Salarium

€21 an hour in Germany: gross and net (2026)

€21 gross an hour

€2,410.14 net a month

€28,922 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 €3,640 gross becomes €2,410.14 net
ItemHow it is worked outMonthYear
Gross pay€3,640.00€43,680.00
Income tax (Lohnsteuer)Tax class I, official BMF payroll algorithm 2026− €438.16− €5,257.92
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− €318.50− €3,822.00
Long-term care insurance2.4% employee share− €87.36− €1,048.32
Pension insurance9.3% employee share− €338.52− €4,062.24
Unemployment insurance1.3% employee share− €47.32− €567.84
Take-home pay33.8% of gross goes to tax and contributions€2,410.14€28,921.68

Based on 40.0 hours a week and 52 weeks a year: €3,640 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

€43,680 gross a year by period
PeriodGross payTake-home pay
Year€43,680.00€28,921.68
Month€3,640.00€2,410.14
Week€840.00€556.19
Hour€21.00€13.90

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

At €43,680 a year this salary is €10,386 (19%) below the median for full-time employees in Germany (€54,066, Destatis 2025). Per hour that is €13.90 net at 40 hours a week.

€21 gross in every tax class

Tax classMonthYearDifference
Tax class I €2,410.14€28,922
Tax class II €2,512.05€30,145 + €101.91
Tax class III €2,714.14€32,570 + €304.00
Tax class IV €2,410.14€28,922
Tax class V €2,023.64€24,284 − €386.50
Tax class VI €1,979.80€23,758 − €430.34

What changes the result

Questions people ask

What is €21 gross in net in Germany?

In 2026, a €21 monthly salary leaves €2,410.14 net in tax class I without church tax, or €28,922 a year. The deductions are €438.16 income tax and €791.70 social insurance.

How much is €21 gross in tax class 3?

In tax class III you take home €2,714.14 a month, €304 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 €21 net?

To take home €21 a month in tax class I without church tax you need about €0 gross.

Do I pay the solidarity surcharge on €21?

No. It applies only when income tax is above €20,350 a year (class III: €40,700). On €21 a month income tax is €5,258 a year.

How much church tax would I pay on €21?

€39.43 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 €21 a month?

At 40 hours a week that is €21.00 gross and €13.90 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