Minijob in Frankfurt: The 603-Euro Line in 2026, 633 in 2027, and What Changes the Moment You Cross It

The Number Is National, the Questions Are Local

There is no Frankfurt Minijob rule and no Hessen Minijob rule. The earnings limit, the 2 percent flat tax and the insurance contributions are the same in Frankfurt as in Flensburg, and the employer-side paperwork runs through the Minijob-Zentrale. What is local is who you ask when something goes wrong. For pension questions that is Deutsche Rentenversicherung Hessen, and since 1 April 2026 its Frankfurt advice office is no longer on the Zeil but in the Werfthaus at Speicherstraße 55, according to the regional carrier’s own announcement. The toll-free service line is 0800 1000 480 12 (Monday to Thursday 7:30 to 18:00, Friday 7:30 to 15:00), as listed on the DRV Hessen contact page.

The Line: 603 Euros in 2026, 633 in 2027

A Minijob (officially geringfügig entlohnte Beschäftigung) exists as long as your pay does not regularly exceed the Geringfügigkeitsgrenze. § 8 SGB IV defines it as the monthly pay for ten hours a week at the statutory minimum wage: multiply the minimum wage by 130, divide by three, round up to the next full euro.

The minimum wage figures come from the Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung, which sets both steps in one text. The Minijob-Zentrale confirms 603 euros for 2026 and says the limit rises again at the start of 2027. The 633 euro figure is the result of the formula, and the exact amount is announced by the Federal Ministry of Labour in the Bundesanzeiger.

The practical meaning: at the minimum wage you can work roughly ten hours a week. If the minimum wage rises, your pay per hour must rise too, so the hours that fit under the line stay about the same.

Going over the line once in a while

“Regularly” matters. An unforeseeable overrun does not destroy a Minijob if it happens in no more than two calendar months within the pay-year, and the excess in each of those months is no more than the limit itself. In 2026 that means a month of up to 1,206 euros can still be tolerated, twice. It has to be genuinely unforeseeable, such as covering for a sick colleague. A schedule that plans higher pay does not qualify.

Tax: Usually Your Employer’s Problem

Minijob pay is taxable income, but the employer chooses how to handle it, according to the Minijob-Zentrale’s tax guide.

The employer may pass the 2 percent on to you, but the source calls that rare. If you are a new arrival and your Steuer-ID has not reached the employer yet, the Steuer-ID versus social security number guide explains which number is needed for what.

Insurance: What a Minijob Does and Does Not Buy

The Minijob-Zentrale’s insurance overview is blunt about the gaps.

Pension: opt out, and now opt back in

You can apply to your employer for an exemption from pension insurance. The employer then keeps paying its flat 15 percent, you stop paying your 3.6 percent, and the exemption lasts for the whole duration of that Minijob, according to the Minijob-Zentrale. Since 1 July 2026 there is a new door back: you can reverse the exemption once, for the future only. It applies from the month after your request. A reversal cannot be withdrawn later, and a new exemption is not possible afterwards. If you plan to stay in Germany, the 3.6 percent is the cheapest pension credit you will find, so think before opting out. DRV Hessen can advise on what the contributions are worth for your situation.

Health insurance is your job, not the Minijob’s

Newcomers often assume the 13 percent the employer pays means they are covered. It does not. The Minijob-Zentrale names six routes: a main job or pension, family insurance, student insurance, unemployment benefit or basic income support, voluntary statutory insurance, or private insurance. Family insurance through a parent or spouse works if the Minijob is your only income, and for students it can run until age 25. Our guide to choosing a health insurer in Frankfurt covers the choice.

Sick pay and basic rights

A Minijobber is an employee. You get continued pay for up to six weeks of illness, but only after the job has lasted four weeks, according to the Minijob-Zentrale FAQ. The minimum wage applies to Minijobs as well.

More Than One Job

How the limit works depends on whether you also have a main job, per the Minijob-Zentrale page on multiple jobs.

Tell every employer about your other jobs in writing. They have to ask, because they cannot classify your job without it. The guide for employer registration problems shows what to do if an employer has not registered you at all.

If You Study on a Non-EU Permit

Two limits apply at once: the earnings limit above and the work-time limit of your residence permit. The German Academic Exchange Service says students from outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. A Minijob counts against that allowance even though it pays little. The details are in our Minijob guide for non-EU students. The DAAD page still quotes the old 556-euro limit in places, so use the 603-euro figure in this guide.

When You Cross the Line for Good

If your pay regularly goes over 603 euros, the job leaves the Minijob system. It becomes an ordinary job with full social insurance, and above 603 euros up to 2,000 euros a month you fall into the Übergangsbereich, often called Midijob. According to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, your contribution share starts reduced in that zone and rises with your pay, and your pension entitlement is still calculated on your full earnings. Plan raises with this in mind: a small raise that pushes you over 603 euros can leave you with a new set of deductions.

Step by Step

1. Check the number.603 euros a month in 2026, 633 euros planned from 1 January 2027.
2. Read the contract.It should state pay, hours and whether you pay pension contributions.
3. Ask about tax.Flat 2 percent or individual taxation. It decides whether you file the job in your tax return.
4. Decide on pension.Keep the default or request an exemption. If you opted out earlier, you can reverse it once since 1 July 2026.
5. Arrange health cover.Family, student, voluntary statutory or private insurance. The Minijob does not do it for you.
6. Report every other job to every employer in writing.
7. Watch your monthly pay.Overtime and bonuses count. Stay clear of the line unless you want to move to a Midijob.

Compliance Note

This page describes the Minijob rules as published by the Minijob-Zentrale, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung and the federal law texts in October 2026. The 2027 limit of 633 euros is derived from the minimum wage set in law and named by the Minijob-Zentrale as planned. Rules for private households, short-term employment and residence permits differ. This is not legal or tax advice. For your own case, ask the Minijob-Zentrale, Deutsche Rentenversicherung Hessen or a tax adviser.