Minimum wage
in Germany.

SALARY PAYMENT IN Euro (EUR, €)

CONTRACT LANGUAGES German / English

PAYROLL TAX 20.66%

PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly

TIME TO HIRE 48 hours

Get Started

Horizons-owned entity with local country experts in Seoul.

We offer fair, scalable, and transparent pricing on South Korea PEO service. Contact us for a cost breakdown

End service in South Korea with no additional penalties or fees.

Including vision, dental, death & disability, travel, and more.

Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries

Get started

Germany

What is the minimum wage in Germany per hour?

The per hour minimum wage in Germany is €12 (August 2023). This is likely to increase slightly year on year. Overtime hourly pay must be laid out in an employment contract.

Are there regional variations in Germany minimum wage?

There are no regional variations in Germany’s minimum wage.

How has minimum wage in Germany changed in the last 5 years and beyond?

Minimum wage in Germany has changed over the years, and it is likely to slight increase each year. It typically increases between 1-3% yearly.

Germany – Minimum Wage Over the Years

Date	Min. wage, hourly rate (€)
2022	€9.82 (legislation in October 2022 was approved to create an increased minimum wage of €12 per hour, which is an irregular increase. Increases are likely to go back to normal in the future).
2021	€9.50
2020	€9.35
2019	€9.19
2018	€8.84

How does the minimum wage in Germany compare to surrounding countries?

Germany shares a border with 9 countries, the most of any European country. Therefore, minimum wage in the surrounding countries varies. For example:

France: €10.57 per hour (2022)
Denmark: €17.79 per hour (2022)
Czech Republic: approximately €4 per hour (2022)

Is there a different minimum wage for expats in Germany?

There is not a different minimum wage for foreigners in Germany.

Hiring in Germany, Made Easy

Your business can easily hire employees in Germany without opening a local entity. We handle local employment law, complex tax regulations, and international payroll in 180+ countries worldwide. All you need to do is focus on your business.

FAQs

What is the difference between the average salary and the minimum wage in Germany?

The median salary in Germany is €41,000 per year. The minimum wage for a full-time employee in Germany is approximately €18,000 per year. This is a difference of more than €20,000 and it is something you need to think about when looking for skilled and reliable labor in Germany.

Is it possible to hire skilled employees close to the minimum wage in Germany?

It is generally not possible, nor advisable, to hire skilled workers near the minimum wage in Germany. When hiring international employees on a dispersed team, it is usually a wiser investment to hire employees with track records of success and several years of experience who you know can work independently and be successful.

Success stories from businesses we’ve helped enter and grow in new markets.

Client Testimonials

"As a seed-stage, London-based startup, we were initially hesitant to expand internationally due to the administrative workload involved. Horizons took the headache out of the process, allowing us to hire a team of software engineers in Germany."

Gabor SzedlakCo-founder & COO at MindLabs (UK)

"I truly appreciated the thoroughness and the professionalism of Horizons personnel while we hired internationally with them. They were knowledgable on all subject matters pertaining to international employment."

Gary PaskyVP Software Development, PICS ITech (USA)

"On deciding to begin commercial activities in Asia Pacific, we needed a provider to handle the employment and remuneration of our workforce. With Horizons the result was fast, efficient, and fit-for-purpose. We recommend Horizons as an EOR provider.”

Chris MorrellManaging Director, Schaeffler Group (Germany)

"The collaboration with the Horizons team is excellent. Both our local employee as well as our HQ in Germany are more than pleased with the support provided and the simplicity of the service. We can highly recommend the Horizons solution to anyone."

Christoph EngelbertCo-Founder & CTO, Clevabit (Germany)

"We needed an EOR that could provide expert support for payroll in APAC. We are pleased with Horizons’ expertise and the fact that they are flexible, responsive, and easily accessible from Belgium. They were able to provide services within the short timeline we required."

Katia FlamandHuman Resources, Devian Chemicals (Belgium)