Germany's 2026 minimum wage is €13.90, and 5 groups don't get it

Germany's minimum wage (Mindestlohn) is now €13.90 per hour gross. Gross means your pay before tax and other deductions (money taken off your pay). The new rate started on 1 January 2026.

The rise also lifted the Minijob limit, so it changes what many Indian students and spouses can earn. And some workers don't get the minimum wage at all.

How much is the new minimum wage, and when did it start?

The rate is €13.90 per hour gross, valid from 1 January 2026. For a 40-hour week, that's about €2,410 gross per month. Your take-home pay will be lower after tax and insurance deductions.

This is the first step of a two-step rise recommended by the Minimum Wage Commission. The second step comes on 1 January 2027. Then the rate goes up to €14.60 per hour.

What changes for Minijobs?

A Minijob is a small job with a monthly earnings limit. Under that limit, you don't pay the usual tax and social security deductions. The limit is linked to the minimum wage, so it rose automatically.

As of January 2026, the limit is €603 per month. In 2025 it was €556. The yearly limit is €7,236.

At €13.90 an hour, €603 pays for a maximum of 43.3 hours a month. That's roughly 10 hours a week. If you work more, you go over the limit and the deductions start.

Look at your contract. If it says 50 hours a month, you're already over the limit at the new rate. Ask your employer to cut the hours, not the hourly pay.

Does it apply to Werkstudent jobs and internships?

A Werkstudent is a working student with a part-time contract next to your studies. Your employer must pay you at least €13.90 per hour.

Internships are different. A mandatory internship (Pflichtpraktikum), which your university curriculum requires, is exempt. The employer doesn't have to pay you €13.90 for it.

A voluntary internship is not always exempt. If it lasts longer than 3 months, the employer must pay the minimum wage. Many of us accept unpaid internships without checking this rule. Ask first whether your university requires the internship.

Which 5 groups don't get the minimum wage?

The German Minimum Wage Act (MiLoG) excludes these groups. You can check the official list on the Minimum Wage Commission website.

1. Some interns. This covers mandatory internships for school or university. It also covers voluntary orientation internships of up to 3 months.
2. Apprentices (Auszubildende). They do vocational training (Ausbildung, job training at a company and a school). A separate, lower minimum training allowance (Mindestausbildungsvergütung) applies to them.
3. Young people under 18. This applies if they haven't finished a vocational training yet.
4. The long-term unemployed (Langzeitarbeitslose). If you were registered as unemployed for over a year, your new employer doesn't have to pay the minimum wage for the first 6 months. The idea is to help these people get hired.
5. Volunteers (Ehrenamtliche). People doing voluntary or honorary work don't get the minimum wage.

Freelancers and self-employed people are also outside the rule. They aren't employees, so the minimum wage doesn't apply to them. Set your freelance rates carefully, because nobody sets a floor for you.

What does it mean for professionals and spouses?

If you work on an EU Blue Card, the minimum wage hardly touches you. Blue Card salary thresholds are much higher. Our post on the 2026 Blue Card thresholds shows which one applies to you.

Still, €13.90 is the legal floor for normal employment. That matters most for spouses who arrive on a family reunification visa. Many look for entry-level, retail or part-time work first. For most of these jobs, an employer can't legally pay you less than the new rate.

What should you do now?

First, check your January 2026 payslip. Your hourly rate must be at least €13.90. If you have a fixed monthly salary, divide it by the hours you really work in a month.

Second, if you have a Minijob, keep your hours at about 43 a month or fewer. That keeps you under €603.

Third, if your employer refuses to pay the new rate, call the Minimum Wage Hotline (Mindestlohn-Hotline). It runs under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS). The number is 030 60 28 00 28.

The customs authority (Zoll) enforces the rule through its unit Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit. You can read more on the Zoll website. Minijob questions go to the Minijob-Zentrale.

Keep a simple record of your hours, even in a phone note. It helps if you ever need to prove what you worked. And mark the next date: on 1 January 2027, the rate rises to €14.60 and the Minijob limit to €633.

Cover photo: Willfried Wende on Pexels