Information regarding the student job

Students are said to be frugal and get by with little. But even with a moderate standard of living, rent has to be paid, books bought and needs met. Especially in times of rising inflation, many students have to find a part-time job: A part-time job is a must! Here we take a closer look at what this means for you as a student.

How many hours am I allowed to work in addition to my studies?

As a student, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period. During the lecture-free period, you may work more - but only for up to 26 weeks per year. If you work unusual hours at weekends, in the evenings or at night, you may also work more than 20 hours during the lecture period, but again for a maximum of 26 weeks per year.

By the way, the 26-week rule is not based on the calendar year. It is based on the expected end of the employment to be assessed and then on the last 12 months.

How much additional income am I allowed to earn as a student?

In general, you are entitled to at least the minimum wage of currently 12 euros (as of 1. October 2022) - there are no upper limits. If you have family insurance through your parents or spouse, you may earn a maximum of 620 euros per month. Even if you are receiving Bafög, you are allowed to earn a maximum of 520 euros per month. The only thing that is not affected by your income is child benefit.

What is the working student privilege?

As a working student, you do not pay any contributions for unemployment insurance, nursing care insurance or health insurance. Of course, you still have to take out health insurance, but the contributions are independent of your income. Students can usually opt for free family insurance, statutory student insurance (approx. 115 euros/month) or private health insurance.

The working student privilege leaves you with more net from the gross and your employer also has to pay less tax for you. In addition to your student status, the prerequisite for the working student privilege is that you do not work more than 20 hours per week during the semester and that you observe the 26-week rule outside of that. Please note: You often cannot benefit from the working student privilege if you are studying part-time or during a semester off (except for compulsory internships). The same applies to part-time studies with a scope of less than 50 percent of full-time studies.

What is the difference to a mini-job?

In a mini-job, you earn up to 520 euros per month. You do not pay any taxes or social security contributions; your employer only pays a lump sum. This applies to all mini-jobbers and has nothing to do with your student status. In this case, you are also not covered by health insurance and must take care of this yourself. 

Taxes

If you earn more than 950 euros per month as a working student, for example, wage tax is usually deducted from your monthly income. This also applies if you only earn a lot for a limited period of time. However, if your total income remains below the annual exemption limit of 9,984 euros plus income-related expenses (flat-rate amount of 1,000 euros/year), you can reclaim the income tax paid by filing your tax return at the end of the year. In the case of a mini-job, as long as you do not have any other jobs, no income tax is usually deducted in advance.

Are you entitled to paid leave and sick pay?

Even as a working student or mini-jobber, you have a holiday entitlement. You are entitled to the same number of holiday days as the other employees in your company. In both cases, you are also entitled to continued payment of wages in case of illness. However, if you are absent for more than 6 weeks, you are unfortunately not entitled to sick pay from the health insurance fund.

What happens if I lose my job?

Unlike regular employees, you are not entitled to unemployment benefit I if you lose your job. After all, as a working student or mini-jobber, you have not paid any contributions. Accordingly, you cannot receive unemployment benefit I after finishing your studies.