Summer Jobs in Greece
The honest guide to working a summer on the Greek islands. Which islands hire, what the pay is actually like, and how people really get jobs out there.
Why Greece?
Greece is not the highest-paying summer destination. It is not the most organised, either. But there is a reason people keep going back. The lifestyle trade-off is hard to beat anywhere else in Europe. You work hard through the evening, then swim in crystal-clear water on your morning off. Your rent is cheap or covered. A meal out costs €8. A cold beer on the harbour is€3. You are on a Greek island for five months.
Greece also has one of the most accessible seasonal job markets in the Mediterranean. Smaller operations still hire by handshake. Walking into a bar with your CV genuinely works. The hiring culture is less formal than France or Spain, which makes it a solid option if this is your first season or if you want to line something up quickly.
Which islands?
Not all Greek islands are equal for seasonal work. Here are the main ones, and what each is known for.
🏝️ Mykonos
The big one. Beach clubs like Scorpios and Nammos. Fine dining, luxury hotels, superyachts offshore. Pay is the highest in Greece and tips can be exceptional. But Mykonos is expensive to live on, competitive to get hired, and the pace is relentless. Most venues expect previous experience. Read our full Mykonos guide for the detail.
🌅 Santorini
Caldera views, upmarket restaurants, wine tourism. Santorini hires a lot of hotel and restaurant staff. The island is smaller and quieter than Mykonos. Less of a party scene, more of a couples and luxury market. Good for chefs and experienced front-of-house. Accommodation is tight and expensive.
🎉 Ios
The party island. If you want a social season with a young crowd, Ios is it. The main strip in Chora has dozens of bars that hire seasonal staff every summer. Pay is on the lower end, but so is the cost of living. Many places hire walk-ins from late April. First-season friendly. Great if you are 18 to 25 and want the full experience.
🌴 Crete
Greece's biggest island with the longest season. Crete has everything from all-inclusive resorts in Hersonissos to boutique hotels in Chania. Watersports are big on the north coast. The island is large enough that you can explore mountains, gorges and quiet south-coast beaches on days off. More variety in roles than the smaller islands.
⚓ Corfu
Green, lush and popular with British tourists. Corfu Town has a strong hospitality scene, and the Kavos strip in the south hires a lot of young bar staff and reps every season. The north coast has quieter villa and watersports work. Good ferry links to the mainland and Albania. Easier to get hired than the Cyclades.
☀️ Rhodes
Big tourist numbers, especially package holidays. Faliraki has a bar and club strip similar to Kavos. Rhodes Town has more upmarket restaurants and hotels. Lindos is the boutique end. Windsurfing and kitesurfing centres operate out of Prasonisi on the southern tip. Solid demand for hospitality and watersports instructors from May through September.
Roles available
The Greek islands run on tourism. That means hospitality dominates, but watersports and yacht work are also significant.
💰 Typical Pay
This is where honesty matters. Greek wages are lower than France, Spain or Switzerland. Bar and restaurant staff typically earn €800–€1,200/month. Chefs earn€1,200–€1,800 depending on the venue. Watersports instructors get €1,000–€1,500 plus accommodation. On Mykonos, premium venues pay more and tips are significantly better. Many employers provide accommodation and at least one meal per shift, which offsets the lower base. You will not get rich, but your expenses are minimal.
How to get hired
There are two approaches and both work.
Apply in advance. Create a profile on PeakWave, set your availability for the Greek islands, and let employers find you. Hotel chains, watersports centres and established beach clubs recruit from February onwards. This is the safer route and gives you time to sort accommodation and paperwork.
Go out there. Greece is one of the few places where turning up in person still works. Fly out in late April or early May, walk the strip, hand out CVs, and ask if anyone is hiring. On islands like Ios, Corfu and Crete, this is how a huge number of people find work. Smaller bars and family-run restaurants often will not post jobs online. They just hire whoever shows up and seems reliable.
The best strategy is probably both. Line something up through PeakWave as a safety net, but be open to switching if you find something better on the ground. Flexibility is the currency in Greece.
📋 What employers look for
Availability: Full season commitment (May to September minimum) gets you hired faster. Employers on smaller islands struggle when staff leave mid-season.
Experience: One previous season is helpful but not essential for many roles. Beach bars on Ios and Corfu are first-season friendly. Mykonos and Santorini expect you to have worked somewhere before.
Attitude: Sounds obvious, but Greek employers value reliability above almost everything. Show up on time, stay the whole season, and be easy to work with. That matters more than a polished CV.
Visa & work rights
Greece is in the EU. If you hold an EU or EEA passport, you can work freely with no permit. You will need a Greek tax number (AFM) which you get from the local tax office with your passport. This is straightforward and takes about an hour.
UK nationals need a work visa since Brexit. Greece does issue seasonal work permits for tourism, but your employer has to sponsor the application. Start this process early because it can take several weeks. Some smaller employers are not set up for sponsorship, so check before you commit.
Be aware that working without proper documentation is risky. Inspections do happen, particularly on the larger islands. If you get caught working illegally, both you and the employer face fines.
Living in Greece
This is where Greece wins. The cost of living is genuinely low. A shared room runs €200–€400/month on most islands (Mykonos and Santorini are higher). Eating out is cheap. A gyros is €3. A taverna meal with wine is €12–€15. Supermarket shopping is affordable. If your employer covers accommodation, which many do, your monthly outgoings can be remarkably small.
Getting around the islands is easy by bus, scooter or quad bike. Most seasonaires rent a scooter for €80–€150/month. Inter-island ferries are frequent during summer and cheap enough for day trips. Athens is a short ferry or budget flight away.
🏖️ Days off and island life
Your days off are spent at the beach. That is not a cliché, it is literally what happens. Swim in the morning, nap in the afternoon, eat at a taverna at sunset. On longer breaks, hop to a neighbouring island. The Cyclades are close together, and ferries between Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Ios run daily. Crete has Samaria Gorge, pink sand beaches in Elafonissi, and mountain villages in the interior. The Greek lifestyle is slow in the best way.
🌟 The social scene
Seasonal worker communities are tight on the Greek islands. Everyone is in the same situation, working long hours and making the most of time off together. Staff nights out are a thing. On islands like Ios, the whole strip is run by seasonaires. You will make friends fast. The mix tends to be Brits, Australians, Scandinavians and Americans, plus locals. Some of the best friendships come from these shared summers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to speak Greek to work in the Greek islands?
How much can I save working a summer in Greece?
When should I start looking for summer jobs in Greece?
Can I just turn up and find work?
What visa do UK nationals need to work in Greece?
Ready for a summer in Greece?
Create your profile and let employers across the Greek islands find you. It takes 5 minutes and it is completely free.