In short
First job health insurance depends on your salary. In employment for pay, you are compulsorily insured in statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) as long as your regular annual income does not exceed the compulsory insurance threshold. In 2026 it is 77,400 euros. Only above that can you choose private insurance. This guide names the criteria and makes no recommendation.
| Key fact | Value | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory insurance threshold 2026 | 77,400 € a year, 6,450 € a month | GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet as of 1 Jan 2026, accessed 25 Oct 2026 |
| Compulsory insurance threshold 2027 | 84,150 € a year (draft) | Social security reference values ordinance 2027, cabinet decision October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending |
| GKV contribution rate 2026 | 14.6 % general rate plus an average additional contribution of 2.9 % | GKV-Spitzenverband and Federal Ministry of Health, 2026 |
| Contribution ceiling 2026 | 5,812.50 € a month | GKV-Spitzenverband, as of 1 Jan 2026 |
| Lock-in period when changing insurer | 12 months | Section 175(4) SGB V, as of 20 Oct 2026 |
When does student insurance end?
Compulsory student insurance is tied to enrolment (section 5(1) no. 9 SGB V) and applies until you turn 30 at the latest. In administrative practice, it lasts until the end of the semester in which you turn 30. If you leave your studies with a degree or by exmatriculation, you lose it. If you work alongside your studies, you remain exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance as a working student for up to 20 hours a week, but you pay into pension insurance (see Werkstudentenprivileg (in German)).
An employment contract beyond the working student limit changes the picture. If you are already compulsorily insured under section 5(1) no. 1 to 8 SGB V, you do not also fall under student insurance (section 5(7)). The gap between your exams and your first employment contract is covered in the guide Krankenversicherung beim Berufseinstieg (in German).
When am I compulsorily insured as an employee?
Whenever you work as an employee for pay and your regular annual income does not exceed the compulsory insurance threshold (section 5(1) no. 1 and section 6(1) no. 1 SGB V). You then do not have to decide anything. Statutory health insurance is compulsory. You choose the health insurer, your employer registers you and pays the contribution. For compulsorily insured people, employee and employer split the income-based contributions equally (section 249(1) SGB V). According to the Federal Ministry of Health, they also split the additional contribution in half.
What does the compulsory insurance threshold mean?
The compulsory insurance threshold, legally the annual income threshold, separates the compulsorily insured from those exempt from compulsory insurance. If your regular annual income exceeds it, you are exempt as an employee and can choose between voluntary statutory and private insurance. Supplements based on marital status do not count. The threshold is adjusted to wage developments on 1 January and set by ordinance.
| Year | Annual income threshold | Per month | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77,400 € | 6,450 € | official |
| 2027 | 84,150 € | 7,012.50 € | draft, Bundesrat pending |
Worked example: You start in 2026 on a monthly salary of 6,600 €. Annual income is 6,600 € times 12, which is 79,200 € and above 77,400 €. You are exempt from the start and choose between voluntary GKV and private insurance. At 5,500 € a month, it would be 66,000 €, which is below the threshold and means compulsory insurance. If you are already compulsorily insured and exceed the threshold during the year, you stay insured until the end of that calendar year (section 6(4) SGB V). The obligation only ends if your income also exceeds the threshold that applies from the following year.
What does statutory health insurance cost in a job?
The general contribution rate in 2026 is 14.6 % of gross pay up to the contribution ceiling of 5,812.50 € a month. On top comes the additional contribution of your insurer, 2.9 % on average. Long-term care insurance is added and is left out of the examples.
- Example A, gross salary 4,000 €: 17.5 % (14.6 % plus 2.9 %) gives a total contribution of 700 €, and your share when split in half is 350 €.
- Example B, gross salary 6,600 € and voluntarily insured in the statutory scheme: Only 5,812.50 € is subject to contributions. 17.5 % of that is a total contribution of 1,017.19 €.
- The employer subsidy in example B is half of 17.5 %, so 8.75 % of 5,812.50 €, which is 508.59 € (section 257(1) SGB V, equal to the amount for compulsory insurance).
The additional contribution of an individual insurer differs from the average, and under the draft the contribution ceiling rises to 6,375 € a month in 2027. The examples are calculations, not a contribution quote from any insurer.
When is private health insurance an option?
As an employee, only if you are exempt from compulsory insurance, which usually means above the compulsory insurance threshold. There are then three routes, which differ in how the contribution is calculated and in the employer subsidy.
| Statutory, compulsory | Statutory, voluntary | Private | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirement | income up to the threshold | income above the threshold | income above the threshold |
| Contribution is based on | income up to the contribution ceiling | income up to the contribution ceiling | contract, age at entry and state of health |
| Employer | pays half | subsidy equal to the share for compulsory insurance | subsidy of at most half the contribution |
| Insuring your family | family insurance possible under conditions | family insurance possible under conditions | usually a separate contract for each person |
Which side suits you depends on your health, family plans, income development and how certain you want to be about switching back later. Private insurance usually requires a health check, and returning to statutory insurance is only possible in narrow cases. This guide makes no recommendation. Details on private insurance are in the guide PKV beim Berufseinstieg (in German).
What is an Anwartschaft?
An Anwartschaft (expectancy) is an option in private health insurance to revive your previous cover later if you are insured differently in the meantime. It is a topic of its own and mainly applies to privately insured students. When it pays off is explained in the guide Anwartschaft in der PKV (in German), and the terms are in the glossary (in German).
How do you set up first job health insurance?
- Check the date on which your student or family insurance ends, and tell your insurer about your exmatriculation. Guidance is in the guide Exmatrikulation und Krankenversicherung (in German).
- Work out your regular annual income from your employment contract and compare it with the compulsory insurance threshold for the year.
- If you are compulsorily insured, choose a health insurer and tell your employer. Your choice then binds you for 12 months, and termination takes effect at the end of the second following calendar month. If the additional contribution rises, a special right of termination applies. See Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German).
- If your income is above the threshold, check offers from both sides with the same scope of cover and ask your employer about the subsidy.
- If you become unemployed after your studies, clarify the consequences in the guide Arbeitslosengeld nach dem Studium (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to arrange health insurance myself in my first job?
In employment for pay below the compulsory insurance threshold, you are compulsorily insured. You choose a health insurer, and your employer registers you. You only have to decide yourself if your annual income is above the threshold and private insurance is an option.
At what salary can I take out private insurance in 2026?
When your regular annual income exceeds the compulsory insurance threshold. In 2026 it is 77,400 € a year, which is 6,450 € a month. For 2027, the draft ordinance names 84,150 €, and Bundesrat approval is still pending.
Does my employer subsidise private health insurance?
Yes, if you are exempt from compulsory insurance only because you exceed the annual income threshold. Under section 257 SGB V, the subsidy is half of the general contribution rate plus half of the average additional contribution rate on your income subject to contributions, but at most half of your actual contribution.
Can I stay in family or student insurance after exmatriculation until my job starts?
That depends on the individual case. Compulsory student insurance is tied to enrolment, and family insurance to age and income. A separate guide covers the gap between exams and your first employment contract in every constellation.
How often can I change health insurer?
After a lock-in period of 12 months. Termination takes effect at the end of the second following calendar month. If your insurer charges an additional contribution for the first time or raises it, you can terminate until the end of the month in which the increase applies, and the lock-in period then no longer applies.
How a side job affects BAföG is covered in the guide BAföG und Nebenjob (in German).
Related guides
- Krankenversicherung beim Berufseinstieg vom Examen zum ersten Arbeitsvertrag (in German)
- PKV beim Berufseinstieg: Vorteile und Entscheidung für Absolventen (in German)
- Versicherungspflichtgrenze (in German)
- Berufseinstieg nach dem Studium: So gelingt dir der Start (in German)
Sources and review
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on reference values in contribution law, as of 1 Jan 2026, gkv-spitzenverband.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Statute texts sections 5, 6, 249, 257 SGB V, gesetze-im-internet.de (section 6), section 257, section 249, section 5, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, social security reference values ordinance 2027 (draft), bmas.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Federal Government, contribution ceilings 2027 (decided by cabinet, Bundesrat approval needed), bundesregierung.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Federal Ministry of Health, average additional contribution 2026 (2.9 %), as of 3 Sep 2026, bundesgesundheitsministerium.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Section 175 SGB V (right to choose, lock-in, termination), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 20 Oct 2026
Editorial team: Academycon
Last updated: 25 October 2026
If you want to see which insurance is an option when your job starts, begin with the Academycon online check.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Values for 2027 are drafts.
