CrossNation recruits head chefs, sous chefs, chefs de partie and cooks for restaurants, hotels, pubs, caterers and resorts across Australia. We search chefs already working here and sponsorship-ready overseas chefs, then shortlist against your menu, volume and roster. Our candidate pool is more than 200 candidates in aggregate across nursing, aged care, chefs and FIFO and mining roles.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 4 October 2026.
33.7 thousand in August 2026, against 37.7 thousand in August 2025. Over the six quarters from May 2025 to August 2026 the low was 33.7 thousand (Aug 2026) and the high was 40.6 thousand (Feb 2026). This ABS industry group covers restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels and catering.
Source: ABS: Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 (job vacancies by industry, original series) (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Hospitality Industry (General) Award, level 4, which lists cook (tradesperson) grade 3: $1,119.10 a week ($29.45 an hour) (Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, clause 18.1, pay period commencing 1 July 2026). This is the award minimum, not an average or a going rate.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Restaurant Industry Award, level 6, cook (tradesperson) grade 5: $1,221.10 a week ($32.13 an hour) (Restaurant Industry Award 2020, clause 18.1, pay period commencing 1 July 2026). This is the award minimum, not an average or a going rate.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Restaurant Industry Award 2020 [MA000119] (retrieved 4 October 2026)
A food safety supervisor must hold recognised, formal certification obtained in the past 5 years.
Source: FSANZ: Standard 3.2.2A food safety management tools (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Category one food businesses must use all three food safety management tools (food safety supervisor, food handler training and evidence of key controls). Category two businesses must have a food safety supervisor and trained food handlers.
Source: FSANZ: What is Standard 3.2.2A? (overview, December 2023) (retrieved 4 October 2026)
A chef brief works best when it names the cuisine, covers per service, the kitchen brigade the hire will join, the roster and whether the role runs the pass or a section. Say if you need a trade-qualified cook or will train, because the award grade follows the role you hire into. We record each candidate's qualifications, kitchen history and references against your list, and you decide who to interview. The more precise the volume and style, the shorter the shortlist.
Minimum pay for most kitchen roles comes from the Hospitality Industry (General) Award or the Restaurant Industry Award, and the tables above show the trade-cook levels read from the award text on the dates stated. A cook at grade 3 (tradesperson) and a grade 5 cook sit at different levels of the Restaurant Award, so the grade you hire into moves the weekly cost. Penalty rates for evenings, weekends and public holidays are extra, which matters in a venue that trades late.
Standard 3.2.2A of the Food Standards Code applies to food service and catering businesses that handle unpackaged, ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food. Category one businesses must use three tools: a food safety supervisor, food handler training and evidence of key controls. Category two businesses need a food safety supervisor and trained handlers. The supervisor must hold recognised certification obtained in the past 5 years, so check whether a candidate can fill that role or whether you already have one.
We can source sponsorship-ready overseas chefs and cooks for employers who want them, alongside chefs who already have work rights here. The employer holds or obtains its own approval, and visa outcomes sit with Home Affairs. Our overseas chefs and cooks guide covers the employer side in general terms, and our hospitality page explains the wider service.
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
Yes. We recruit for restaurants, hotels, pubs, clubs, caterers and resorts. Tell us the service style and volume so we screen for the right kitchen.
Usually the Hospitality Industry (General) Award [MA000009] or the Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119], unless an enterprise agreement applies. The salary table above shows trade-cook levels from each.
Food service and catering businesses covered by Standard 3.2.2A must have a certified food safety supervisor, in both category one and category two. Your state or local council explains how it applies to your premises.
Yes. Chefs who already have work rights can be checked before interview, which usually makes the search faster than an overseas hire.
Our fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary and applies only if a placement succeeds, and each placement carries a 90-day placement guarantee. Wages, superannuation and whatever trial-shift arrangement you use are separate costs, and penalty rates for late trading change the weekly figure.
No. The employer is the sponsor and CrossNation is a recruitment agency that shortlists sponsorship-ready chefs. Occupation and salary rules for a cook or chef are checked by your migration agent. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
