Guide

Germany's minimum wage: the 2026 number and the machine behind it

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Germany's statutory minimum wage is €13.90 gross per hour from 1 January 2026, rising to €14.60 from 1 January 2027 — the rates set verbatim in § 1 of the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Regulation (MiLoV5). The entitlement itself comes from the Mindestlohngesetz (MiLoG): every employee has a claim to at least the minimum wage, with the level adjusted on the proposal of a standing Minimum Wage Commission.

The current rates

MiLoV5 § 1 states the schedule: der Mindestlohn beträgt ab 1. Januar 2026 €13.90 brutto je Zeitstunde, ab 1. Januar 2027 €14.60 brutto je Zeitstunde — gross, per hour of work. Gross means before tax and social contributions; what lands in the account depends on tax class and insurance, which is what a payslip walk-through logic looks like applied to Germany.

Source: MiLoV5 § 1 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

Who's covered, and the machine

MiLoG § 1 grants the claim: jede Arbeitnehmerin und jeder Arbeitnehmer hat Anspruch — every employee, including part-time and mini-jobbers, with narrow statutory exceptions (certain trainees, some internships). The same section builds the escalator: the level moves by regulation on the proposal of a standing commission (Mindestlohnkommission) — which is why the number changes by dated steps rather than annual guesswork.

Source: MiLoG § 1 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

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Reading a German job offer against it

Salary offers come monthly, the wage floor is hourly — divide monthly gross by actual contracted hours (a 40-hour month is about 173 hours) before judging an offer. The floor also polices side gigs: hourly-billed mini-jobs must clear it. For the neighbours' numbers, see France, the Netherlands and the Europe-wide table.

Source: MiLoV5 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

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Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Germany in 2026?

€13.90 gross per hour from 1 January 2026, per MiLoV5 § 1 — rising to €14.60 on 1 January 2027.

Is the German minimum wage gross or net?

Gross — brutto je Zeitstunde in the regulation's words. Net pay after tax and social contributions is lower and varies by tax class.

Does it apply to mini-jobs and part-time work?

Yes — MiLoG § 1 gives every employee the claim, part-timers and mini-jobbers included, with only narrow statutory exceptions.

Who decides the increases?

A standing Minimum Wage Commission proposes adjustments, which are then fixed by regulation — MiLoV5 is the fifth such step.