Salarium

€18 an hour in Germany: gross and net (2026)

€18 gross an hour

€2,121.99 net a month

€25,464 net a year, paid in 12 monthly salaries.

Monthly salary, tax class I, no church tax, no children, statutory health insurance (2.9 % add-on rate), North Rhine-Westphalia, 2026 rules.

How €3,120 gross becomes €2,121.99 net
ItemHow it is worked outMonthYear
Gross pay€3,120.00€37,440.00
Income tax (Lohnsteuer)Tax class I, official BMF payroll algorithm 2026− €319.41− €3,832.92
Solidarity surcharge5.5% of income tax, only above €20,350 of income tax a year€0.00€0.00
Health insurance8.75% employee share incl. half the add-on rate− €273.00− €3,276.00
Long-term care insurance2.4% employee share− €74.88− €898.56
Pension insurance9.3% employee share− €290.16− €3,481.92
Unemployment insurance1.3% employee share− €40.56− €486.72
Take-home pay32% of gross goes to tax and contributions€2,121.99€25,463.88

Based on 40.0 hours a week and 52 weeks a year: €3,120 gross a month.

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More details (optional)
8 % of income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9 % elsewhere. Only for registered church members.
Lowers solidarity surcharge and church tax through the child allowance, and the care insurance rate.
No childless surcharge on care insurance.
%2026 average: 2.9 %.
Only with private insurance.

The result updates as you type.

Take-home pay per period

€37,440 gross a year by period
PeriodGross payTake-home pay
Year€37,440.00€25,463.88
Month€3,120.00€2,121.99
Week€720.00€489.69
Hour€18.00€12.24

Weekly figures use 52 weeks, hourly figures 40.0 hours a week.

At €37,440 a year this salary is €16,626 (31%) below the median for full-time employees in Germany (€54,066, Destatis 2025). Per hour that is €12.24 net at 40 hours a week.

€18 gross in every tax class

Tax classMonthYearDifference
Tax class I €2,121.99€25,464
Tax class II €2,217.74€26,613 + €95.75
Tax class III €2,389.74€28,677 + €267.75
Tax class IV €2,121.99€25,464
Tax class V €1,780.07€21,361 − €341.92
Tax class VI €1,739.90€20,879 − €382.09

What changes the result

Questions people ask

What is €18 gross in net in Germany?

In 2026, a €18 monthly salary leaves €2,121.99 net in tax class I without church tax, or €25,464 a year. The deductions are €319.41 income tax and €678.60 social insurance.

How much is €18 gross in tax class 3?

In tax class III you take home €2,389.74 a month, €268 more than in class I. Class III suits the higher earner in a married couple whose partner is in class V.

What gross salary do I need for €18 net?

To take home €18 a month in tax class I without church tax you need about €0 gross.

Do I pay the solidarity surcharge on €18?

No. It applies only when income tax is above €20,350 a year (class III: €40,700). On €18 a month income tax is €3,833 a year.

How much church tax would I pay on €18?

€28.74 a month: 9% of income tax in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is 8 % in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and 9 % elsewhere, and only for registered members of a church that levies it.

What hourly wage is €18 a month?

At 40 hours a week that is €18.00 gross and €12.24 net an hour. The German minimum wage in 2026 is €13.90 an hour.

Nearby amounts

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Sources

Rules for the 2026 tax year, last checked on 2026-09-26. Every rate and threshold is taken from the sources below. How we calculate

Show all 22 sources