The best student jobs are the ones that fit your timetable, your need for money and, ideally, your subject. The statutory minimum wage of €13.90 gross per hour is the lower limit for almost all part-time jobs. From 1 January 2027 it rises to €14.60. How much you earn above that depends on the industry. Hospitality, retail, tutoring, office work and IT differ clearly in pay, working hours and benefit for your CV.
Key points at a glance
- The minimum wage is €13.90 per hour (2026) and €14.60 from 2027.
- Minijobs are possible up to €603 per month, and from 2027 up to €633.
- As a working student, you may work at most 20 hours per week during the lecture period and remain exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance.
- Student assistant posts at universities pay up to €15.20 per hour without a degree, and research assistants with a master’s degree up to €21.03.
Which of the best student jobs suits which goal?
Before you go through job adverts, consider your priorities. Do you need mainly reliable income, flexible hours, or work experience for your CV? The table gives a rough classification of the industries.
| Industry | Pay | Flexibility | Relevance to your studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | Often close to the minimum wage | Evenings and weekends, fixed shift plans | Low, except in specialist shops |
| Hospitality | Hourly wage plus possible tips | High in the evening, at weekends and in the semester holidays | Low, except in tourism studies |
| Tutoring | Freely negotiable when self-employed | Appointments by agreement | High if you teach your own subject |
| Office and administration | At least the minimum wage, depending on the employer more | Easy to plan, often fixed days | Medium to high |
| IT and technology | Depends on the task and company, often as a working student | Partly remote, projects with deadlines | High in computer science and related subjects |
| University (student assistant) | Student assistant at most €15.20, research assistant with master’s up to €21.03 | High, hours depend on the semester | High |
| Events and promotion | Varies, compare offers | Project-based, lots of weekend work | Low to medium |
Student job in hospitality: how much flexibility is there?
Cafés, restaurants and bars look for staff mainly in the evenings and at weekends, that is, at times when there are no lectures. That makes a student job in hospitality the first choice for many. Tips can boost your earnings, but the minimum wage of €13.90 remains the floor.
The price is late shifts and peak times. If a seminar starts the next morning, this quickly becomes exhausting. Raise before you sign the contract how shifts can be arranged during exam periods.
Retail: reliable, but rarely a career leap
A supermarket, fashion store or bookshop offers predictable shifts and a quick start. The tasks range from restocking shelves and working the till to advising customers. It rarely takes you far professionally, but you learn customer contact and teamwork.
How to find a suitable position and apply is explained in the article on searching for a job as a student (in German).
Tutoring as a student: what is worth it?
Tutoring suits students who have a firm grip on a subject. You set the appointments yourself and revise your own material at the same time. If you give lessons on your own account, you are self-employed. The consequences for registration, tax and insurance are covered in the article on being self-employed while studying (in German).
For family insurance in 2026, the limit is €565 total income per month, and self-employment must not be your main occupation. If you tutor as a coach or supervisor for a non-profit club, up to €3,300 per year remains tax-free (coaching allowance). The condition is that the activity serves tax-privileged purposes.
Office job as a student: what does administration offer?
An office student job offers fixed days, a quiet working environment and insight into how a company runs. Typical tasks are scheduling, data maintenance, presentations or support in accounting and human resources. If you study business administration, law or public administration, you gain directly usable experience here.
Such posts are often working-student jobs. The rule applies: at most 20 hours per week during the lecture period, and then you remain exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. Pension insurance is always compulsory, and the 18.6% contribution is shared equally between you and your employer.
Student job in IT: subject relevance and remote work
If you study computer science or a related subject, you can find tasks in development, support or data analysis as a working student. This is especially valuable professionally and often opens the way to a career start in the same company. Many of these positions can be done at least partly from home. An overview is given in the article on remote jobs for students (in German).
University, events and promotion: the alternatives
Student assistant posts at your own university are closely linked to your studies. According to the state guideline of 30 March 2026, the maximum rate for student assistants without a degree is €15.20 per hour, and for research assistants with a master’s degree €21.03. Individual states may deviate from this.
Events and promotion work is project-based. Pay varies widely, so compare several offers. If you work only briefly, for example during the semester holidays, a short-term employment may suit you. It can be limited from the outset to no more than three months or 70 working days per calendar year, and then remains exempt from insurance. The Minijob-Zentrale provides the details.
Which student jobs pay the highest hourly rate?
High hourly rates are usually tied to specialist knowledge: working-student positions in IT, finance or technology, research assistant posts for those with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and self-employed tutoring in in-demand subjects. Industries without special qualification requirements tend to pay closer to the minimum wage.
Example for the minijob limit: at €13.90 per hour and €603 per month, you work about 43 hours per month, on average around ten per week. If you regularly earn more, you are no longer a minijob worker. For students, the weekly working time is then the deciding factor for whether the working-student rule applies. More on contributions and tax is in the article on part-time work and tax (in German).
How many hours are sensible alongside your studies?
No fixed number suits everyone, because it depends on your course, exam periods and financial needs. Legally, the key figure is 20 hours per week during the lecture period, if you want to stay in the student health insurance. Several jobs are added together.
An overview of all options is given in the article on part-time jobs during your studies (in German). If you work abroad, clarify your insurance in advance, see a part-time job abroad (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Which student jobs are the best paid?
The best paid are usually positions that require expertise: working-student jobs in IT, finance or technology, research assistant posts with a master’s degree (maximum €21.03 per hour), and self-employed tutoring. Jobs without special qualification requirements tend to follow the minimum wage of €13.90 per hour.
How much may I earn in a student part-time job?
In a minijob, €603 per month, and from 2027 €633. As a working student, the weekly hours of at most 20 during the lecture period decide whether you remain exempt from insurance. For BAföG, your own income up to €603 gross per month remains exempt from offset. For family insurance, the limit is €565 total income per month, or €603 if you are only marginally employed.
Is a student job in hospitality worthwhile?
Yes, if you can work in the evenings and at weekends. Shifts rarely clash with lectures, and tips can top up your pay. The downside is late finishing times and stress during peak hours. Before you sign, clarify whether fewer shifts are possible during exam periods.
Do I need a trade licence for tutoring?
That depends on how you offer tutoring. You register a trade with the trade office, and members of the liberal professions register with the tax office. There you also have to submit the questionnaire for tax registration via ELSTER within four weeks of starting. Which category your activity falls under is best clarified with the tax office. Also check the consequences for your health insurance.
What you should do now
- Decide what matters most to you: pay, flexibility or relevance to your subject.
- Choose two or three industries from the table and look at the positions available.
- Before you sign, ask about shift plans during exam periods.
- Check whether your job affects BAföG, family insurance or your student health insurance.
Related articles
- Becoming a student assistant: tasks, pay and application (in German)
- Applying as a student: cover letter, working-student job and internship (in German)
- Health insurance with a part-time job: family insurance, KVdS or PKV (in German)
- PKV for working students: what applies to insurance and contributions (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
