Apprentice Pay in Germany 2026: Minimum Pay, Take-Home Pay and Rights

Minimum pay 2026 by year of training

Minimum pay rises with each year of training by a fixed supplement on the first-year amount (section 17(2) BBiG). For training starting in 2026:

The year training started is what counts

Minimum pay depends on the year in which training starts. That amount continues to apply throughout the training, even if the floor for new apprentices rises later. Base amounts for the first year of training:

Since 2024, the amount has been updated every year in line with the development of apprentice pay. The value for training starting from 2027 is published by the federal ministry in the Federal Law Gazette by 1 November at the latest (section 17(2) BBiG).

Collective agreements: often more, sometimes less

Minimum pay is a floor. How much a company actually has to pay depends on whether a collective agreement applies (section 17(3) and (4) BBiG):

• Bound by a collective agreement: the agreed pay counts as appropriate. It is usually above the minimum but may also fall below it if the agreement says so.
• Not bound by a collective agreement: the company must pay at least the minimum. If there is a collective agreement for the sector, pay more than 20% below it is generally no longer appropriate.

What is left after deductions

Apprentices pay contributions to health, long-term care, pension and unemployment insurance. Up to 325 € a month, the employer pays these contributions alone (section 20(3) SGB IV). Above that, apprentices pay the full employee share; the sliding transition range that applies to midijobs does not apply to them. Income tax depends on the tax class; at the minimum pay, none is due in the example below.

Example: with 724 € in the first year of training, aged 18 and without children, about 153.12 € goes to social security and 0.00 € to income tax. About 570.88 € is left. The result comes from the same calculation function as the apprentice pay calculator (tax class I, average health insurance supplementary contribution).

Other rules on pay

• Payday: pay for the current month must be paid by the last working day of the month at the latest (section 18(2) BBiG).
• Increases: pay must rise at least once a year as training progresses (section 17(1) BBiG).
• Overtime: work beyond the agreed daily training time must be paid separately or compensated with time off (section 17(7) BBiG).
• Board and lodging: benefits in kind may be counted up to at most 75% of gross pay (section 17(6) BBiG).
• Part-time: with part-time training, pay may be lower, but not by a larger percentage than the training hours (section 17(5) BBiG).

Frequently asked questions about apprentice pay