Pay
"€550 a month is fine for a trainee."
You receive less than the statutory minimum training allowance.
§ 17 BBiG
The boss may NOT do that
Below the minimum? Then your pay is too low!
The minimum training allowance (§ 17 (2) BBiG) depends on the year your training started and rises with each training year by fixed surcharges (+18%, +35%, +40%). 2025 start: €682 / 805 / 921 / 955. 2026 start: €724 / 854 / 977 / 1,014. 2027 start: €764 / 902 / 1,031 / 1,070 (published by the federal ministry in the Federal Law Gazette). A company bound by a collective agreement may pay the agreed rate even if it is lower (§ 17 (3) BBiG). A company without such a binding may be at most 20% below the sector rate (§ 17 (4) BBiG). Paid too little? You can claim the difference — watch out for cut-off periods in your contract.
What the law says
§ 17 (1) BBiG – Appropriate pay
Trainers must grant trainees appropriate pay. It rises as the training progresses, at least annually.
§ 17 (2) BBiG – Minimum pay
Pay below the statutory minimum amounts is not appropriate. The amounts are updated annually and published in the Federal Law Gazette.
§ 17 (3) BBiG – Collective agreement
Pay under a collective agreement binding the trainer is also appropriate, even if it is below the minimum.
What you can do
- Check the start date in your contract — it sets your minimum for the whole training.
- Ask whether a collective agreement applies: if so, its rate counts, otherwise the minimum or the 80% rule.
- Received too little? Claim it in writing and watch the cut-off periods in your contract.
- The IHK/HWK checks pay when registering the contract — ask them.
Email template for your trainer
Subject: Adjustment of the training allowance to the minimum rates
Dear [name of trainer],
checking my allowance against the statutory minimum training allowance (§ 17 BBiG) or the industry-standard collective agreement, I find that my current pay of [X €] is below the minimum for my [1st/2nd/3rd/4th] training year in [year].
I kindly ask you to adjust it and pay the difference for the past months.
Kind regards
[Your name]
More cases: Pay
- More money? Be glad you're learning!
- Buy your own tools!
- In your second year you earn the same as in your first.
- We're not paying those few hours of overtime.
- You pay for school books and calculators yourself.
- Your pay is coming a bit later this month.
- If you quit, you pay back the training costs.
- You pay a fee for the training place.
- We'll deduct food and your room from your pay.
- Only permanent staff get a Christmas bonus.
- Nobody pays for your commute.
- As a trainee you don't get child benefit any more.
- During probation you get less money.