From 1 January 2027, Germany’s statutory minimum wage rises to €14.60 gross per hour, up from €13.90 today. That is 70 cents more, or about €120 gross a month for a full-time job.
The Minimum Wage Commission unanimously recommended the two-step plan on 27 June 2025: first from €12.82 to €13.90 at the start of 2026, then to €14.60. The federal government implemented it and says more than six million people benefit. The SPD had aimed for €15, which has been missed; the social association VdK called €14.60 too little, while the retail association HDE called it barely sustainable.
What it means in your wallet
Gross figures, per finanz.de: at 120 hours a month pay goes from €1,668 to €1,752; at 160 hours from €2,224 to €2,336; on a 40-hour week (about 173 hours) from roughly €2,409 to €2,530. Take-home is lower and depends on tax class and social contributions.
Mini-job holders should note that the earnings limit is tied to the minimum wage and rises from €603 to €633 a month (€7,596 a year). It is calculated as minimum wage times 130 hours divided by three, rounded up. In hours the limit barely changes: at the minimum wage it is about 43 hours a month. Anyone paid more per hour reaches €633 in fewer hours, so rosters should take that into account.
What to check
The minimum wage applies to everyone aged 18 and over, including part-timers and mini-jobbers. Apprentices and certain internships have separate rules, and higher collective or sector minimums take precedence. From your January 2027 payslip, check that the hourly rate is at least €14.60 and that overtime is counted. If you are paid less, ask in writing first; if that goes unanswered, customs (Zoll) is responsible and fines breaches of the Minimum Wage Act. Advice centres such as the Migrationsberatung can help with the first letter.
Our view: for many Ukrainian women working in cleaning, catering, care assistance and retail, this is one of the few predictable improvements. What remains open is how employers in tight-margin sectors react, for instance with fewer hours or rosters just under the mini-job limit. If you notice that, keep your contracted hours in writing.
Sources: Bundesregierung, ZDFheute, finanz.de
