How much is the Mindestlohn in 2026
From 1 January 2026 the German statutory minimum wage is €13.90 per hour. The previous year it was €12.82, so the increase is €1.08 per hour worked.
At 40 hours a week, the monthly minimum is around €2,400 gross. At 35 hours, the usual working week in many collective agreements, it is close to €2,100.
Who the German minimum wage applies to
It applies to every employed worker in Germany, whether German or foreign, including minijobs. A minijob can reach €538 per month, which at the minimum wage equals around 38 hours per month.
Apprentices (Auszubildende) have their own minimum, separate from the Mindestlohn, set by law and by collective agreement. The general rate does not apply to them.
Real cost of hiring in Germany
On top of gross pay, employer and employee share Social Security contributions (pension, health, unemployment and long-term care), which together amount to around 40% of the salary. Roughly half is paid by the company.
An employee on €2,400 gross costs the company around €2,900 per month, before other expenses such as the Berufsgenossenschaft occupational accident insurance.
Minimum wage versus average wage
The Mindestlohn is the legal floor, not the typical salary. The average salary in Germany is around €4,000 gross per month, and in technology or finance it is comfortably higher.
The minimum is earned mainly by hospitality, retail and low-skilled services roles. For technical profiles, the Mindestlohn is barely a reference point.
Sectoral collective agreements above the minimum
Many German sectors have collective agreements (Tarifverträge) with minimums above the Mindestlohn, such as metal, chemicals or construction. If your activity has a collective agreement, that is the floor that applies.
Check the collective agreement applicable to your sector before setting salaries: it commonly exceeds the legal minimum by 10-30%.
