Hourly Minimum Wage in Restaurant CHR: Framework and Particularities in 2025
The hourly minimum wage in the restaurant sector, specifically in Hotels, Cafés, and Restaurants (CHR), is governed by a specific collective agreement that differs from the legal minimum wage. In 2025, this collective agreement HCR establishes a pay scale that takes into account the specificities of the profession: extended working hours, split shifts, arduousness, and high seasonality.
This results in a remuneration often higher than the national minimum wage to fairly compensate employees facing particular constraints.
Key Elements of the Hotel Minimum Wage in 2025
- Conventional weekly hourly base set at 39 hours, higher than the legal standard of 35 hours.
- Hierarchical salary scale according to five qualification levels and three experience levels.
- Consideration of benefits in kind, notably a value set at €4.22 per meal.
- Salarial revision stemming from an amendment in December 2024, which adjusts the gross hourly rate and the remuneration conditions.
- Strict compliance with the legal minimum: if a conventional rate is lower than the legal minimum wage, the employer applies the more favorable rate.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | €12.00 | €12.08 | €12.18 |
| II | €12.28 | €12.55 | €13.17 |
| III | €13.32 | €13.54 | €14.00 |
| IV | €14.40 | €14.77 | €15.40 |
| V | €18.43 | €21.78 | €28.12 |
Minimum Wage Amount and Impacts on Compensation in Restaurants
In 2025, the legal hourly minimum wage is set at €11.88, while the conventional minimum in CHR starts at €12.00 per hour, in accordance with the amendment signed at the end of 2024. This revaluation aims to reflect the realities on the ground and to enhance the attractiveness of jobs in the restaurant sector.
For example, a waiter classified at level II step 2 now earns at least €12.55 gross per hour, which amounts to a gross monthly pay of approximately €2,120 based on a 39-hour week (169 monthly hours).
How to Correctly Calculate Compensation in CHR?
- Using a monthly base of 169 hours for a contract of 39 hours per week.
- Simple calculation: gross hourly rate × number of monthly hours.
- Overtime (after 35 hours) increased by 10% in the sector, less than in other sectors.
- Benefits in kind such as meals provided valued at €4.22 per meal.
- Necessity to apply the most favorable wage between legal and conventional minimum wage.
| Position | Level | Step | Gross hourly rate | Gross monthly salary (169 h) | Estimated net salary (≈ 77% gross) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Assistant | I | 1 | €12.00 | €2,028 | €1,561 |
| Waiter | II | 2 | €12.55 | €2,121 | €1,633 |
| Reception Manager | IV | 3 | €15.40 | €2,603 | €2,005 |
To deepen the understanding of the calculation of overtime and salary in a 39-hour contract, you can consult this detailed guide on calculating overtime in 39 hours.
2025 HCR Salary Grid: A Structure to Value Skills and Experience
The update of the HCR salary grid in 2025 organizes remuneration around levels and steps to value both skills and seniority. This structure facilitates wage equity among different functions.
Operation of the Classification and Grid
- The five levels correspond to qualification and responsibility, from entry-level personnel (level I) to executives (level V).
- Three steps reflect experience and technical mastery in the position.
- The minimum hourly rates are subject to periodic revision by agreement between social partners.
- Benefits in kind such as meals are valued within the total remuneration framework.
| Level / Step | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | €12.00 | €12.08 | €12.18 |
| II | €12.28 | €12.55 | €13.17 |
| III | €13.32 | €13.54 | €14.00 |
| IV | €14.40 | €14.77 | €15.40 |
| V | €18.43 | €21.78 | €28.12 |
Benefits in Kind and Allowances in the Restaurant Sector: How Are They Taken Into Account?
Benefits in kind play a significant role in the overall remuneration of employees in the restaurant sector. Among them, meals provided by the employer are subject to a flat-rate valuation aiming to include these benefits in the calculation of remuneration.
Main Benefits and Additional Allowances
- Minimum value of a benefit in kind meal set at €4.22 in 2025.
- Transport allowances, often defined locally.
- Seniority bonus according to specific agreements or regional conventions.
- Laundry allowance for expenses related to the maintenance of work uniforms.
- Possibility to compensate in cash for the refusal or unavailability of on-site meals.
This consideration of benefits in kind is essential to ensure transparency and accuracy in pay slips, while ensuring better wage equity in a sector often facing labor shortages.
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the hotel minimum wage and how does it differ from the legal minimum wage?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The hotel minimum wage corresponds to the minimum salary defined for the hotel, café, and restaurant (CHR) sector by the collective agreement, often higher than the legal minimum wage to take into account the particular conditions of the profession.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How is the HCR salary grid structured in 2025?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The grid is based on five qualification levels and three experience tiers, setting minimum hourly rates according to skills and responsibilities.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the calculation basis for the monthly salary in the HCR sector?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The monthly salary is calculated by multiplying the hourly rate by a monthly base of 169 hours corresponding to a 39-hour per week contract.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How are overtime hours compensated in the restaurant sector?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”In the HCR sector, hours worked beyond 35 hours per week are compensated at 10%, generally less than in other sectors.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What benefits in kind are integrated into the remuneration of restaurant employees?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Meals provided by the employer, valued at €4.22 per meal in 2025, as well as other allowances such as transport, seniority premiums, and laundry.”}}]}What is the hotel minimum wage and how does it differ from the legal minimum wage?
The hotel minimum wage corresponds to the minimum salary defined for the hotel, café, and restaurant (CHR) sector by the collective agreement, often higher than the legal minimum wage to take into account the particular conditions of the profession.
How is the HCR salary grid structured in 2025?
The grid is based on five qualification levels and three experience tiers, setting minimum hourly rates according to skills and responsibilities.
What is the calculation basis for the monthly salary in the HCR sector?
The monthly salary is calculated by multiplying the hourly rate by a monthly base of 169 hours corresponding to a 39-hour per week contract.
How are overtime hours compensated in the restaurant sector?
In the HCR sector, hours worked beyond 35 hours per week are compensated at 10%, generally less than in other sectors.
What benefits in kind are integrated into the remuneration of restaurant employees?
Meals provided by the employer, valued at €4.22 per meal in 2025, as well as other allowances such as transport, seniority premiums, and laundry.