Negotiating a salary without work experience seems contradictory to many graduates. Yet you can talk about your starting salary even without years in a job. What matters is deriving your value from your studies, internships and part-time work rather than from a gut feeling.
Short answer: Without work experience, negotiate with three strategies: a documented market value, concrete achievements from your studies and practical work, and the overall package of salary, leave and training. The legal floor for any job is the statutory minimum wage of 13.90 euros gross per hour (2026, BMAS). Last updated: October 2026.
The key points in brief
- The minimum wage is a floor, not a starting salary.
- Job advertisements, collective agreements and conversations with people in your field together give a realistic range.
- Your study achievements count when you name them with a result.
- The overall package of salary, leave, training and working hours is often negotiable.
- Put any agreement in writing before you sign.
What is the legal floor?
The statutory minimum wage has been 13.90 euros gross per hour since 1 January 2026. From 1 January 2027 it rises to 14.60 euros. The figures come from the Fifth Minimum Wage Ordinance (MiLoV5), based on a proposal of the Minimum Wage Commission of 27 June 2025.
| Year | Minimum wage, gross per hour | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13.90 euros | BMAS, MiLoV5 |
| 2027 | 14.60 euros | BMAS, MiLoV5 |
A starting salary is usually well above the minimum wage, depending on sector, region and qualification. We deliberately do not quote concrete sums here, because they vary widely between collective agreements and employers.
Which three strategies work without experience?
Strategy 1: Back up your market value
Look for comparable job advertisements that state a salary and note ranges for position, region and qualification. If a collective agreement covers your sector or employer, the grading is set there and is your strongest basis. Without one, the advertisements remain your main benchmark. Information on average pay for comparable work may be available under section 10 EntgTranspG, if your company falls under the act.
Strategy 2: Make your study and practical achievements concrete
Experience counts for more than years. Project work, theses with a practical link, working student roles or voluntary responsibility show what you can deliver. Phrase your examples with a result, for example: „In my bachelor thesis I developed a data analysis that sped up decisions in our team.“ Figures convince more than general statements.
Strategy 3: Negotiate the overall package
Once the base salary is fixed, you can talk about leave days, a training budget, remote work or a salary review after probation. This is often easier than shifting a fixed salary figure, because it ties up less budget.
| Strategy | Works when | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Back up market value | You have advertisements or pay data for your position | Advertised pay is a guide, not a guarantee |
| Make achievements concrete | You can document projects, placements or responsibility | Only name results you can prove |
| Negotiate the package | The employer says the base salary is fixed | Put every commitment in writing |
What does 300 euros more per month mean?
Assumption: the offer is 3,200 euros gross per month and you reach 3,500 euros. The difference of 300 euros gross per month amounts to 3,600 euros gross per year. Social security contributions and wage tax reduce the net difference. An exact net calculation is possible with the tax calculator of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
| Gross per month | Gross per year (12 months) |
|---|---|
| 3,200 euros | 38,400 euros |
| 3,500 euros | 42,000 euros |
| Difference: 300 euros | Difference: 3,600 euros |
How do you run the conversation?
- Name your salary expectation as a range, for example 3,300 to 3,500 euros gross, and justify it with an example from your studies or practice.
- Ask about the room for manoeuvre and the overall package before you settle on the number.
- Ask for a written offer before you accept.
Which documents strengthen your position?
A clean CV with internships, projects and part-time jobs is the basis. Add evidence that backs up what you claim. A feeling becomes a statement that carries weight in the conversation.
- Work references or internship confirmations with tasks and dates
- Certificates from courses, software training or language tests
- References from thesis supervisors or former managers, if you may name them
- A short overview of your projects with results that you can show in the conversation
You do not need to put these documents on the table unprompted. Often two well-chosen examples told with a result carry more weight than a long list.
What should you do after probation?
An agreed date after probation gives you a clear occasion to discuss results. Agree on it when you are hired and note together the goals you will be measured against. Anyone who argues with figures finds it easier when pay comes up later.
Frequently asked questions
Should I name my expectation first or wait for the employer?
If the employer asks, give a range. If not, raise the topic in the second or third conversation. A figure before the offer can set the floor too low, which is why a range makes sense.
Can I count an internship or apprenticeship as work experience?
Yes, if the activity was professional and you can describe it concretely. For internships, technical competence matters more than the number of years. Name the period, tasks and result, and the experience becomes credible.
What if the employer offers only a fixed salary?
Then look at the overall package: leave, training, probation and a regular salary review. If none of this is possible, it becomes a decision you weigh against your goals, for example what the entry position will give you over the next few years.
Do these points also apply to working students?
The minimum wage generally applies to working students too. Whether their job remains exempt from social insurance additionally depends on weekly working hours. The working student privilege is a separate topic, which you can read up on in our guides on social insurance.
What should you do now?
- Set your floor using the minimum wage and your market value based on advertisements and pay data.
- Write down three examples from your studies or practice with a result or figure.
- Negotiate with a range, name a figure in the upper half and justify it.
- Have the result confirmed in writing before you accept.
Related guides
- Minijob or Student Job: Limits in Figures Compared
- Student Job 20-Hour Rule, Pension and Semester Breaks
- Negotiating salary as a woman at the start of your career
- Starting salaries after graduation compared (in German)
Sources: BMAS, Fifth Minimum Wage Ordinance (MiLoV5) (status 2026); section 10 EntgTranspG, right to information (accessed October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
