Working in Italy in 2026: Salaries and Rights

The Italian job market continues its gradual recovery in 2026, with tourism, technology, and healthcare standing out as sectors facing a shortage of skilled labor in several regions of the country. For Brazilians of Italian descent, understanding salaries, contract types, and labor rights is essential before planning a move — especially for those who already have or are seeking Italian citizenship.

Overview of the Italian job market in 2026

Italy maintains an economy divided between an industrialized North and a South with historically higher unemployment rates. According to data from Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica), sectors such as hospitality, construction, information technology, and healthcare continue to struggle to fill positions, especially in regions like Lombardia, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna.

The sectors with the highest labor demand in 2026 include:

• Tourism and hospitality, especially in cities like Roma, Venezia, and Firenze;
• Information technology, with a shortage of developers and data analysts;
• Healthcare, with a lack of nurses and caregivers (badanti);
• Construction, driven by urban renewal projects;
• Agriculture, mainly in the South, with strong seasonality.

The gap between North and South remains significant. While regions like Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna show lower unemployment rates and higher salaries, the South — including Calabria, Sicilia, and Campania — still faces structural challenges, with fewer formal opportunities and greater informality in the labor market.

For those who already have Italian citizenship, the impact on job searching is significant: Italian citizens don't need a work permit or visa, and can apply for jobs on equal footing with any other European Union citizen. Those who don't yet have citizenship and want to understand the process can check out the guide on how to obtain Italian citizenship.

Average salaries by profession and region

Salaries in Italy vary considerably depending on the city, sector, and professional category. Milano, the country's financial capital, offers the highest salaries, followed by Roma, while Napoli and other southern cities offer lower pay.

As a market reference, tech professionals in Milano can earn gross annual salaries considerably above the national average, while administrative or customer service roles tend to be closer to the category's minimum wage floor. In Roma, salaries are usually somewhat lower than in Milano, but still higher than the southern average. In Napoli, average salaries are generally the lowest among the three cities, reflecting the local cost of living and the smaller concentration of large companies.

There is no single national minimum wage in Italy, unlike in Brazil. Instead, the wage floor is set by CCNLs (Contratti Collettivi Nazionali di Lavoro), collective agreements negotiated by unions for each professional category — commerce, metalworking, tourism, healthcare, and others. This means the effective minimum wage varies according to the profession and the applicable collective agreement.

Another important point is the difference between gross salary (lordo) and net salary (netto). Deductions include social security contributions (INPS) and income tax (IRPEF), which is progressive. As a result, a gross salary advertised in a job posting can represent a significant reduction in the net amount received monthly — generally between 25% and 35%, depending on the income bracket and region.

Types of employment contracts in Italy

The Italian labor system provides for different contract types, each with specific protection and stability rules.

The open-ended contract (indeterminato) is the most sought after, as it guarantees stability, full labor rights, and greater protection against dismissal. The fixed-term contract (determinato) has a set duration, generally renewable for up to 24 months, and is often the entry point for those starting out in the Italian market.

The tirocinio, equivalent to an internship, is common for recent graduates and is meant to provide practical experience. It has important limitations: it is not considered a full employment contract, offers lower pay (called a "stipend"), and does not generate the same social security rights as a formal contract. Companies that abuse successive tirocinios without ever hiring the intern have come under criticism from Italian unions, according to reports from Corriere della Sera.

For self-employed professionals, there is the Partita IVA, a kind of individual tax ID registration that allows one to issue invoices and provide services independently. Within this regime, the regime forfettario is a simplified taxation option for those who bill up to an annual ceiling set by law, with reduced tax rates and less accounting bureaucracy — widely used by freelancers, consultants, and service providers in creative and tech sectors.

Labor rights guaranteed by law

Workers formally employed in Italy have access to a robust set of rights, many of which exceed those available in Brazil.

Paid vacation is guaranteed by law, with a minimum duration that varies according to the category's CCNL, generally between four and five weeks per year. In addition, Italian workers are entitled to the tredicesima, a thirteenth-month salary paid in December, and some collective agreements also provide for the quattordicesima, a fourteenth-month salary paid in June or July.

Maternity leave is mandatory and paid, with a standard duration of five months, generally starting before the birth. Fathers are also entitled to paternity leave, whose duration has been extended in recent years through successive budget laws. Sick pay (indennità di malattia), paid by INPS, guarantees partial compensation in cases of leave due to health issues, upon presentation of a medical certificate.

In the event of termination, the worker is entitled to NASpI (Nuova Assicurazione Sociale per l'Impiego), Italy's unemployment insurance, whose amount and duration depend on the contribution period and the salary earned in recent years of work. The system also includes the TFR (Trattamento di Fine Rapporto), a kind of severance fund accumulated throughout the contract and paid to the worker upon leaving the job, whether due to dismissal, resignation, or retirement.

Documentation needed to work legally

To work formally in Italy, the first essential document is the Codice Fiscale, equivalent to the Brazilian CPF (tax ID). It is required to sign employment contracts, open a bank account, rent property, and even for public healthcare matters. The document can be requested at the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's tax authority) or, for those still in Brazil, at the relevant Italian consulate.

Residenza (official residency in an Italian municipality) is also essential, as it grants access to the Sistema Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), the public healthcare system, and is frequently required by employers to formalize hiring. Without residenza, a worker may face practical difficulties even with all other documents in order. To better understand this process, it's worth checking the content on documents needed to live in Italy.

Here's a crucial difference: Italian citizens can work in the country without any type of visa or permit, since they have the same rights as any other European Union citizen. Non-European foreigners, however, depend on specific work visas, subject to annual quotas set by the Italian government through the so-called "decreto flussi," which makes the process more bureaucratic and uncertain.

Advantages of having Italian citizenship for working in the country

For Brazilians of Italian descent, citizenship represents a real competitive advantage in the European job market. Those who hold an Italian passport have direct access to the job market, without needing a visa, special permit, or immigration quota — unlike Brazilians without Italian ancestry, who depend on more complex and restricted processes.

In addition, Italian citizens enjoy full equality of labor rights with native workers: access to CCNL contracts, social security benefits, unemployment insurance, and all the other rights described above, without any distinction.

Another significant advantage is the possibility of working in any European Union country, since Italian citizenship is also European citizenship. This opens doors not only in Italy, but in nations like Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, and 26 other countries in the bloc, without the need for additional work visas.

It's worth reinforcing that, currently, the process of recognizing Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) has undergone important changes following the Decreto Tajani (Decreto-Lei 36/2025, converted into Lei 74/2025). The consular route has been restricted to children and grandchildren of Italians, while great-grandchildren and later generations must rely on the judicial route to obtain recognition. Those who want to understand this scenario in detail can follow updates in the Italian Citizenship section of the portal.

Practical tips for Brazilians who will work in Italy

For those planning this move, some practical precautions make a difference when searching for a job and settling into the country.

Job search sites and channels are the first step. Platforms like LinkedIn, InfoJobs Italia, Indeed Italia, and the public portal ANPAL (Agenzia Nazionale per le Politiche Attive del Lavoro) gather opportunities across various sectors. Specialized recruitment agencies, such as Randstad and Adecco, are also strongly active in the Italian market. Networking, especially within communities of Brazilians already established in Italy, tends to be an effective way to get referrals and information about companies that hire foreigners.

Degree validation is another important point, especially for regulated professions such as medicine, engineering, law, and architecture, which require official recognition (called "riconoscimento del titolo di studio") from the relevant ministries or Italian professional associations. For non-regulated careers, the process tends to be simpler, but it's still advisable to translate and, if necessary, legalize diplomas and academic transcripts.

Among the most common mistakes made by those who arrive to work in Italy are: not understanding the differences between contract types before signing, underestimating the cost of living in cities like Milano and Roma, and not planning financially for the first few months of adjustment. Checking information about the cost of living in Italy before the move helps avoid financial surprises. It's also common for Brazilians to accept successive tirocinios with no real prospect of being hired permanently — it's always worth negotiating clear timelines and seeking guidance on labor rights before signing any agreement.

Working in Italy in 2026 requires planning, particularly regarding documentation and understanding the rights guaranteed by law. For Brazilians of Italian descent, citizenship remains the safest and most advantageous path to entering the European job market without the bureaucratic hurdles faced by non-EU foreigners. Those looking for support in locating family documents in Italy can turn to vital records search services in Italy, a step often necessary in the citizenship recognition process. To follow other topics related to life in the country, it's worth exploring the Life in Italy section and the Italy News section of the portal.

Want to know if you're entitled to Italian citizenship? Talk to a specialized advisory team.