Working student (Werkstudent) in Germany 2026: pay, benefits & Minijob comparison

Last updated: 8 November 2026

Working student (Werkstudent) in brief: A working student is a full-time student enrolled at a university who works up to 20 hours a week for a company during term time. Thanks to the working student privilege (Werkstudentenprivileg), they only pay the pension insurance contribution (9.3 per cent) and are exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. They do have to pay for their own student health and long-term care insurance as soon as family insurance no longer applies, so how much is left net depends on the wage (see the worked example below). Incidentally, it makes no difference to the status whether the job relates to the degree. What matters is that the studies remain the main thing.

Rent, semester ticket, living costs: hardly any students can get by without their own income, and not everyone wants to remain permanently dependent on their parents’ income. In 2026, a Minijob caps your earnings at €603 a month. Anyone who needs more will quickly come across job adverts for working students. This article breaks down what this status entails, what restrictions apply and how much is actually left at the end of the month.

In a nutshell – working student 2026:

• Max. 20 hours per week during term time (Section 6(1) No. 3 of Book V of the Social Code (SGB V)), full-time work is allowed during the semester breaks.
• Minimum wage: €13.90 per hour (from 1 January 2026; from 1 January 2027: €14.60, Section 1 of the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance).
• Working student privilege: no contributions towards health, long-term care or unemployment insurance – you only pay 9.3 per cent pension insurance, on a reduced basis if your monthly wage is up to €2,000.
• 26-week rule: Working more than 20 hours a week is generally only permitted during the semester breaks, up to a maximum of 26 weeks (= 182 calendar days) in total within a year; otherwise, you will lose this privilege.
• Compared to a regular job: Up to around €1,440 gross per month, you’ll actually have slightly less left over as a working student because of the student health insurance you pay for yourself; above that amount, you’ll have more (see calculation example below).

What do you need to qualify as a working student?

A working student is a student enrolled full-time at a university of applied sciences or a university who works for a company over a longer period during term time, for a maximum of 20 hours per week. You must not currently be on a leave-of-absence semester (Urlaubssemester) and must not have studied for more than 25 subject-specific semesters (Fachsemester) per degree programme. Beyond this, the social security authorities make a rebuttable assumption that the student’s studies are no longer the main focus (Circular, Section 1.2.2 g).

In addition, the 26-week rule applies: if, within a year, you have worked for a total of more than 26 weeks (= 182 calendar days) at more than 20 hours per week, you are, according to the Joint Circular of the umbrella organisations of the social security system (Section 1.2.4 d), you are classified as an employee, and you are no longer exempt from social security contributions. The year is calculated backwards from the expected end date of the employment currently under assessment; it is therefore not a calendar year. Compulsory interim work placements do not count towards this. The rule does not create the privilege; it only rules it out: anyone who works more than 20 hours per week during term time is not exempt from social security contributions simply because the period remains under 26 weeks.

According to the circular, working more than 20 hours per week remains exempt from compulsory insurance only in the following cases:

• Semester breaks (Section 1.2.4 b): The job is limited exclusively to the period outside term time; the number of hours and the pay are irrelevant. If the job continues beyond this, the privilege no longer applies. If, over the course of the year, the total number of weeks worked in excess of 20 hours exceeds 26, the 26-week rule applies.
• Weekends, evenings and nights (Section 1.2.4 a): If the working hours are such that they are secondary to the student’s studies and the student’s time and energy are predominantly devoted to their studies, the privilege may apply even if the hours exceed 20 (Federal Social Court, judgement of 22 February 1980, ref. 12 RK 34/79). This applies only where the contract is limited to a maximum of 26 weeks. In the case of permanent contracts or longer-term employment, the privilege does not apply, even if some of the hours fall at the weekend. The circular does not specify a fixed time from which evening work is counted.
• Short-term employment: If the job is, from the outset, limited to a maximum of three months or 70 working days per year, it is generally exempt from social security contributions as short-term employment (Section 8(1) No. 2 SGB IV, circular Section 1.2.4 c). This is a separate rule and does not form part of the working student privilege.

Who is NOT a working student? (Special cases)

The working student privilege applies only to ‘regular students’ at a higher education institution (Section 6(1) No. 3 SGB V). Important exceptions:

• PhD students: PhD students do not count as regular students – they are subject to full social security contributions (source: DRV glossary on the working student privilege).
• Dual study programmes: Under social security law, the practical and theoretical phases are treated as a single unit – therefore, the working student privilege does not apply, but neither does the 20-hour limit.
• Part-time/distance learning: The privilege applies only if the course demonstrably accounts for more than half of a full-time degree (source: Haufe).
• Leave-of-absence semester (Urlaubssemester): The privilege does not apply. Exception: a compulsory work placement during that semester remains exempt from social security contributions (since 1 January 2017).
• More than 25 academic semesters per degree programme: a rebuttable presumption by the social security authorities that the course of study is no longer the main focus – the privilege is generally revoked (source: circular, section 1.2.2 g).
• Gap between Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees: There is no working student status between the end of your Bachelor’s degree and the start of your Master’s degree, even if you had planned to progress directly to your Master’s degree (source: Circular, Section 1.2.2 c; TK for employers).

Several working student jobs at the same time

If you have two working student jobs at the same time, the hours are added together: a maximum of 20 hours per week in total (during term time). 10 hours with Employer A + 10 hours with Employer B = fine; any additional hour means you lose the working student privilege in both jobs. You must inform both employers about the other job. A Minijob (up to €603 a month) does not count towards the 20-hour limit and is treated separately under social security law – a second Minijob alongside a working student job is therefore not a problem, but a third Minijob would then be added to the working student job (Section 8(2) of Book IV of the Social Code (SGB IV)).

How much can I earn as a working student?

As with all other employees in Germany, working students are entitled to the statutory minimum wage of €13.90 per hour (effective from 1 January 2026, Section 1 of the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance). On 1 January 2027 it rises to €14.60. There is no upper limit on earnings. The only restriction is the maximum working time of 20 hours per week during term time.

Working student 2026: all income limits and figures at a glance

To make sure you don’t accidentally lose your family insurance cover or have your BAföG cut – here are all the limits you need to keep in mind as a working student in 2026:

What are the advantages of a working student contract?

As a working student, thanks to the working student privilege, you pay significantly lower social security contributions than ordinary part-time employees. You are exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. Only the employee’s share of pension insurance (9.3 per cent) is deducted, calculated on a reduced basis if your monthly wage is between €603.01 and €2,000 (Section 20(2a) of Book IV of the Social Code (SGB IV)). Your health insurance status stays the same. You remain covered by family insurance as long as you are under 25 and regularly earn no more than €565 a month, which is one-seventh of the reference amount (€3,955 a month in 2026) (Section 10(1) No. 5 SGB V, Section 18 SGB IV). If you only have a Minijob, the Minijob earnings limit of €603 applies instead. Otherwise you have your own student health insurance, statutory or private, and pay the contribution yourself. That also applies if you work full-time during the semester breaks.

Professionally, a working student position counts for more than a temp job in an unrelated field. You work at the same company over several semesters, get to know the processes and are known there when an entry-level position becomes available. It is often possible to write your Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis within the company, with practical supervision and access to real-world data. The employment reference (Arbeitszeugnis), which you are also entitled to as a working student under Section 109 of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO), will then show relevant work experience.

From a financial perspective, there are two additional points to consider. Firstly, through pension insurance you are already building up contribution periods that will later count towards the waiting periods for a pension – in a Minijob, many people opt out of paying contributions and so give up this benefit. Secondly, the 20-hour limit only applies during term time: during the semester breaks, you are allowed to increase your hours up to full-time, whilst the Minijob remains capped at €603 per month.

Depending on the examination regulations, the position may also count towards your degree as a compulsory work placement, as the work is relevant to your field of study. However, this must be confirmed by the examination office or the relevant person at your university – make sure you clarify this before you start, not just at the end of the contract.

In employment law, you are an ordinary employee. This includes at least 20 days’ annual leave on a five-day week (Section 3 of the Federal Holiday Act (BUrlG)), up to six weeks’ sick pay in case of illness (Section 3 of the Continued Remuneration Act (EFZG)), maternity protection and the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The working student privilege applies solely to social security contributions; it does not affect your rights as an employee.

What are the disadvantages of a working student contract?

As a working student you do not pay unemployment insurance contributions (Section 27(4) of Book III of the Social Code (SGB III)), so if you lose your job or finish your studies you have no entitlement to unemployment benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I), because the qualifying period under Section 142 SGB III is not met. If you fund your studies with BAföG, a working student job is often not worth it financially, because your pay takes you over the BAföG earnings allowance. Since 1 January 2026 it has been €389 of countable income per month (notice of 18 November 2025, Federal Law Gazette 2025 I No. 279). Because the flat-rate deductions for income-related expenses and social security are taken off your gross pay first, earnings of up to around €603 gross per month remain free of deductions (Section 23 BAföG). In addition, free family insurance ends as soon as you regularly earn more than €565 a month (or €603 with a Minijob only, Section 10(1) No. 5 SGB V). A working student job counts as regular income, so the €565 limit applies, not the higher Minijob limit. You then have to take out student health and long-term care insurance yourself: €87.38 for health insurance (vdek table 2026) plus your health insurance fund’s additional contribution, on average 2.9 per cent and so around €24.80 (Section 242a SGB V; announcement of the Federal Ministry of Health of 7 November 2025, BAnz AT 10 November 2025 B7), plus €35.91 long-term care insurance for childless people aged 23 and over (otherwise €30.78). Together that is €148.09 a month, or €142.96 if you have children.

Working student compared with other ways of working alongside your studies

Working student or part-time job: which is better?

Whether a working student job is financially better than a regular part-time job with the same number of hours and the same hourly wage depends on the wage. The working student privilege exempts you from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance contributions (Section 6(1) No. 3 SGB V, Section 27(4) SGB III); you only pay the employee’s share of pension insurance. However, you must pay for your own student health and long-term care insurance as soon as you are no longer covered under your family’s insurance. This is why a working student only comes out ahead once their gross monthly earnings reach around €1,440.

Decision guide: 5 questions, then you know

1. Do you receive BAföG? If so, a Minijob (max. €603) is the best option. Both a working student job and a regular part-time job would count towards your BAföG and reduce it.
2. Do you work a maximum of 20 hours a week? Then, as an enrolled student, you are automatically a working student, and you have no choice in the matter. In net terms, this pays off mainly with higher hourly wages: up to around €1,440 gross, a regular job actually leaves you with slightly more because of the reduced contributions in the transition zone (Übergangsbereich) (see calculation example below).
3. Have you been studying for more than 25 academic semesters? In that case, the social security institutions generally no longer assume that your studies are your main priority, and you’ll pay contributions as a normal employee. There is no age limit for the working student privilege; student health insurance only ends at the age of 30.
4. Will you need unemployment benefit I after your studies? Only a regular part-time job pays into unemployment insurance. Working students are not entitled to unemployment benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I) (Section 142 SGB III).
5. Do you want to work full-time during the semester breaks? Working student: yes (up to the 26-week limit). Part-time: no, your contract fixes your agreed hours.

Direct comparison: working student vs. regular part-time employee (20 hours per week, minimum wage)

The working student advantage grows with the hourly wage. From around €1,440 gross a month, which at 20 hours a week is about €16.60 an hour, the working student comes out ahead: by around €53 a month at €20 an hour (approx. €1,732 gross) and by around €100 a month from €2,000 gross. On top of that, working student jobs are almost always relevant to your field, which counts for more on a CV later than a part-time job as a waiter.

Worked example: working student contract vs. part-time contract

Let’s say you work 20 hours a week at the minimum wage of €13.90 (2026):

20 hours × 4.33 weeks = 86.6 hours × €13.90 = approx. €1,204 gross per month

As a working student, that gives you:

€1,204.00 – €80.02 pension contributions (9.3% of €860.42) = €1,123.98. From this, you still have to pay for your student health and long-term care insurance; for childless people aged 23 and over, this is around €148.09. This leaves approximately €975.89 (tax class I, before income tax).

As a regular employee on a part-time contract, you get:

€1,204.00 – €75.29 health insurance (KV) – €20.65 long-term care insurance (PV) – €11.19 unemployment insurance (AV) – €80.02 pension insurance (RV) = approx. €1,016.85 (childless from age 23; all contributions on the reduced basis of €860.42)

At minimum wage, the regular job therefore leaves you about €40.96 more. The reason for this is the transition zone (Übergangsbereich) between €603.01 and €2,000: in this zone, the employee’s contributions are calculated not on the gross pay but on a reduced basis (Section 20(2a) SGB IV). At a gross salary of €1,204, this amounts to €860.42 – which is why the four contributions combined are lower than the student insurance, which you pay in full as a working student as soon as your family insurance cover ceases. From around €1,440 gross, the balance tips in favour of working student status.

Let’s say you earn €20 per hour, which amounts to approximately €1,732 gross per month (20 hours × 4.33 weeks × €20). That gives:

As a working student: €1,732.00 – €150.32 pension insurance (RV) – €148.09 student health and long-term care insurance (KV/PV) = approx. €1,433.59

As a regular employee: €1,732.00 – €141.43 health insurance (KV) – €38.79 long-term care insurance (PV) – €21.01 unemployment insurance (AV) – €150.32 pension insurance (RV) = approx. €1,380.45 (contribution basis €1,616.32)

Whether a working student job is worthwhile depends on your own situation. For BAföG recipients, the rule is: up to around €603 gross per month, your BAföG stays unreduced, because the allowance of €389 is only applied to the income that has been reduced by income-related expenses and the social security flat rate (BAföG allowances). Anything above that is taken into account. As a working student, you typically earn significantly more – so work out carefully whether it’s worth it on balance.

A practical tip: Be sure to file a tax return as a working student. Thanks to the basic allowance of €12,348 (2026), you won’t pay any income tax on the first €12,348 of your annual income. If your employer has nevertheless deducted income tax, you’ll get this back via your tax return.

Are you entitled to holiday as a working student?

Yes! As a working student, you have the same statutory holiday entitlement as any other employee. For a 5-day working week, this amounts to at least 20 days’ holiday per year under Section 3 BUrlG. If you work fewer days, your entitlement is reduced proportionally:

• 5 days/week: 20 days’ holiday
• 4 days/week: 16 days’ holiday
• 3 days/week: 12 days’ holiday
• 2 days/week: 8 days’ holiday

Many employers grant more than the statutory minimum. Check your contract!

What must be included in your working student contract?

A working student contract is essentially a standard employment contract – but it must contain a few clauses specific to working students. It should include the following elements:

• Contracting parties: the employer and you, named and with your address.
• Start date and duration: Working student contracts are usually fixed-term – pay attention to the end date and whether an extension is provided for.
• Enrolment and notification requirements: The key clause for working students. You must provide a current certificate of enrolment and immediately report any change in status (exmatriculation, leave-of-absence semester, end of studies) – your status as a working student depends on this.
• Job description: Scope of duties and area of responsibility.
• Working hours: A maximum of 20 hours per week during term time, up to full-time during the semester breaks (26-week rule).
• Remuneration: Hourly wage or gross monthly salary – at least the statutory minimum wage (€13.90 per hour from 2026, €14.60 per hour from 2027).
• Holiday entitlement: At least the statutory minimum under Section 3 BUrlG, calculated pro rata based on days worked.
• Probationary period and notice periods: Probationary period usually 3–6 months (2 weeks’ notice), followed by the statutory 4 weeks’ notice to the 15th or the end of the month.
• Continued pay in the event of illness: up to 6 weeks, as for any employee.
• Secondary employment / multiple jobs: Obligation to declare other jobs – important because the hours worked across several working student jobs are aggregated towards the 20-hour limit.
• Confidentiality: standard confidentiality clause.

Before signing, check that working hours (max. 20 hours) and pay (≥ minimum wage) are clearly set out – these are the two points where problems most frequently arise with working student contracts.

After graduation, your first permanent contract usually follows – and with it, a whole new set of questions. We have covered separately what matters when it comes to salary, holiday entitlement and the probationary period in your first employment contract.

Taxes as a working student: how much goes to the tax office?

Working students pay full income tax (Lohnsteuer) like any other employee – the working student privilege applies only to social security, not to tax law. In practice, though, this is rarely a big deal: the basic allowance in 2026 is €12,348 per year (Section 32a of the Income Tax Act) – up to that amount, you pay no income tax. With the employee’s flat-rate allowance (€1,230) and the flat-rate allowance for special expenses (€36), even up to around €13,614 gross per year is tax-free.

If your employer has nevertheless deducted income tax (common in tax class I for a gross salary of €1,029 or more per month), you’ll get it back via your tax return. Filing a tax return is almost always worthwhile for working students. In a Master’s or second degree it also lets you carry forward income-related expenses (tuition fees, specialist literature, commuting allowance) as a loss for later.

Working student pay by sector (as of 2026)

Hourly wages vary greatly depending on the field of study and sector. The following figures are medians taken from current job advertisements and reports on working student salaries (Werkstudentengenie 2026, Indeed Career Guide):

Outlook for 2027: On 1 January 2027, the statutory minimum wage will rise to €14.60 per hour (Section 1 of the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance), which, based on a 20-hour working week, amounts to around €1,264 gross per month. This will also raise the Minijob income limit, as it is linked to the minimum wage under Section 8(1a) SGB IV: from €603 to €633 per month and €7,596 per year (Minijob-Zentrale). Both changes take effect automatically; your contract does not need to be amended.

Frequently asked questions about working student jobs