Dutch Minimum Wage in 2026: Hourly Rates by Age and What Students Earn

The Netherlands sets a statutory minimum wage that all employers must respect. The rate is not the same for everyone - it depends on the worker's age, and students on certain vocational pathways follow a separate scale. If you are job hunting in the Netherlands or checking whether a job offer is legal, here is what the law says for 2026.

Minimum hourly wage for workers aged 21 and over

For employees aged 21 and up, the statutory minimum hourly wage is €14.71 gross for the first half of 2026, according to business.gov.nl. This is the legal floor - no employer may pay less than this to a qualifying worker.

The gross amount is what appears in your employment contract. The net figure - what actually lands in your bank account - is lower, because payroll taxes are deducted first. These include income tax and social security contributions such as old-age pension (AOW) and unemployment insurance (WW). Your employer must show both the gross and net amounts on your payslip, alongside the minimum hourly rate that applies to you.

The rate applies regardless of contract type: permanent, fixed-term, agency, posted, or an assignment agreement.

Youth minimum hourly wage: ages 15 to 20

Workers aged 15 to 20 are covered by a separate youth minimum wage. The hourly rate varies by age - each year of age has its own rate, stepping up as the worker gets older. The Dutch government publishes the exact gross amounts for each age on business.gov.nl.

The minimum age to receive a statutory youth minimum wage is 15.

Workers aged 13 and 14

For employees aged 13 and 14, no statutory minimum hourly wage applies. The wage is agreed directly between the employer and the employee. There is no legal floor for this age group, so the rate depends entirely on what is written in the agreement.

BBL students on vocational training placements

MBO students on the beroepsbegeleidende leerweg (BBL) - the work-based day release or block release pathway within secondary vocational education - have a specific minimum hourly wage that is separate from the main minimum wage tables. This rate applies when students work for an employer as part of their official practical learning requirement.

If you are an MBO student on a BBL placement, you are not automatically entitled to the adult rate of €14.71. A different legal minimum applies, and the 2026 amounts are listed on business.gov.nl (in Dutch). It is worth checking whether your employer is using the correct rate.

When does the minimum wage change?

The statutory minimum wage is adjusted every 6 months. Employers are required to update their employees' pay whenever a new rate takes effect. An increase for the second half of 2026 has already been announced.

Looking further ahead, the youth minimum wage is set to rise from 2027.

One other rule worth knowing: the minimum wage must always be paid by bank transfer. Cash payment is not permitted, and failing to pay by bank transfer can result in a fine.

If you are comparing job offers in the Netherlands, the minimum wage gives you a useful baseline. Any gross hourly rate below €14.71 for a worker aged 21 or over is below the legal minimum. NewLuxJob lists verified vacancies across the Netherlands and wider Europe, with salary details where employers have provided them.