Minimum wage 2025

Arbeit

Germany's statutory minimum wage has been €12.82 per hour since January 2025. Full time (40 hrs/week), that's about €2,224 gross a month. The Minimum Wage Commission decides on the next increase every 2 years.

The statutory minimum wage is the minimum that employers in Germany must pay per hour (Minimum Wage Act, MiLoG).

Current status:

• Since 01.01.2026: €13.90/hour
• Previously: €12.82 (2025); from 2027: €14.60
• Increase: +8.4%

What does this mean in practice?

• Full-time (40h/week): ~€2,410 gross/month
• After deductions (tax class I): ~€1,720 net/month
• Minijob limit: €603/month ÷ €13.90 = max. 43 hours/month

Who is covered by the minimum wage?

• All employees over 18
• Also: minijobbers, part-time workers, seasonal workers, interns (over 3 months)
• Exceptions: mandatory internships (school/university), long-term unemployed (first 6 months), apprentices (separate minimum training allowance), volunteers

Industry-specific minimum wages (higher):

• Electrical trade: €13.95
• Painters/varnishers: €14.50
• Roofers: €14.80
• Building cleaning: €14.25
• Care: €15.50–18.25 (depending on qualification)

Minimum Wage Commission:

• 3 employer representatives + 3 trade union representatives + 2 academics + chair
• Decides on the level every 2 years
• Guided by: collective wage trends, the labour market, price trends

Did you know? When the minimum wage was introduced in 2015 (€8.50), business associations warned of the loss of “up to 900,000 jobs”. In fact, unemployment FELL to a record low after its introduction. Employment kept rising.

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