Students

Student jobs are not just a way of earning extra money. Students often gain important experience and knowledge that will be important for a successful start to their professional life after graduation. If the student’s part-time income brings in a salary of more than euros (2025), different guidelines apply than for a mini-job.

Many people are familiar with the mini-job: If the employee earns a maximum of € (2025) per month, this is considered to be marginal employment exempt from social security contributions, regardless of the hours worked. This also applies to students who have a mini-job. However, employers are still obliged to pay social security contributions for statutory health and pension insurance. No additional benefit entitlements are derived from the health insurance contributions (13 percent). The situation is different for pension insurance. Here, in addition to the employer’s contribution of 15%, the employee has to pay the difference to the regular contribution rate of 18.6% by paying a personal contribution of 3.6%. However, it is possible to be exempted from the pension insurance obligation.

More than a mini-job: amount and weekly hours are decisive

As soon as a student’s additional income exceeds euros (2025), the social insurance obligation changes. Students are then liable for pension insurance, but no longer have to pay contributions for the other branches of social insurance. This can occur in two ways: Either the student earns more than € (2025) per month from one employer or they have two mini-jobs and therefore have a total income of more than € (2025). Employers are then obliged to obtain proof of other employment relationships. Even if students take on a second mini-job at a later stage, they must report this to their employer.

Additional income for students: no more than 20 hours

Students who earn more than euros (2025) per month may not work more than 20 hours. This is because studies must be the main focus in order not to lose the status of “regular student”. Only then is the additional income for students not subject to social security contributions. If the weekly working time of 20 hours is exceeded during the semester, students are fully liable for health, long-term care and unemployment insurance in the same way as regular employees. However, if the student’s working hours are mainly in the evening or at the weekend, the number of hours may be exceeded. Students can also work 30 or 40 hours per week during semester breaks.

Compulsory pension insurance from ,01 Euro (2025) monthly income

Students who earn more than euros (2025) per month and do not work more than 20 hours per week during the semester are only subject to pension insurance. If a student’s additional income is between .01 Euro and 2000.00 Euro (2025), students fall into the so-called midi zone. In this income range, employees and employers share the pension insurance contribution, but the employee’s share varies depending on the level of income. As a general rule, the lower the salary, the lower the employee’s share of the pension insurance. Only from a monthly income of EUR 2000.00 is the pension insurance contribution of currently 18.6% divided equally between both partners. Then the employee and employer each pay 9.3 percent.

Many students finance their education through a mini-job with a salary of up to euros (2025). This is a common and legal practice even for Bafög recipients.

Health insurance

The employer – provided it is not a private household – is obliged to pay a lump sum of 13% for the student’s statutory health insurance. This only does not apply to mini-jobbers who have private health insurance. In this case, 2 percent income tax is payable.

Pension insurance

In addition, there are payments into the statutory pension insurance scheme. Students benefit from this because they already accumulate full contribution periods during their studies, which are important for retirement. In addition, they are also entitled to a Riester pension. Students with a mini-job can receive the basic allowance and, if applicable, the child allowance for a corresponding pension plan. Exemption from compulsory pension insurance is possible. However, all of the above-mentioned benefits for mini-jobbers will then no longer apply.

Employers and employees are required to pay pension insurance contributions, but mini-jobbers only pay a manageable share: the employer pays 15 percent of the gross monthly income to the German Pension Insurance Institution. Students in marginal employment only have to pay the difference to the current contribution rate for employees. This contribution rate is currently 18.6 percent. As the employer already pays 15 percent of this, students only have to pay 3.6 percent.

Special case of mini-job in a private household

For students who work in a private household, different guidelines apply for social insurance in a mini-job: employers only pay 5 percent for health insurance. The contribution to pension insurance is also only 5 percent for employers. This means that employees have higher contributions, as they pay the difference to the general contribution rate. Minijobbers in a private household therefore pay 13.6 percent of the current pension insurance contribution rate of 18.6 percent. The income tax contribution is also 2 percent, but employers can pass this on to employees.

Many students use the semester break to earn money. Short-term student employment is a good option, as this type of employment is exempt from social security contributions. However, only if certain limits are observed.

Three months as a vacation replacement in the office or as an entertainer in a hotel on the beach? Short-term employment for students has a number of advantages. Continuous employment allows you to quickly familiarize yourself with the job and, apart from the pay, you can gain some professional experience. In addition, if you work full-time, you can quickly earn a good salary that you can draw on during the semester. It is not possible to work more than 20 hours a week during the semester. Otherwise you lose your status as a “regular student”. The only exception: working hours are primarily in the evenings or at weekends.

Temporary employment: What do I need to consider?

During semester breaks, however, students may work more than 20 hours, up to full-time employment. However, the student’s employment must be temporary from the outset. In addition, short-term students may not be employed for more than three months per year or 70 working days per calendar year. If this is the case, the employment is exempt from insurance and contributions, regardless of income.

Pension insurance obligation for temporary employment

If the limit of three months or 70 calendar days is exceeded, the fixed-term employment is always subject to pension insurance. This can happen, for example, if a fixed-term employment contract of three months expires and is extended by a follow-up contract. Alternatively, the student initially works for a fixed-term period of three months and then takes up another fixed-term job a few months later. It is irrelevant whether the student is employed by the same or two different employers. As soon as a student’s short-term employment exceeds the limit of 70 days or three months per calendar year, the employment is subject to compulsory pension insurance. The contribution is currently 18.6 percent. This is borne equally by the employer and the employee (9.3 percent each). Temporary employment of students that lasts more than three months from the outset is subject to compulsory pension insurance from the outset.

Social insurance for temporary employment

If students in short-term employment work more than 20 hours per week for more than 26 weeks a year, contributions to health, long-term care and unemployment insurance are also due. This is because the student is then considered an employee and is subject to social security contributions. In this case, however, the calculation period for the 26 weeks is not the calendar year. Instead, a year is calculated back from the end of the student’s temporary employment. During this period, all jobs with a weekly working time of more than 20 hours are added together. From the moment the 26-week limit is exceeded, contributions to health, long-term care and unemployment insurance must be paid for all further temporary employment in addition to pension insurance contributions.

Short-term employment of students: A calculation example

Andrea works as a student trainee at a car manufacturer during the summer semester break. The working hours are 38 hours per week. The employment is limited to three months. She earns 2,000.00 euros per month. No pension insurance or other social security contributions are due for this temporary employment. At the end of the contract, she is offered further employment for two weeks. She receives a salary of 1,000.00 euros for this. The period is still during the semester break. Pension insurance contributions are due for the salary from the following two weeks. Andrea and her employer share the contribution, so that each pays 9.3 percent of her salary. This corresponds to a total of 93.00 euros each. In the winter semester, she works again as a short-term employee in a trade fair hotel. Pension insurance is also compulsory for this employment. Andrea does not have to pay contributions to health, long-term care and unemployment insurance, as she did not work for more than 26 weeks in the calculation period.

An internship is a valuable addition to your studies. You can finally apply what you have learned in a professional environment. Internships are therefore considered company-based training and are normally subject to compulsory insurance. However, there are some special cases.\r\n\r\nA good internship is very useful for students and increases their chances on the job market later on. This is why internships are even a compulsory part of many degree courses. How the insurance is structured during the internship depends on whether it is a voluntary or a mandatory internship.

Insurance during the internship for mandatory interim internships

If students complete an internship that is prescribed in the study or examination regulations, the case is simple: the employment is exempt from insurance. This means that neither health insurance nor contributions to long-term care, unemployment or pension insurance have to be paid. It does not matter what weekly working hours are involved or how much the student earns. Important: Co-insured students should find out in advance about the effects of an internship on free family insurance. This is because it is tied to certain income limits. We will be happy to answer any questions on this individually.

Students in internships: Mandatory pre- and post-internships

The situation is different if it is a mandatory internship, but the internship takes place before or after your studies. For example, some degree courses require proof of a pre-study internship for admission. Students on an internship are not enrolled at this time and therefore do not yet have student status. The same applies if an internship is completed after graduation. In both cases, interns are not considered “regular students” and are to be treated as normal employees. This also changes the insurance for the internship: the internship remuneration is fully subject to social security contributions. Incidentally, this also applies if the earnings are less than euros (2025). However, if earnings are less than 325.00 euros, the employer bears the contributions alone. As a mandatory internship is considered company-based vocational training, the regulations for mini-jobs do not apply.

Social insurance for voluntary internships

Internships are not mandatory in many degree courses, but are nevertheless commonplace. Students voluntarily look for an internship, mainly during the semester break, to gain practical experience. In this case, the general rules for employed students apply with regard to internship insurance. The insurance that applies to the internship depends, for example, on your income: Only if the internship remuneration is less than euros (2025) per month is the voluntary internship considered a mini-job.