Germany Minimum Wage 2026: What You Need to Know About the Increase
The German Federal Cabinet has approved the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Regulation (Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung), so the statutory minimum wage rises in two steps: €13.90 per hour from 1 January 2026 and €14.60 from 1 January 2027. The change affects anyone employed in Germany who is entitled to the minimum wage—full-time, part-time, mini-jobbers, and expats alike. Your employer must apply the new rate from the start of 2026; there is no separate application.
What this means for you
From
1 January 2026 you must receive at least
€13.90 per hour (€14.60 from 1 January 2027) for any work covered by the minimum wage. That is about
€2,410 gross per month for a 40-hour week. The same rate applies everywhere in Germany. If you are paid less, you can report it to the authorities and claim back pay. Check your contract and your first 2026 payslip to confirm the new rate. Expats and foreign workers are entitled on the same terms as German employees. For salary thresholds for skilled workers, see
EU Blue Card 2026; for other 2026 topics,
Work and Stay Agency (WSA) 2026 and
Aktivrente 2026.
New Minimum Wage Rates and Timeline
Rates go up in two stages:
| Date |
Hourly rate |
Monthly gross (40 h/week, ~4.33 weeks) |
Change |
| 2025 (current) |
€12.82 |
€2,220 |
— |
| 1 January 2026 |
€13.90 |
€2,410 |
+€1.08/h (+8.4%) |
| 1 January 2027 |
€14.60 |
€2,530 |
+€0.70/h (+5.0%) |
For a 40-hour week, €13.90 per hour gives about €556 gross per week and €28,920 gross per year. Compared with 2025, that is roughly €190 more per month at full-time.
Who Is Entitled to the Minimum Wage?
The minimum wage applies to all employees aged 18 and over in Germany who are in scope—full-time, part-time, fixed-term, temporary, and seasonal. Expats and foreign workers are included: it does not depend on nationality or visa type (e.g. EU Blue Card, Skilled Worker visa, seasonal permit). If you are legally employed in Germany, you are entitled to at least the statutory minimum. Some sectors have higher minimums from collective agreements; in that case you get the higher rate.
Mini-jobs (Geringfügige Beschäftigung)
The monthly earnings limit for mini-jobs rises with the minimum wage so that the same kind of low-hours arrangement stays possible. From 1 January 2026 the limit is €603 per month (up from €556 in 2025). At €13.90/hour that is about 43.4 hours per month. Students and others in mini-jobs can earn up to €603 in 2026 and still benefit from the mini-job rules (e.g. no employee social security on that job).
Trainees (Azubis)
Apprentices are not paid the general minimum wage; they have their own minimum trainee pay (Mindestausbildungsvergütung), which also increases over time. In 2026 the first year is €724/month; second and third years are higher. Check the current rates on the BMAS or collective agreement for your sector.
Who Is Exempt?
Not everyone is covered by the general minimum wage. Exemptions include:
- Apprentices (Azubis) — covered by trainee minimum pay instead
- Under-18s without a completed vocational qualification
- Mandatory internships required as part of a course or training
- Short voluntary internships (under 3 months in many cases)
- Certain long-term unemployed in the first 6 months of reintegration schemes (narrow conditions)
If you are not sure whether you are in scope, your employer or the BMAS can clarify; the Zoll (customs) enforcement pages also explain scope.
Enforcement and How to Report Violations
Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit (FKS)—part of the Zoll (customs)—checks that employers pay the minimum wage and keep the required records. They can inspect workplaces and follow up on reports. Employers who underpay can be fined (in serious cases up to €500,000) and must pay back wages plus interest; record-keeping failures can also be penalised (up to €30,000). In the worst cases there can be criminal proceedings.
Reporting: You can report suspected underpayment or undeclared work to the Zoll. Reports can be anonymous. The Zoll is responsible for enforcement (fines, inspections), but your claim for unpaid wages is a civil matter: you enforce it against your employer, if necessary with a lawyer or via the labour court. The BMAS minimum wage hotline (030 60 28 00 28) offers information and can point you to the right place; the Zoll site has contact details for the relevant Hauptzollamt (customs office) by region.
Blue Card and Minimum Wage
The minimum wage and EU Blue Card salary thresholds are separate. Blue Card requirements for 2026 are €50,700 (standard) or €45,934.20 (shortage professions)—well above the minimum wage. If you have a Blue Card and do paid work, you must still receive at least the minimum wage for every hour worked; the Blue Card sets a higher floor for the job as a whole.
Gross to Net (Rough Idea)
€2,410 gross per month (40 h/week at €13.90) is only the gross figure. Net pay depends on tax class, health and social insurance, and whether you pay church tax. For a single person in Tax Class I, net is often in the range of about €1,800–€1,900 per month in 2026, but only a Brutto-Netto Rechner 2026 with your exact details gives a reliable number.
Regional and Sector Differences
The statutory minimum wage is the same across Germany—no lower rate in certain regions. In some sectors, collective agreements set a higher minimum (e.g. construction, care, hairdressing, security). Where that applies, you are entitled to the higher rate.
Summary Table: 2025–2027
| Category |
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
| Hourly rate |
€12.82 |
€13.90 |
€14.60 |
| Monthly gross (40 h/week) |
€2,220 |
€2,410 |
€2,530 |
| Annual gross (40 h/week) |
€26,640 |
€28,920 |
€30,360 |
| Mini-job limit |
€556/month |
€603/month |
€632/month (approx.) |
Important Dates
1 January 2026 — Minimum wage €13.90/hour; mini-job limit €603/month.
1 January 2027 — Minimum wage €14.60/hour; mini-job limit rises again.
Reference (Official Sources)
For current rates, exemptions, and reporting:
Last checked: February 2026.
Next Steps
Confirm the hourly rate in your contract and that your January 2026 payslip shows at least €13.90 per hour. Keep payslips and any time records. If you are paid less, contact the BMAS hotline (030 60 28 00 28) or the Zoll (see zoll.de Arbeit) to report; for claiming back pay, you may need legal or trade-union advice. More on 2026 rules: EU Blue Card 2026, Work and Stay Agency 2026, Aktivrente 2026.
