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Germany's Minimum Wage Rises to €14.60 in 2027: What It Means for Your Salary and Minijob

New hourly rate, a new €633 Minijob limit and who is exempt: what changes on 1 January 2027 and what to check before then.

If you work in Germany on an hourly wage, a Minijob, or you're about to start your first job here, 1 January 2027 matters to you. That's the day the statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) goes up from €13.90 to €14.60 gross per hour.

Sounds simple: everyone at the bottom gets 70 cents more per hour. But in practice this change also moves the Minijob limit, can change how many hours you're allowed to work in a Minijob, and catches a lot of newcomers off guard because they don't know which jobs are covered and which aren't.

Here's what's actually changing, what it means for your pay slip, and what to check with your employer before January.

The numbers: Germany's minimum wage in 2026 and 2027

Since 1 January 2026: €13.90 gross per hour
From 1 January 2027: €14.60 gross per hour

That's an increase of 70 cents per hour, or roughly 5%. For context, the minimum wage was €12.82 in 2025, so over two years the jump is almost €1.80 per hour.

Germany has had a statutory minimum wage since January 2015, and it has gone up every year since. The amount isn't picked by politicians directly: it's proposed by the Mindestlohnkommission (Minimum Wage Commission), made up of employer representatives, union representatives and academic advisors. The government then adopts the figure the commission recommends — it can't simply choose a different number.

💬 One honest note: during the last election campaign, €15 per hour was talked about a lot, and the coalition agreement called €15 "achievable" by 2026. It didn't happen. €14.60 is the real number for 2027 — don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

What does €14.60 mean per month?

Germany's minimum wage is always an hourly figure. What you actually get per month depends on your hours. A rough calculation for full-time work (40 hours per week, averaged over the year at about 173 hours per month):

2026 (€13.90): about €2,409 gross per month
2027 (€14.60): about €2,531 gross per month

That's around €120 more gross per month for a full-time minimum wage job. Remember: this is gross. After income tax, health insurance, pension, unemployment and care insurance, your net will be noticeably lower — how much depends on your tax class and situation. If your payslip still confuses you, read our guide on how to read a German payslip — it breaks down every line.

And to keep it real: even at €14.60, a full-time minimum wage salary is tight in big cities like Munich, Frankfurt or Hamburg once you pay rent. Our cost of living in Germany guide shows what a realistic monthly budget looks like.

The big one for many expats: the Minijob limit goes up to €633

Lots of newcomers start with a Minijob — while learning German, studying, or alongside another job. The Minijob earnings limit in Germany is not a fixed number anymore. It's tied directly to the minimum wage, based on 10 hours per week at minimum wage. The formula is minimum wage × 130 ÷ 3, rounded up to a full euro.

2026: €603 per month
2027: €633 per month (€7,596 per year)

At exactly minimum wage, €633 means you can work about 43 hours per month in a Minijob in 2027. If you earn more than minimum wage per hour, you'll hit the €633 limit with fewer hours.

Watch out if your Minijob has a fixed monthly pay

This is the part people miss. Say you have a Minijob with a fixed €550 per month. When the minimum wage goes up, your employer must pay at least €14.60 for every hour you work. So either your pay goes up, or the number of hours you're allowed to work must go down. A higher minimum wage does not automatically mean a higher monthly payment for you.

💡 Practical tip: before January, check your contract. Divide your monthly pay by your real hours worked. If the result is under €14.60, talk to your employer. In Germany, employers have to record working hours for Minijobs (with exceptions for private households and close family), so your hours should be documented.

Want the full picture on Minijobs — taxes, pension opt-out, multiple jobs? Read our Minijobs in Germany explained guide.

What about Midijobs?

If you earn more than the Minijob limit, you move into the Midijob zone (Übergangsbereich), where you pay reduced social security contributions. In 2026 that zone runs from €603.01 up to €2,000 per month. In 2027 the lower end moves up with the new Minijob limit to €633.01. Check the upper limit with your payroll or employer, as these thresholds can be adjusted by law.

Who gets the minimum wage — and who doesn't

The minimum wage applies to almost all employees over 18 in Germany — full-time, part-time, seasonal, Minijob and Midijob. It also applies to foreign workers and people employed in Germany by a foreign employer. Your nationality doesn't matter.

But according to the Federal Ministry of Labour (BMAS), these groups are not covered:

Apprentices (Ausbildung) — they get a separate minimum training allowance instead. More in our Ausbildung in Germany guide.
Young people under 18 without completed vocational training
Long-term unemployed people during their first six months back in work
Self-employed people and freelancers
Volunteers and people doing a voluntary service
Participants in employment promotion programmes and home workers

Internships (Praktikum)

Interns are a tricky one, and many expats get exploited here, so learn this:

Compulsory internships (required by your university or training) — no minimum wage.
Voluntary internships up to 3 months for career orientation or during your studies — no minimum wage.
Voluntary internships longer than 3 months — minimum wage from day one.

⚠️ Watch out: If someone offers you a "6-month internship" for €500 per month and it isn't a compulsory part of your studies, that's very likely not legal.

Temp work and sector wages

If you work through a temp agency (Zeitarbeit), the statutory minimum wage is the absolute floor — but some sectors have their own collective agreements with higher wages. The legal minimum is the floor, not the target. If you're considering agency work, our Zeitarbeit explained guide shows how it really works.

What to do before 1 January 2027

Check your hourly rate. Divide your gross monthly pay by your hours. Under €14.60 from January? Ask your employer about it.
Check your Minijob hours. If your monthly pay is fixed, make sure your hours still fit under the new minimum wage.
Check your January payslip. Mistakes happen. Compare the hourly rate with the new minimum.
Have a German bank account ready. Salary in Germany is paid by bank transfer, so you need a German or EU account. See our guide to opening a German bank account as an expat. Compare C24 Bank's current account offer here →
Looking for a better-paid job? Browse current openings on our jobs board.
Get our free CV and cover letter templates. Get them here →

⚠️ Paid less than the minimum? If your employer pays less than the minimum wage and won't fix it, you can contact the customs authority (Zoll, Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit), which checks minimum wage compliance, or get advice from a union or a counselling service for foreign workers.

The bottom line

€14.60 per hour won't make anyone rich in Germany, but it's real money — about €120 more gross per month in a full-time job, and €30 more room per month in a Minijob. The most important thing is to know your rights: the minimum wage applies to you no matter your passport, and a fixed Minijob salary doesn't protect you from losing hours.

Got questions about your salary or your Minijob? Drop them in the comments or in our Facebook group Find Around Germany — we read everything. 👋

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