German minimum wage rises to 14.60 euros on 1 January 2027

The increase comes in two steps. Since 1 January 2026 the minimum wage has been 13.90 euros an hour, 78 cents more than in 2025. On 1 January 2027 it rises to 14.60 euros. The figure is not set by the government alone. It is proposed by the Minimum Wage Commission, made up of employer and union representatives, and the government then enacts it by ordinance. This is the fifth such ordinance since the statutory minimum wage was introduced in 2015. What that means in money, as a simple calculation: at full time of 40 hours a week, which is 173.33 hours a month, 13.90 euros an hour comes to about 2,409 euros gross. At 14.60 euros it is about 2,531 euros gross — roughly 120 euros more gross per month. How much of that remains net depends on tax class and contributions. The mini-job threshold is not chosen freely but tied to the minimum wage, so that a mini-job still means ten hours a week. That is why it rises too: 603 euros a month on annual average in 2026, 633 euros in 2027. The minimum wage applies to everyone employed in Germany, regardless of citizenship or how long they have been working in the country.