Salary calculator · Germany 2026
Germany Gross to Net Salary Calculator 2026
Enter your gross salary in euros, monthly or yearly, and pick your tax class. The calculator shows what you take home after wage tax (Lohnsteuer), the solidarity surcharge, church tax and social security contributions.
Result
Take-home pay
€2,333.25
per month · of €3,500.00 gross, you keep 67%
- Take-home 67%
- Taxes 12%
- Social security 22%
| Taxes | −€405.50 |
|---|---|
| Wage tax (Lohnsteuer) | −€405.50 |
| Solidarity surcharge | €0.00 |
| Church tax | €0.00 |
| Social security | −€761.25 |
| Health insurance | −€306.25 |
| Long-term care insurance | −€84.00 |
| Pension insurance | −€325.50 |
| Unemployment insurance | −€45.50 |
| Total deductions | −€1,166.75 |
Additional health contribution used: 2.9%. This is an estimate. Your employer's payslip shows the final amount.
How we calculate
Wage tax, the solidarity surcharge and the church tax base come from the official 2026 algorithm of the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), the same one payroll software uses. We checked the results against 44 examples from the official BMF calculator, and they match to the cent.
Employee contributions in 2026: health insurance 7.3% plus half of your health fund's additional contribution (we assume the 2.9% average, so 8.75% in total), pension 9.3%, unemployment 1.3% and long-term care 1.8% (2.3% in Saxony). From age 23, people without children pay an extra 0.6% for long-term care, while parents of two or more children under 25 pay less: 0.25 percentage points for each child from the second to the fifth.
Contributions are only charged up to a ceiling: health and long-term care up to €5,812.50 gross a month, pension and unemployment up to €8,450. Earnings above the ceiling do not raise these contributions.
What the calculator leaves out
The result is an estimate for an employee with statutory health insurance. We apply the child allowance on the tax card for children under 25; in practice it covers children up to 18, or up to 25 while they are in education. We do not cover private health insurance, minijobs and midijobs, one-off bonuses, personal allowances registered for your tax card, or child benefit (Kindergeld), which is paid separately. By default we use the average additional health contribution of 2.9%, and you can enter your own fund's rate under “More options”. Your payslip shows the final amount.
Frequently asked questions
Which tax class should I choose?
A single person works in class I, a single parent in class II. Married couples choose IV and IV if they earn about the same, or III and V if one earns clearly more (III for the higher earner). Class VI is for a second or any further job.
Do children lower my wage tax?
The child allowance on your tax card does not lower the wage tax itself. It lowers the solidarity surcharge and church tax, and the state pays child benefit (Kindergeld) separately. Children under 25 do lower your long-term care contribution, though. Because of that, your wage tax can even go up very slightly (a lower contribution means a smaller deduction), but your net pay still rises.
Why do contributions stop growing at a higher salary?
Because Germany has contribution ceilings. In 2026, health and long-term care contributions are charged on at most €5,812.50 a month, and pension and unemployment contributions on at most €8,450.
Rates and ceilings for 2026, checked on 8 October 2026.