Minimum wage in Germany

A general statutory minimum wage was introduced in Germany in 2015, and applies to all workers over the age of 18. Here’s what you need to know about the minimum wage in Germany (Mindestlohn). 

Minimum wage in Germany in 2025

As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in Germany is 12,82 euros per hour. 

Workers in certain industries - such as roofers, scaffolders, and security staff at airports - are entitled to different minimum wages, as agreed in collective bargaining agreements. You can see an overview of these minimum wages on the Destatis website. 

Who is entitled to minimum wage (Mindestlohn)?

The statutory minimum wage applies to all workers in Germany over the age of 18 - including part- and full-time workers, foreign workers, seasonal workers, and people who work for foreign employers. It also applies to people who work in marginal employment (so-called “mini” and “midi jobs”).

However, it does not apply to:

• Trainees under the Vocational Training Act
• Volunteers
• Participants in employment promotion schemes
• Home workers under the Home Work Act
• People who are self-employed
• People under the age of 18 who have not completed vocational training
• Long-term unemployed people who have re-entered the labour market in the last six months

According to Destatis, as of April 2024, 3,7 percent of all workers in Germany earn the minimum wage. 

Special rules for interns

In general, interns are entitled to the minimum wage in Germany, but exceptions apply to compulsory internships, for instance those completed as a mandatory part of secondary education or higher education. 

If a voluntary internship lasts fewer than three months and is for career orientation purposes (for instance, if the intern is deciding on a vocational training course or university studies, or is undertaking the internship during their studies) then there is no minimum wage entitlement. 

If the internship lasts longer than three months, the minimum wage must be paid from the first day that it is known that the internship will last longer than three months. 

If you are not sure whether you are entitled to minimum wage while undertaking your internship, you can use this calculator on the BMAS website (in German). 

Special rules for cross-border workers

If you are a cross-border worker working in the road transport of goods or passengers, special rules apply. You can find out more on the Zoll website.

Requirement to record working hours

To ensure that the minimum wage is being paid for the hours worked, employers in certain sectors in Germany are obliged to document their employees’ working hours. This applies to employees working in:

• Mini and midi jobs
• The construction sector
• Restaurants and hotels
• The shipping, transport and logistics sectors
• Forestry
• Facility cleaning services
• Trade fair builders
• The meat industry 

This obligation is waived if the employer is a close family member (like a spouse or registered partner, parent or child), or if the employee regularly earned more than 2.974 euros per month (as of 2025) over the last 12 months. 

Adjustments to Germany’s minimum wage

The minimum wage in Germany is typically reviewed every two years and adjusted in line with inflation. 

These adjustments are not undertaken by the federal government alone. Instead, the independent Federal Wage Commission assesses the current minimum wage to determine whether it provides adequate income protection, allows for fair competition, and does not lead to job losses. It bases this decision partially on the broader development of wages in Germany. 

Once the Federal Wage Commission has made its recommendation, the federal government can adjust the minimum wage as the commission suggests; the government cannot autonomously decide on how much the minimum wage should be. 

Minimum hourly wage in Germany 2015 - 2024

You can check the previous minimum wage amounts in Germany in the table below:

Year	Minimum hourly wage
2015	8,50 euros
2016	8,50 euros
2017	8,84 euros
2018	8,84 euros
2019	9,19 euros
2020	9,35 euros
January - July 2021	9,50 euros
July - December 2021	9,60 euros
January - July 2022	9,82 euros
July - September 2022	10,45 euros
October - December 2022	12 euros
2023	12 euros
2024	12,41 euros
2025	12,82 euros

Why does Germany have a minimum salary?

According to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a minimum wage was first introduced in Germany in 2015 to protect workers from “unreasonably low wages”, to contribute to fair and effective competition, and to ensure greater stability in the German social security system.