Short answer: Whether you work for a delivery service as an employee, a mini-jobber or a self-employed person decides your pay, contributions and protections. The statutory minimum wage in Germany is 13.90 euros gross per hour since 1 January 2026 and rises to 14.60 euros on 1 January 2027. The mini-job earnings limit is 603 euros a month in 2026 and 633 euros in 2027 (last updated: November 2026).
Delivery work is a common side job for students: flexible shifts, no previous experience needed and pay based on hours or deliveries. At the same time, the term “delivery job” is legally vague. The same work can be a mini-job, a permanent employment or a contract for services, and each form brings different contributions and rights. This guide explains the earnings limits, the question of status and the current debate on platform work.
Key points at a glance
- Minimum wage 2026: 13.90 euros gross per hour, applies to employees.
- Mini-job limit: 603 euros a month (2026) and 633 euros a month (2027).
- Status: employees, mini-jobbers and self-employed people have different contributions and rights.
- Bogus self-employment: anyone controlled like an employee may legally count as one.
- Platform directive: implementation in Germany is under way. According to the status of this guide, no rule has been adopted.
Which earnings limits apply in 2026 and 2027?
The minimum wage is the floor for employees. It was set by the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung) and is 13.90 euros gross per hour from 1 January 2026. For 2027 the same adjustment provides for 14.60 euros. The source is the page of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (in German).
| Year | Minimum wage per hour | Mini-job limit per month |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13.90 euros gross | 603 euros |
| 2027 | 14.60 euros gross | 633 euros |
Last updated: November 2026. The mini-job limit is calculated from the minimum wage using the formula in § 8 para. 1a SGB IV, see gesetze-im-internet.de, § 8 SGB IV (in German). The figures apply to employees, not to self-employed people.
Assumption: in 2026 you work ten hours a week at the minimum wage of 13.90 euros, over 52 weeks a year. That gives an annual income of 7,228 euros and a monthly average of about 602.33 euros. This is just below the limit of 603 euros. One extra hour a week would push the monthly average above that limit. If you plan your hours, recalculate them regularly.
The limit applies to regular monthly pay. Unforeseeable exceedances are possible only to a limited extent under § 8 para. 1b SGB IV: up to double the limit and in at most two calendar months within a year. If in doubt, ask your employer or the mini-job centre.
Why status matters in delivery work
A mini-job generally means no social security contributions from you up to the earnings limit, while the employer pays flat-rate amounts. Permanent employment brings contributions but usually also full entitlements in the social security system. A contract as a self-employed person shifts many duties to you: taxes, insurance and pensions must be organised by yourself.
The status does not depend on the label in the contract but on how the work is actually organised. If you receive fixed shifts and instructions, and cannot decide freely how and when you work, this points more towards an employment relationship.
What does bogus self-employment mean for delivery services?
Bogus self-employment (Scheinselbstständigkeit) exists when someone formally acts as self-employed but in practice works like an employee. Typical signs are fixed shifts, a ban on refusing orders and no own equipment. If you are unsure, a status assessment can help. Our guide to the status assessment at the pension insurance (in German) explains how to apply.
What does the EU platform directive change?
The federal government answered questions on platform work on 24 April 2026, as the Bundestag news item on the answer (hib 344/2026, in German) shows. The EU directive on platform work is meant to strengthen the position of platform workers, including the question of when a platform must treat someone as an employee. How this is implemented in Germany, and from when, is not adopted according to the status of this guide.
For students this means the situation may change, but today the existing rules count. Do not let rumours about supposed changes push you into a wrong decision. Contracts and payslips are the reliable basis.
What to watch for regarding hourly pay
Check whether waiting times, travel to shifts and breaks are paid. With a fixed hourly wage the paid time counts, but with a flat fee per delivery the effective hourly rate can vary a lot. Work out at the end of each month what you actually earn per hour, and compare it with the minimum wage.
Tips are an important part of income for many riders. Whether and how they appear in your payslip is set out in your contract. Our guide to tips in side jobs (in German) explains how they are taxed.
Health insurance and the student employee privilege
If you work in a mini-job, that job generally does not require health insurance contributions. Your insurance then rests on other foundations, such as family insurance or your own policy. Our guide to health insurance with a side job (in German) shows the options.
If you work more than marginally alongside your studies, the student employee privilege (Werkstudentenprivileg) matters. It is based on the joint circular of 23 November 2016 and generally applies up to 20 hours a week. Evening, night and weekend work can be possible beyond that under certain conditions. Check later versions of the circular. Details are in our guide to the 20-hour rule (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Do I automatically receive the minimum wage in delivery work?
Only if you are employed as an employee. Self-employed people have no statutory minimum wage. Check your contract and payslip before you start.
What happens if I exceed the mini-job limit?
The job then becomes subject to social security contributions from the month in which the limit is exceeded, unless an exception applies. Plan your hours so that you do not cross the limit by accident.
Do I have to pay taxes?
That depends on your total income. For concrete net examples we refer to the tax calculator of the Federal Ministry of Finance (in German), because the result depends on the individual case.
Can I combine a BAföG grant with a delivery job?
Yes, but income affects the grant. Our guide on BAföG and side jobs (in German) explains how the income limits work.
What to do now
- Clarify in writing whether you work as an employee, a mini-jobber or self-employed.
- Calculate your planned hours against the minimum wage and the mini-job limit for the current year.
- Keep contracts, payslips and records of your working hours.
- If in doubt, check your status before you accept further assignments.
Related reading
- Founding alongside your studies: funding programmes and advice
- Bogus self-employment in delivery services
- Platform directive and delivery riders (in German)
- Side jobs and tax (in German)
- Mini-job limit 2027 for students
Sources: Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (in German), § 8 SGB IV, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German; checked November 2026) and Bundestag, news item hib 344/2026 on the government answer of 24 April 2026 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
