How to Read the German Minimum Wage: A Practical Guide for UK Workers

Understanding the German Minimum Wage: A Practical Guide for UK Workers

If you are a UK worker considering a job in Germany or being posted there by your employer, you need to understand how the German minimum wage works. The headline rate – €13.90 per hour from January 2026 – is just the starting point. Sector-specific agreements, payment deadlines, and the way the rate is set all affect what you actually take home. This guide explains how to read the headline rate and what it means for your pay.

The Statutory Minimum Wage: How It Is Set

Germany’s general minimum wage is determined by the Minimum Wage Commission (Mindestlohnkommission), an independent body of trade union and employer representatives. The Commission considers collective bargaining trends and the EU Minimum Wage Directive, which recommends a reference value of 60% of the gross median wage of full-time employees. The current rate of €13.90 per hour took effect on 1 January 2026, and a further increase to €14.60 per hour is scheduled for 1 January 2027, as confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Zoll customs authority.

This statutory minimum wage is enshrined in the Act Regulating a General Minimum Wage (Mindestlohngesetz – MiLoG). It applies to all workers, including those posted from abroad, regardless of the length of their assignment. Your employer must pay you at least this amount for every hour worked, and payment must be made by the last banking day of the month following the month in which you worked.

Sector-Specific Minimum Wages: Often Higher

In many industries, collective bargaining agreements set higher minimum wages that are declared generally binding by the government. These sector-specific rates take precedence over the general minimum wage. For example:

• Care sector: Unskilled workers earn at least €16.10 per hour (July 2025–June 2026), skilled carers €17.35 per hour, and qualified carers €20.50 per hour.
• Education: Teaching staff earn €20.24 per hour in 2026, rising to €20.86 for those with additional qualifications.
• Industrial cleaning: Indoor maintenance cleaners earn €15.00 per hour in 2026, while glass and facade cleaners earn €18.40 per hour.
• Electrical trade: €14.93 per hour in 2026, rising in steps to €16.10 by 2028.
• Temporary agency work: €14.53 per hour (March–September 2025).

If you work in construction, roofing, scaffolding, or chimney sweeping, check the specific rate for your trade. The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) publishes a full table of binding branch-specific minimum wages, which is updated regularly.

How to Read the Headline Rate

The headline rate of €13.90 is a gross figure. Your net take-home pay will be lower after income tax, solidarity surcharge, and social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, and long-term care insurance). For a single person without children, the net pay from a full-time job at the minimum wage might be around 60–65% of gross, depending on your tax class and region.

For UK workers, currency conversion adds another layer. At an exchange rate of roughly €1.16 to £1, €13.90 equals about £11.98. That is slightly below the UK National Living Wage of £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over. However, many German sector-specific rates are significantly higher, and the cost of living in many German cities is lower than in London or the South East of England.

What This Means for Posted Workers

If your UK employer posts you to Germany, you are entitled to the German minimum wage from day one. The Zoll customs authority enforces these rules and provides detailed guidance. You should also check whether your sector has a higher binding minimum wage – if so, that rate applies. Your employer must pay you on time and provide a written statement of your working conditions.

For more on how UK minimum wage rates compare, see our UK Minimum Wage guide. If you are planning to work abroad, our pay guides offer practical advice on understanding international pay scales.

Key Takeaways

• The German statutory minimum wage is €13.90 per hour from 1 January 2026, rising to €14.60 in 2027.
• Sector-specific minimum wages are often higher – always check your industry’s rate.
• The rate is set by the Minimum Wage Commission based on collective bargaining and EU guidelines.
• Payment must be made by the last banking day of the following month.
• For UK workers, net pay depends on tax, social insurance, and exchange rates.

Always verify current rates with official sources such as the Mindestlohnkommission or Zoll before signing a contract. For a broader view of UK pay data, visit our pay data page.