TV-H Pay Table 2026: Hessen Public Sector

TV-H pay table, effective 1 July 2026

TV-H pay table from 1 October 2027

What is the TV-H?

The TV-H (Tarifvertrag fuer den oeffentlichen Dienst des Landes Hessen) is the collective agreement for non-civil-servant public employees of the state of Hessen. It is negotiated between the state of Hessen and the unions ver.di and GEW. Hessen is the only German state with its own agreement; all other states except Bavaria apply the federal-state agreement TV-L.

Civil servants (Beamte) in Hessen are not covered by TV-H; they are governed by Hessen state pay law. Employees of Hessen municipalities fall under the TVöD VKA agreement, not TV-H.

The 2025 pay round and the 2026 and 2027 tables

The parties agreed on a 3% increase, with a minimum of 110 euros, from 1 July 2026. A further 2.8% applies from 1 October 2027. Both increases are already agreed and the values shown above reflect them.

Seven steps instead of six

Unlike the TVöD and TV-L, the TV-H has seven pay steps: S 1a, S 1b, S 2, S 3, S 4, S 5 and S 6. New employees with no relevant prior experience start at S 1a. Those with at least six months of relevant experience may start at S 1b; those with at least one year may start at S 2. Employees hired after 31 March 2013 with relevant experience from a previous employer may start at S 3.

Step progression timescales: S 1a to S 1b after 6 months, S 1b to S 2 after a further 6 months, S 2 to S 3 after 2 years, S 3 to S 4 after 3 years, S 4 to S 5 after 4 years and S 5 to S 6 after 5 years.

Working hours

The standard full-time week under TV-H is 40 hours. Employees in permanent shift rotation (road maintenance, theatres, facilities for people with disabilities) work 38.5 hours per week.

Annual bonus (Jahressonderzahlung)

The annual bonus is paid in December to everyone employed on 1 December. The base is the average monthly pay from July to September. Grades E 1 to E 8 receive 90% of that average; grades E 9a to E 16 receive 60%.

Child allowance (Kinderzulage)

Under paragraph 23a of the TV-H, employees receive 100 euros per month for each child for whom they receive child benefit. For a third or subsequent child, the allowance increases by a further 53.05 euros per child per month.

TV-H versus TV-L

Both agreements cover state employees, but differ in important ways. TV-H has seven steps (S 1a to S 6) while TV-L has six. The annual bonus rates differ too. Hessen negotiates independently and its table is not linked to TV-L increases.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: TV-H Annex A, Hessen pay round 2025 agreement, TV-H sections 6, 16, 20 and 23a. Updated 2026-11-05.