A quick guide

A one-off assignment or a few fixed working days: short-term employment

Regular work paying up to an average of 603 euros per month: mini-job

Regular work with a higher income: working student position

Extensive work or work totalling more than 20 hours per week on a long-term basis: regular part-time employment subject to social security contributions

Mini-job: regular support on a manageable scale

A mini-job is suitable if you need a few hours’ support each week on a long-term basis and your regular earnings do not exceed the applicable limit.

In 2026, this limit stands at an average of 603 euros per month. With the statutory minimum wage set at 13.90 euros, this allows for an average of around 43.38 working hours per month.

A simple example: working eight hours a week at an hourly rate of 15 euros results in an average monthly income of around 520 euros. This means the work can, in principle, remain within the mini-job limit. If the student has other mini-jobs, the earnings are added together. You should therefore ask for written information about any other work you are doing before starting employment.

Important: A mini-job is not a ‘second-class’ employment relationship. Mini-job holders are generally entitled to paid holiday, continued pay in the event of illness and pay on public holidays if they would have worked on that day as normal. Under employment law, the principle of equal treatment applies to comparable employees.

Short-term employment: for one-off assignments and seasonal demand

Short-term employment may be suitable if the assignment is time-limited from the outset – for example, for events, stock-takes, markets or seasonal peaks in orders. As a general rule, it may not exceed three months or 70 working days within a calendar year. All of the person’s short-term employment periods are added together. You should therefore ask them to provide you with written confirmation of any previous periods of employment.

There is no fixed monthly earnings limit. However, if the person earns more than 603 euros a month, you must check whether the work is carried out on a professional basis. If this is the case, the job may be subject to social security contributions despite its short duration. As a general rule, short-term employees do not pay contributions towards health, long-term care, pension or unemployment insurance in respect of this employment. However, levies, taxes and contributions towards accident insurance may still apply. The employment must be registered even if it lasts for just one day. You should classify it as a job. The Minijob-Zentrale provides a detailed checklist for short-term employment.

Working students: regular employment with potential for development

A working student position is ideal if you require students to work for you on a long-term basis and for a significant number of hours. It is particularly attractive if the role is relevant to their course of study and the student can gradually take on more challenging tasks. To qualify for the working student exemption, the student’s studies must remain the primary focus. This is generally assumed to be the case if working hours during the lecture term do not exceed 20 hours per week. The amount earned is not a determining factor.

Under certain conditions, the 20-hour limit may be exceeded temporarily, for example through work at weekends, in the evenings, at night or during the semester holidays. Where a student has several such jobs, particular attention must be paid to the limit of a total of 26 weeks within a year. Where the working student privilege applies, the employment generally exempts the student from the obligation to pay contributions towards health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. Contributions to the pension scheme are normally still payable. The student must ensure their own health insurance cover independently of this.

Ask to be shown a current certificate of enrolment on a regular basis and enquire about any other jobs they may have. Simply having the job title ‘working student’ in the contract is not sufficient for classification under social security law. The actual circumstances are decisive. German Pension Insurance on the working student privilege

Regular part-time work may also be the right solution

Not every student job has to be a mini-job or a working student position. If a person works on a long-term basis for a significant number of hours, or if the conditions for the working student privilege are not met, a standard part-time job subject to social security contributions may be the more appropriate and legally clearer solution. Student status alone does not automatically lead to special arrangements. The decisive factors are always working hours, earnings, duration and the overall employment situation.

What applies regardless of the form of employment

Since 1 January 2026, the statutory minimum wage has been 13.90 euros gross per hour. In principle, this also applies to students. Exceptions apply, amongst other things, to certain compulsory work placements. Depending on the sector, a higher sectoral minimum wage or collectively agreed wage may also apply. Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

What role does the STAV play?

The STAV matches suitable students with employers and facilitates contact. You decide for yourself who to employ and enter into the employment contract directly with the person you have selected.

Registration, payroll processing and the legal classification of the employment relationship remain the responsibility of the employing organisation. The payment slip issued by STAV is not an employment contract. Upon termination of employment, or after six months at the latest, payment is made to STAV for the successful placement. You can find the details in our Terms and Conditions.

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