Researched by ExpatMoneyEU Research Team · Last updated 15 November 2026 · Data: Germany's statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) — €14.60 gross an hour from 1 January 2027, set by the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (MiLoV5, BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268) on the unanimous recommendation of the Minimum Wage Commission of 27 June 2025 — 2027. Estimate only — not tax or financial advice. Figures are gross, before income tax and social security, which depend on your tax class and personal circumstances.
ExpatMoneyEU verdict: On the 2027 rate of €14.60 an hour, a full-time 40-hour week pays €584.00 gross a week — €2,530.67 a month and €30,368.00 a year. That is €28.00 a week more than the 2026 rate of €13.90, or about €1,456 extra gross pay over a full year. The minijob limit rises with the wage to €633 a month in 2027, so about 10 hours a week at the minimum wage now fits inside a minijob. Remember the 2027 rate only applies to hours worked from 1 January 2027 — until then, €13.90 is still the legal rate.
The 2027 rate is set by the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (MiLoV5), promulgated on 7 November 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268), following the unanimous recommendation of the Minimum Wage Commission (Mindestlohnkommission) of 27 June 2025. The same ordinance sets both steps at once: €13.90 from 1 January 2026 and €14.60 from 1 January 2027. A month is 52 weeks divided by 12, which is how most payroll software spreads a weekly wage. All figures are gross — income tax and social security are deducted separately and depend on your tax class and personal circumstances. The minijob earnings limit rises from €603 to €633 a month in 2027 because it is tied to the minimum wage.
What is the minimum wage in Germany in 2027?
Germany's statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) rises to €14.60 gross an hour from 1 January 2027, up 70 cent — 5.04% — from the 2026 rate of €13.90. The increase was decided by the Minimum Wage Commission (Mindestlohnkommission) on 27 June 2025, and it is already law: the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (MiLoV5) was promulgated on 7 November 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268) and sets both steps at once, €13.90 for 2026 and €14.60 for 2027. The minimum wage is a legal floor — it applies to almost every employee in Germany, including part-time workers and minijobbers, and your employer cannot pay you less for the same hours. The main exceptions are apprentices, under-18s without a completed vocational qualification, and some interns.
For an expat starting work in Berlin, Munich or Hamburg, this rate is the number that matters most on a first payslip. The standard full-time week in Germany is around 40 hours, so a full-time worker on the minimum wage earns €584.00 gross a week in 2027. That is before income tax and social security are taken off — what lands in your bank account is lower, and it depends on your tax class (Steuerklasse) and personal circumstances. This calculator shows gross pay only, so you can check your payslip against the legal minimum; use our Germany net salary calculator to work out the take-home figure. The 2027 rise also lifts the minijob limit from €603 to €633 a month, because the limit is tied to the minimum wage.
→ Free Germany Net Salary Calculator — your take-home after German income tax and social security
How to use it (4 steps)
- Enter the hours you work in a week. The default is 40 hours, the standard full-time week in Germany.
- Pick your job type — regular job, or minijob if your monthly pay stays within the €633 limit in 2027.
- Read your gross pay instantly: a week, a month and a year, plus what the same hours paid in 2026, how much extra 2027 brings, and whether you are inside the minijob limit.
- Compare the result with your payslip. If your employer pays less than €14.60 an hour for hours worked from 1 January 2027, that is underpayment — and it is your take-home, not the gross figure, that lands in your bank account.
→ Free Germany Minijob Earnings Calculator — how many hours fit inside the €633 minijob limit
The formula, with every variable explained
Gross pay a week = hourly rate × hours worked a week. Gross pay a month = gross pay a week × 52 ÷ 12, because a year has 52 weeks and a month is 52 weeks divided by 12. Gross pay a year = gross pay a week × 52. Your hourly rate is the statutory minimum wage for 2027: €14.60 gross. Hours worked a week is the number of hours you actually work — 40 is the standard full-time week in Germany, but part-time workers use their real hours. The minijob check is simple: if your gross pay a month is €633 or less, the job can be a minijob; above that it is regular employment with full social security. At €14.60 an hour, €633 a month allows about 43.4 hours a month, or about 10 hours a week. The extra pay in 2027 is simply your 2027 annual gross minus your 2026 annual gross at the same hours — for a full-time 40-hour week, €30,368.00 minus €28,912.00, which is €1,456.00 a year.
Worked example with real numbers
Example: a worker on a full-time 40-hour week in 2027. The hourly rate is €14.60, so gross pay a week is 40 × €14.60 = €584.00. Gross pay a month is €584.00 × 52 ÷ 12 = €2,530.67, and gross pay a year is €584.00 × 52 = €30,368.00. In 2026 the same 40 hours paid €556.00 a week and €28,912.00 a year, so the 2027 rise is worth €28.00 a week and €1,456.00 a year. Now a part-time worker on 20 hours a week: 20 × €14.60 = €292.00 a week, €1,265.33 a month and €15,184.00 a year. And a minijobber on 10 hours a week: 10 × €14.60 = €146.00 a week, €632.67 a month — just inside the €633 minijob limit, with €0.33 of headroom.
Germany minimum wage rates (2024 vs 2025 vs 2026 vs 2027)
| From | Hourly rate (gross) | Change | Minijob limit | Gross a week, 40 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2024 | €12.41 | — | €538 | €496.40 |
| 1 Jan 2025 | €12.82 | + €0.41 (+3.3%) | €556 | €512.80 |
| 1 Jan 2026 | €13.90 | + €1.08 (+8.4%) | €603 | €556.00 |
| 1 Jan 2027 | €14.60 | + €0.70 (+5.0%) | €633 | €584.00 |
2027 rates apply to hours worked from 1 January 2027. The 2026 rate of €13.90 applies to hours worked up to 31 December 2026. The minijob limit is tied to the minimum wage, so it rises in step with it. Weekly figures assume a 40-hour week over 52 weeks; all figures are gross, before income tax and social security.
→ Free Germany Freelancer Tax Calculator — what German freelance tax takes off your income
Sources and disclaimer
The statutory minimum wage rises to €14.60 gross an hour from 1 January 2027, decided by the Minimum Wage Commission (Mindestlohnkommission) at its meeting on 27 June 2025 and set in law by the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (MiLoV5), promulgated on 7 November 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268). The 2026 rate of €13.90 an hour is set by the same ordinance. The minijob earnings limit rises from €603 to €633 a month in 2027. The 2024 rate of €12.41 and the 2025 rate of €12.82 are the rates set by the earlier adjustment ordinances. Sources checked 15 November 2026. Estimate only — not tax or financial advice. This calculator shows gross pay only; your take-home pay depends on your tax class, social security contributions and personal circumstances — use our Germany net salary calculator for the take-home figure, and confirm the exact rate on your payslip or with your employer before making decisions.
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Send money home with Wise →You may also need…
- Free Germany Net Salary Calculator
- Free Germany Minijob Earnings Calculator
- Free Germany Freelancer Tax Calculator