The short answer
- Minimum wage: 13.90 € now, 14.60 € per hour from 1 January 2027.
- Minijob limit: 603 € now, 633 € per month from 1 January 2027.
- Midijob zone will start at 633.01 € (today 603.01 €).
- Social insurance ceilings go up. This only matters if you earn a lot. Most people in our community will not feel it.
The minimum wage rise is law. It comes from the Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung. The social insurance figures were approved by the cabinet, but the Bundesrat still has to agree. That step is normal and usually a formality. Still, check again in December.
Minimum wage 14.60 €: what you will get
The rise is 70 cents per hour. That sounds small. Over a full month it is not.
| Hours per month | 2026 (13.90 €) | 2027 (14.60 €) | More per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours (part-time) | 1,112.00 € | 1,168.00 € | +56.00 € |
| 120 hours | 1,668.00 € | 1,752.00 € | +84.00 € |
| 160 hours (full-time) | 2,224.00 € | 2,336.00 € | +112.00 € |
These are gross amounts (brutto). Tax and social insurance come off. Use our Brutto-Netto calculator to see your net pay.
What to do in January
- Look at your first pay slip of 2027 (the one for January, usually paid end of January or early February).
- Divide your gross pay by the hours you really worked.
- If the result is under 14.60 €, talk to your employer in writing. Keep a copy.
Many contracts have an Ausschlussfrist. This is a deadline, often three months. If you do not ask for missing money in writing within that time, it can be lost. Our Arbeitszeit tracker helps you write down your hours every day, so you have proof.
Watch out: some employers "pay" the raise by cutting hours on paper while you keep working the same time. Or they count your break as work time on the slip but not in real life. Write down your real start, end and break times. It takes one minute a day.
Minijob: 633 € from 2027
The Minijob limit is tied to the minimum wage. The rule is simple: minimum wage × 130 ÷ 3, rounded up. For 2027 that gives 633 € per month, or 7,596 € per year.
At 14.60 € you can work about 43 hours per month in a Minijob. That is the same as now. The hours stay, the money goes up.
- If your Minijob pays exactly 603 € today, your employer can raise it to 633 € and you stay a Minijobber.
- If you earn more than 633 €, you are in the Midijob zone. Then you pay reduced social insurance, but you also get full health insurance through the job.
- Students and people with a main job: the same 633 € limit applies to your side job.
Read the rules for Minijobs in our blog: Minijob – which rights you really have. Official source: Minijob-Zentrale.
Care workers: a second raise in July 2027
If you work in a Pflegeheim or Pflegedienst, a special care minimum wage applies. It is higher than the normal one. From 1 July 2027 it rises again: Hilfskraft 16.95 €, qualified Hilfskraft 18.26 €, Fachkraft 21.58 € per hour. Today it is 16.52 €, 17.80 € and 21.03 €. Details on our care jobs page.
Important: this care minimum wage does not apply in a private household (24-hour care). There only the normal minimum wage counts.
Social insurance ceilings 2027
These numbers decide up to which salary you pay social insurance. Above the ceiling, you pay nothing more on the extra money.
| Figure (per month) | 2026 | 2027 (cabinet decision) |
|---|---|---|
| Pension and unemployment insurance ceiling | 8,450 € | 8,850 € |
| Health and care insurance ceiling | 5,812.50 € | 6,375 € |
| Versicherungspflichtgrenze (per year) | 77,400 € | 84,150 € |
What it means in plain words:
- You earn under about 5,800 € a month? Nothing changes for you here.
- You earn more? Your health insurance contribution can go up a bit, because more of your salary counts.
- Thinking about private health insurance (PKV)? You need a higher salary to switch: over 84,150 € a year. Think twice anyway. With PKV every family member pays extra. Read our Krankenkasse page first.
Blue Card holders: the salary limit will move too
The salary you need for the EU Blue Card is linked to the pension ceiling. The normal limit is 50 % of the yearly pension ceiling. For shortage jobs, IT and new graduates it is 45.3 %.
In 2026 that is 50,700 € and 45,934.20 € gross per year. If the new 2027 ceiling is approved as planned, the same rule would give about 53,100 € and 48,108.60 €. The official numbers are published by the Interior Ministry, usually at the end of the year. So treat these as an estimate, not as final.
Do you already have a Blue Card? When the limit rises, your existing card stays valid. The new limit matters when you apply for a new card, change employer, or extend. If you plan a job change in 2027, check that the new salary is over the 2027 limit. Ask your Ausländerbehörde in writing if you are not sure. More on visas: German visa types and fees and Make it in Germany: EU Blue Card.
Your 5-minute checklist for January 2027
- Note your hourly wage today. Compare it with your January slip.
- Minijob: ask your boss if your pay goes to 633 € or stays the same.
- Care job: put 1 July 2027 in your calendar.
- Blue Card and a job change planned? Check the new limit in January.
- Pay too low? Write to your employer. No answer? The customs office (Zoll, Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit) checks minimum wage. A union or the Arbeitsgericht can also help.
Related pages
Sources
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung: Bundeskabinett beschließt Rechengrößen 2027 (8 Oct 2026)
- finanz.de: Mindestlohn 2027 und Minijob-Grenze (6 Oct 2026)
- Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung: Minijob-Grenze und Formel
- betanet: Midijob Übergangsbereich
- Blaue Karte Mindestgehalt 2026
- Minijob-Zentrale
We check these numbers again in January 2027. This page is general information, not legal advice. For your own case ask your employer, a union, a Beratungsstelle or a lawyer.