Germany's Minimum Wage in 2026: 13.90 Euros an Hour, Explained

What "minimum wage" means in Germany

Germany's general statutory minimum wage is described officially as the wage floor that employers are not allowed to go below. Since 1 January 2026, that floor is 13.90 euros an hour. This is the base rate referred to in official guidance as the "allgemeiner gesetzlicher Mindestlohn", the general statutory minimum wage.

Who the general floor covers, and where sector rates can be higher

The 13.90 euro floor is the general rate that applies broadly. Separately, official guidance notes that in some sectors, collectively bargained minimum wages apply, and these are binding on every employer and employee within that sector's scope. If you are offered a job in a sector with its own bargained minimum, check which rate your contract actually quotes: where a sector rate exists, it can sit above the general 13.90 euro floor, and it is the one that is compulsory for that line of work. Official guidance also has a dedicated section asking whether internship pay meets the minimum wage, with a short question tool for checking this, so if an internship is part of your move to Germany it is worth checking that question directly.

Why the rate changes: an independent commission, not a one-off decision

The 13.90 euro figure was not set as a one-off political decision. According to official guidance, the federal government has set up a standing, independent Minimum Wage Commission specifically to decide adjustments to the minimum wage. The general statutory minimum wage itself has existed in Germany since 1 January 2015, with the rate reviewed through this commission since then.

What to check in your contract before you sign

Two points from official guidance are worth checking directly against any job offer. First, in certain sectors employers have a documentation duty: they are required to record working hours, specifically so that the minimum wage is actually paid for every hour worked. If your employer operates in one of these sectors, ask how your hours are logged, since that record is what the minimum wage is checked against. Second, confirm whether your pay slip reflects the general 13.90 euro floor or a higher sector-specific rate where one applies, since only one of the two can be the legal minimum for your job.

Where to check the details yourself

Official guidance makes a Minimum Wage Calculator available, described as a tool to check how the minimum wage affects your salary and what your hourly wage works out to. It also publishes an information sheet on the minimum wage translated into 14 languages, a useful starting point if German is not your first language. There is also a dedicated minimum wage hotline, 030/60 28 00 28, for direct questions, plus published question-and-answer material covering the minimum wage in care work and for students, and a full evaluation report on the general statutory minimum wage carried out under Section 23 of the Minimum Wage Act.