Summer Job Rules in Germany: What Under-18s Need to Know About Pay and Hours
Published on 07/29/2026 at 01:10 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Teenagers looking to earn money during the school holidays face a patchwork of regulations that depend heavily on their age. While the national minimum wage rose to €13.90 per hour in January, not every young worker is entitled to that rate.
The key distinction falls at the age of 18. Anyone working a summer job who has already turned 18 must receive the full €13.90 hourly minimum. For minors without a completed vocational qualification, the law carves out an exception — employers are not legally required to pay them the minimum wage. Trade unions nonetheless urge companies to offer fair compensation regardless of a worker's age.
Apprentices operate under a separate system. In 2024, the minimum training allowance for first-year apprentices stands at €724 per month.
Strict Limits on Hours for Young Workers
Germany's Youth Employment Protection Act imposes clear boundaries on when and how long minors can work:
- 13- and 14-year-olds: Permitted only to perform light tasks, and only with parental consent.
- Teenagers aged 15 and older: Can work a maximum of four weeks per year during school holidays, no more than eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. Their shifts must generally fall between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
A critical requirement: employment contracts for minors must include written approval from a parent or guardian. Employers are also obligated to provide the legally mandated rest breaks.
Proposed Changes Could Shrink Minijob Paychecks
A government commission on old-age security has recommended making pension insurance mandatory for Minijobs — the low-wage, part-time positions popular with students. Currently, Minijob holders can choose whether to contribute to the pension system, but only 20.9 percent opt in. Under the proposed reform, contributions for long-term care and health insurance could also become compulsory.
The financial impact would be significant. On a gross monthly wage of €603, a worker would take home only about €475 — a 21 percent reduction. Exemptions are planned for school students, but business associations and the hospitality industry have sharply criticised the proposals.
Travel Time Counts as Paid Work
A ruling from the European Court of Justice in October 2025 strengthened the rights of employees who work at multiple sites. Time spent travelling from the company depot to a construction site or customer location now counts as paid working time. For someone with 80 minutes of daily travel time at the €13.90 minimum wage, this can add up to roughly €400 per month.
Holiday Entitlement Applies to Temporary Workers Too
Under Germany's Federal Holiday Act, employees on a five-day week are entitled to at least 20 days of paid annual leave. For summer jobs, this entitlement is calculated proportionally based on the length of employment. When scheduling holidays, parents with school-age children receive social priority — though this is not an absolute right.
New Push to Integrate Sheltered Workshops
A draft bill aims to more closely link the vocational training areas of workshops for people with disabilities to the mainstream labour market. The goal is to raise the current transition rate of just 0.62 percent into regular employment. Wages paid in these workshops are not subject to the minimum wage — a situation that has already prompted legal challenges.
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