Mini-Job Earnings Limit 2026: What's Changing

What is the mini-job limit?

A mini-job, officially a marginal employment under § 8 Para. 1 No. 1 SGB IV, is an employment where your regular monthly pay does not exceed a certain limit. Since the reform in October 2022, this limit has been dynamically linked to the statutory minimum wage.

The formula: minimum wage × 130 ÷ 3 = monthly earnings limit. The factor 130/3 corresponds to approximately 43.33 hours per month, roughly 10 hours per week at minimum wage.

Since 1 January 2026, the statutory minimum wage is €12.82/hour. This gives:

• Monthly limit: €12.82 × 43.33 h = €556 (rounded up)
• Annual limit: €556 × 12 = €6,672

For comparison: in 2024 the limit was €538/month, in 2025 €556. Since the minimum wage remained unchanged at €12.82 as of 1 January 2026, the mini-job limit also remains stable at €556.

What happens if you exceed the mini-job limit?

If you regularly earn more than €556 per month, your job loses its mini-job status. The consequences:

• Social insurance obligation: you become liable for contributions in all branches of social insurance. Contributions are split between employer and employee.
• Transition zone (midi-job): at earnings between €556.01 and €2,000/month, you pay reduced employee contributions that increase gradually.
• Retrospective contributions: if the excess was foreseeable, the mini-job centre can levy contributions retrospectively.

Exception: occasional excess An unforeseeable, occasional excess is permitted, a maximum of 2 calendar months within a 12-month period and up to a ceiling of €1,112. Note: plannable special payments such as Christmas bonuses do not count as unforeseeable.

Mini-job limit and students

Student employee privilege (Werkstudentenprivileg)

If you work as a student employee (Werkstudent, max. 20 h/week), you are exempt from health, care and unemployment insurance, regardless of earnings. However, this only applies to student employment contracts, not to mini-jobs.

BAföG allowance

The BAföG allowance in 2026 is €6,544 gross per approval period (12 months). Fully using the mini-job limit (€6,672/year) results in an excess of €128. Tip: earn no more than approx. €545/month in your mini-job to safely stay within the BAföG allowance.

Child benefit (Kindergeld)

Since 2012, there is no longer an income limit for child benefit. As long as you are under 25 and in your first training programme, your parents receive child benefit, regardless of how much you earn.

Mini-job vs. short-term employment

CriterionMini-jobShort-term employmentEarnings limit€556/monthNo earnings limitTime limitNone (ongoing possible)Max. 70 working days or 3 months per calendar yearSocial insuranceFlat-rate employer contributions (approx. 28%); employee: only optional pensionCompletely free of social insurance (employee + employer)Tax (employee)Generally tax-free (2% flat from employer)Individual tax bracket or 25% flat rateIdeal for studentsYes, throughout the semesterYes, especially in semester breaks

Tips: How to stay below the mini-job limit

1. Track your hours: at €16/h (ucm hourly rate), that's a maximum of approx. 32.7 hours/month.
2. Include special payments: Christmas bonuses, holiday pay or other bonuses count towards regular earnings.
3. Don't accumulate multiple mini-jobs: earnings from all mini-jobs are added together.
4. Document occasional excesses: if an unforeseeable excess occurs, document the reason.
5. Check the BAföG limit separately: the mini-job limit (€6,672) and the BAföG allowance (€6,544) are not identical.
6. Use the app: with the ucm app you can see at any time how many shifts you've accepted and how much you've earned so far.