TV-L 2026: What the Collective Agreement Brings and What Is Still Open

The collective agreement for the federal states is the most important benchmark for pay at many German universities. It covers academic staff, administrative employees and assistants who are paid under the TV-L. This guide summarises what the February 2026 settlement regulates, which dates apply and which points you should still check on your payslip.

The most important points

• The settlement is dated 14 February 2026 in Potsdam. The deadline for declarations ran until 13 March 2026.
• Pay tables rise on 1 April 2026 by 2.8 percent, and by at least EUR 100 per month.
• Further increases apply on 1 March 2027 (2.0 percent) and on 1 January 2028 (1.0 percent).
• For student employees, a minimum hourly rate of EUR 15.20 applies from the summer semester 2026 and EUR 15.90 from the summer semester 2027.
• Hesse applies its own collective agreement, the TV-H.

Who the TV-L covers

The TV-L applies to employees working for the federal states, unless a state applies its own collective agreement. Civil servants (in German: Beamtinnen und Beamte) are not covered, because their pay follows state law. If you take up a post at a university, check the employment contract for the collective agreement it names.

Universities employ people in very different roles. Academic staff, administrative employees and research assistants can therefore sit under different pay groups or rules. The settlement applies to the groups the collective agreement covers, not to every contract in the same form.

What the settlement of 14 February 2026 regulates

The settlement provides for pay increases in stages. It begins with a fixed minimum amount, and continues with two further steps until early 2028. The regulations run until 31 January 2028.

The table lists the steps in the order they take effect. For your classification, the percentage alone is not decisive. What counts is your pay group and the step you currently hold. The exact euro amounts for each step appear in the official pay tables, which your HR department can provide.

Worked example for the minimum rule

Assumption: a table pay of EUR 3,000 gross per month. An increase of 2.8 percent would produce EUR 84. Because the settlement provides for at least EUR 100, the minimum amount applies. The new table pay in this example would be EUR 3,100 gross per month.

The example shows why the minimum rule weighs more heavily for lower pay. The actual calculation follows the pay group and step in your contract, so the example does not replace a payslip.

What the increase means for student assistants

For student employees, the settlement does not use a percentage rule but a minimum hourly rate (in German: Mindeststundenentgelt). It is EUR 15.20 gross per hour in the summer semester 2026 and EUR 15.90 gross per hour in the summer semester 2027. The collective floor for this group therefore sits above the statutory minimum wage of EUR 14.60, which applies from 1 January 2027.

How this works in your own contract is explained in the guide on the student assistant pay in 2027. The figures there combine the minimum wage and the collective rate and show which amount applies in an individual case.

What is still open

A collective settlement does not automatically reach every employment relationship. Keep the following points in mind before you rely on a particular figure.

• Whether the settlement has taken effect after the declaration deadline of 13 March 2026 should be confirmed by the HR department of your university.
• Application depends on the state. In states with their own collective agreement, such as Hesse with the TV-H, different amounts apply.
• Whether your employment contract is adjusted to the new tables usually has to be recorded in writing, for example in an addendum.
• The increases for 2027 and 2028 are fixed in the settlement paper, but their practical implementation on your payslip is a separate check.

Fixed-term posts at universities add another layer, because a contract can run for less time than the collective agreement. If you move to a new contract in 2027, ask for your pay group and step to be named explicitly. The guide on the re-employment bar under the WissZeitVG (in German) explains which further rules apply to fixed-term contracts at universities.

How to check the increase on your payslip

An increase is only properly implemented if it appears on the payslip from the correct date. Work through the figures systematically instead of looking only at the total. The steps below help you spot differences early.

1. Note your pay group and step from your employment contract or your latest classification notice.
2. Compare the payslip for April 2026 with the payslip of the previous month.
3. Check again from March 2027 whether the second increase has been applied.
4. If there is a difference, ask the HR department in writing for a correction and cite the date of the settlement.

Frequently asked questions

Does the TV-L also cover student assistants?

For student employees at universities in states that follow the TV-L, the settlement contains its own minimum hourly rate. Whether your employer is bound by the collective agreement, and which tariff applies to your post, should be clarified with the HR department. The guide on the minimum wage for student assistants covers the statutory side.

Is there an increase backdated to January 2026?

The settlement names 1 April 2026 as the first increase. A backdated payment for earlier months is not listed as a separate step in the paper. If in doubt, ask the HR department whether any back payments are due.

When does the last step of the increase apply?

The final increase of 1.0 percent applies on 1 January 2028. The settlement runs until 31 January 2028, after which a new agreement is needed.

Do I have to do anything to receive the increase?

As a rule, no. Still, it is worth asking if your pay remains unchanged after the stated date. A written request shows that you asked for the increase to be implemented.

What to do now

1. Read your employment contract and establish under which collective agreement you are paid.
2. Enter the dates 1 April 2026, 1 March 2027 and 1 January 2028 in your calendar.
3. Compare your payslips with these dates.
4. If anything is unclear, ask for your classification to be confirmed in writing.

Related guides

• Student assistant pay 2027: what the minimum wage and the collective agreement change
• Does the minimum wage apply to student assistants at university?
• How many hours may a student assistant work?
• Becoming a student assistant: tasks, pay and application (in German)
• Academic careers: contracts, collective pay and fixed terms overview

Sources: Settlement for the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states, 14 February 2026, Senate of Bremen, status February 2026 (in German).

Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.