Mi­ni­mum Wa­ge

From 01.01.2021 onwards, Germany now has a minimum wage law set at 9.50 Euro/hour.

 

The changes from this law regarding student job, internships, and trainee/volunteer jobs are particularly important for students, alumni, as well as those in the transition phase between their studies and their first career.

  • Part Time Jobs (a.k.a mini-jobs) for adults are almost always effected by the changes to the minimum wage.
  • Volunteer/Trainee positions remain undefined by the law and are therefore not protected. It has to be determined from individual case to case if the employment falls under the Berufsbildungsgesetz.
  • Internships are also affected by the minimum wage, excluding certain exceptions. The exceptions to the rule here are internships required by a university program, as well as university preparatory internships, for more than three months.

What does the law ex­act­ly say?

The actual text to the law can be found, in German, here. The section on internships can be found under §22.

When does the mi­ni­mum wa­ge for in­terns work?

You can use this link to find out directly on the website of the Federal Ministry whether your internship is subject to minimum wage.

 

Who should I con­tact if I ha­ve spe­ci­fic ques­ti­ons?

The Federal Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs has a Service-Hotline for specific questions. The hotline can be reached under 030/60 28 00 28 from Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Furthermore, the Ministry has a FAQ website with questions and answers to the minimum wage alterations.

 

What ex­act­ly does the mi­ni­mum wa­ge law do?

With a 40 hour work week, the minimum wage projects a brutto monthly wage of around 1,600 Euros. The Ministry website has a wage calculator for further calculations. For comparison: a public sector employee with a Bachelor degree (wage class E 9 / E 10, level 1) is around 3.000 to 3.400 Euro a month. Master degree holders can expect (E 13, level 1) around 4,000 Euro.

All values are subject to change.