food and Beverage ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering48,820 BGN
Front Desk AgentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering17,100 BGN
Front Desk ClerkFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,100 BGN
Front Office ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering29,540 BGN
Guest Service ExecutiveFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering38,780 BGN
Guest Service RepresentativeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering17,540 BGN
Head Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering30,840 BGN
Head ConciergeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering20,300 BGN
Hospitality DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering78,960 BGN
Hostess / HostFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,200 BGN
Hotel Desk ClerkFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering17,260 BGN
Hotel MaidFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,840 BGN
Hotel ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering71,280 BGN
Hotel Sales ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering56,140 BGN
Hotel Service SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering44,180 BGN
Hotel StaffFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,780 BGN
Inventory CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering15,300 BGN
Kitchen ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering25,220 BGN
Kitchen SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering21,560 BGN
Line CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,840 BGN
Luggage PorterFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering11,300 BGN
Motel ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering43,360 BGN
Pastry ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering23,520 BGN
Pastrycooking and Baking AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering13,960 BGN
Production OperatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering19,060 BGN
Quality, Health and Safety CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering23,660 BGN
ReceptionistFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering14,200 BGN
Regional Restaurant ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering57,320 BGN
Restaurant ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering50,980 BGN
Restaurant ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,200 BGN
Room Reservations ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering48,140 BGN
Room Service ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering45,000 BGN
Sous ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering26,280 BGN
Special Events CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering28,900 BGN
Supervisor of Food ServicesFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering34,360 BGN
Tour ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering38,140 BGN
Tour GuideFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,820 BGN
Tour ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering33,440 BGN
Travel AgentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering24,800 BGN
Travel ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering36,800 BGN
Waiter / WaitressFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering12,120 BGN

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Bulgaria, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Burgas14,540 BGN
Rousse14,620 BGN
Sofia14,660 BGN
Stara Zagora13,540 BGN
Varna12,620 BGN

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