The Dutch minimum wage: hourly, age-banded, adjusted twice a year

Since 1 January 2024 the Dutch minimum is fixed per hour — no more monthly figure that meant different hourly rates in different sectors. Government.nl's current table, effective 1 July 2026: 21 and older €14.99 · 20 years €11.99 · 19 years €8.99 · 18 years €7.50 · 17 years €5.92 · 16 years €5.17 · 15 years €4.51 — all gross, before tax. In the first half of 2026 the adult rate was €14.71; the rates move every 1 January and 1 July.

What a month pays therefore depends on your sector's standard week: the same €14.99 hour makes a different monthly gross at 36, 38 or 40 hours — which is exactly why the country abandoned the monthly definition.

Source: Government.nl, minimum wage amounts, read 4 September 2026.

The statutory floor is a floor, not the market: government.nl's own caveat is that your sector's collective labour agreement (CAO) may set a higher minimum, and most Dutch sectors have one — check the CAO before treating €14.99 as your offer's benchmark. Everyone aged 15 and over must be paid at least the applicable age rate, and the youth ladder rises to the full rate at 21.

For the move itself, the wage floor interacts with the residence route: the highly-skilled-migrant route has its own salary thresholds far above the minimum (our HSM guide covers them), while minimum-wage work sits in routes with different sponsorship mechanics. The visa finder maps which routes allow what.

One Dutch particularity worth knowing before the first payslip: working in the Netherlands makes you compulsorily insured under the Dutch system, and residents are required into the basic zorgverzekering — a private policy is not the compliant route for a Dutch employee. Our Dutch basic-package guide covers what that insurance includes and the Netherlands hub carries the rule in full; the checker gives you the routing verdict if you are unsure which side of the line your situation falls.