Germany Salary Calculator 2026
How much of your German gross salary do you take home? This calculator uses the Finance Ministry's official 2026 wage-tax algorithm and the official social-insurance figures: the same rules every German payroll must apply, explained in English for internationals.
More options: company car, tax allowance, insurance exemptions
| Item | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross | €4,000.00 | €48,000 |
| Wage tax (Lohnsteuer) | €524.50 | €6,294 |
| Solidarity surcharge | €0.00 | €0 |
| Health insurance | €350.00 | €4,200 |
| Care insurance | €96.00 | €1,152 |
| Pension insurance | €372.00 | €4,464 |
| Unemployment insurance | €52.00 | €624 |
| Total deductions | €1,394.50 | €16,734 |
| Net pay | €2,605.50 | €31,266 |
- Tax year 2026. Wage tax follows the official BMF Programmablaufplan (the algorithm German payroll software must use).
- Statutory health insurance with the surcharge entered above; church tax only if selected.
How German salary deductions work
Germany deducts two groups from your gross pay. First taxes: wage tax (Lohnsteuer, your income-tax prepayment), the solidarity surcharge (only at higher incomes) and church tax if you are a registered member (8-9% of the wage tax). Second, four social insurances: health (7.3% + half your insurer's surcharge), long-term care (1.8%, more if childless over 23), pension (9.3%) and unemployment (1.3%), each capped at a monthly income ceiling. Your employer pays roughly the same again on top. Full figures and sources on the methodology page (German).
The inputs that matter most for expats
- Tax class: singles are class I; married couples choose III/V or IV/IV. Your first German payslip may show class VI until your tax ID is processed, that's temporary over-withholding, refunded via the tax return.
- Church tax: only if you registered a religious affiliation at the Bürgeramt. It's 8% of the wage tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% elsewhere.
- Health insurer surcharge: the 2.9% default is the 2026 average; each Krankenkasse sets its own.
Popular salaries
All German calculators in English
- Net-to-gross calculator, the gross you need for a target net.
- Hourly wage calculator
- Pay raise calculator, what a raise leaves net.
- Part-time calculator
- Severance tax calculator, the one-fifth rule.
- Tax class calculator, III/V vs IV/IV for couples.
- Parental allowance (Elterngeld) calculator
- Company car calculator: taxable benefit and net cost.
- Commuter allowance calculator: 0.38 euro from the first km.
- Income tax calculator: basic and splitting tariff.
- Bracket creep calculator: kalte Progression 2023 to 2026 and the 2027 draft.
- Public sector pay calculator: TVöD and TV-L net pay with supplementary pension.
- Civil servant pay calculator: net pay for Beamte with pay tables.
- TVöD pay table 2026, TV-L pay table and TV-H pay table: public sector pay.
- TVöD SuE pay table and TVöD nursing pay table: social care, childcare and nursing.
- Notice period calculator: last working day and latest delivery date.
- Health insurance comparison: every insurer's surcharge and the net saving.
- Holiday entitlement calculator: leave days and payout when you leave.
- Employer cost calculator: true cost of an employee.
- Short-time work calculator: Kurzarbeitergeld like the agency table.
- Unemployment benefit calculator: ALG I with duration.
- Pension calculator: gross and net state pension.
- Pension points calculator: Entgeltpunkte from salary.
- Minijob calculator: the €603 tax-free side job.
- Midi-job calculator: reduced contributions from €603.01 to €2,000.
- Working student calculator: Werkstudent net pay with only pension insurance.
- Bonus tax calculator: Christmas bonus and holiday pay after tax.
- Minimum wage calculator: €13.90 in 2026, €14.60 in 2027.
- Working days calculator: working days and public holidays by state.
- Overtime calculator: overtime after tax and tax-free supplements.
- Wage tax table 2026: monthly tax for all six classes.
Guides in English
All guides: Germany Tax and Pay Guides 2026
- German tax classes explained
- Working student (Werkstudent) pay
- Tax class after marriage
- Every deduction on a German payslip
- Parental allowance explained
Frequently asked questions
What is the average net salary in Germany in 2026?
The average gross salary in Germany is around 48,000 EUR a year. After tax class 1, statutory health insurance and pension contributions that leaves roughly 29,500 EUR net. Your figure depends on your tax class, church membership and federal state.
How much tax do I pay in Germany?
A single person earning 50,000 EUR gross pays around 10,800 EUR income tax plus 995 EUR solidarity surcharge (if applicable) plus around 5,200 EUR employee social security contributions in 2026.
What is the difference between tax classes in Germany?
Germany has six tax classes. Singles are usually in class 1. Married couples can choose class 3 for the higher earner and class 5 for the lower earner, or both in class 4 with or without the factor method.