Minimum wage in Germany (Mindestlohn): hourly and monthly rates in 2026, gross and net

Minimum wage in Germany

The minimum wage in Germany (Mindestlohn) is the legal minimum hourly rate that must be paid for work. The minimum wage law (Mindestlohngesetz, MiLoG) applies everywhere in Germany, including all 16 federal states ¹. Employers must pay at least this amount if their employees are covered by the minimum wage law. This rule ensures that everyone receives at least a basic income for their work and stops unfair competition from very low wages.

From 1 January 2026, the legal minimum wage in Germany is 13.90 euros gross per hour or 2,409 euros per month for full-time work ².

The minimum wage is set as an hourly rate, so your weekly or monthly earnings depend on how many hours you work. The table below shows the minimum wage for different periods ³.

Table 1: Minimum wage per working day, week, and month in 2026

The figures in the table are approximate, because the actual number of working days and hours can change from month to month. The number of hours you work may also be different if your employment contract says so.

Minimum wage before and after deductions: gross and net

The minimum wage in Germany is set as a gross amount, which means before taxes and social contributions are taken off. The money you actually receive is called net pay, which is less than the gross amount, because taxes and social security contributions are deducted from your salary.

The following amounts are usually deducted from your salary:

• Income tax (Einkommensteuer);
• Health insurance contribution (Krankenversicherung);
• Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung);
• Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung);
• Nursing care insurance (Pflegeversicherung);
• Church tax (Kirchensteuer), if you are a member of certain religious organisations.

The actual amount you get depends on several things: your tax class (Steuerklasse), marital status, whether you have children, and your health insurance rate.

If you earn the minimum wage of 13.90 € per hour and work full time (40 hours a week), your gross monthly income is about 2,409 € per month. The amount you actually receive (“net”) will usually be between 1,700 € and 1,900 € net per month ³.

How has the minimum wage changed in Germany?

The minimum wage in Germany is not fixed forever. It is reviewed regularly. This is because over time, prices, cost of living, average wages, and the economy as a whole all change. Raising the minimum wage helps people with low incomes but must also be affordable for employers. The decision to increase the minimum wage is made by a special commission and then approved by the government.

In recent years, the Mindestlohn in Germany has increased several times. The current rate in 2026 is 13.90 euros gross per hour, and there is already a planned increase from 1 January 2027, when the minimum wage will rise to 14.60 euros gross per hour.

You can see a chart showing how the minimum wage has changed each year since it was introduced. This makes it easy to compare rates and see the general trend: in Germany, the minimum wage has been rising over time.

Chart 1. Minimum wage changes in Germany by year

Exceptions to the minimum wage rule

The minimum wage law in Germany covers most workers. However, there are some cases where the minimum wage does not apply or only applies with special rules. This is because some types of work are mainly for learning or are only temporary.

The minimum wage usually does not apply or only partly applies to these groups:

• Compulsory internships (Pflichtpraktikum), which are part of school, university or vocational training;
• Voluntary internships up to 3 months long, if they help you decide on a career or course of study;
• Pupils and students under 18 years old, if they have not finished vocational training yet;
• People who have been unemployed for a long time, during their first 6 months of new work;
• Certain internships and professional training programmes (Ausbildung), which have their own pay system.

It’s also important to know that in some industries there are collective agreements (Tarifverträge), which may set higher minimum wages. In these cases, wages are often higher than the legal Mindestlohn, but employers cannot pay less than the legal minimum.

Minimum wage and living minimum (“existenzminimum”)

The minimum wage in Germany is meant to make sure people have a basic income level, enough to cover essential living costs. Hovewer, the Mindestlohn is not exactly the same as the official living minimum (“existenzminimum”), and it is calculated differently. The minimum wage depends on things like wage levels, economic situation and collective agreements, while the living minimum is set by the social welfare system.

In Germany, basic social support — called Bürgergeld or social assistance (“Sozialhilfe”) — is often used as a reference point for a minimum income. This benefit is paid to people whose income is too low to cover their basic living expenses.

The minimum wage for full-time work in Germany is about 2,409 € gross per month ³, which is much higher than the basic living minimum — that is, Bürgergeld of about 563.00 € ⁴ plus housing costs paid separately. So even a job with only the minimum wage usually gives you more income than social assistance.

If you work and earn the minimum wage, your income will usually be much higher than social assistance, but your real standard of living will also depend on how much tax you pay, housing costs, and family size.

Frequently asked questions about the minimum wage in Germany