Minimum apprenticeship allowance increases in 2027

The minimum training allowance increases in 2027: What apprentices and companies need to know

For apprentices starting a dual vocational training in 2027, the statutory minimum training allowance will increase. In the first training year, a minimum of 764 euros gross per month will have to be paid. In the second training year, it will be 902 euros, in the third 1,031 euros, and in the fourth training year 1,070 euros.

The new amounts were announced on October 7, 2026, in the Federal Law Gazette . The basis is § 17 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) . The new minimum amounts apply to vocational trainings that start between January 1 and December 31, 2027.

764 euros in the first training year

The statutory minimum training allowance for training beginning in 2027 is:

The amounts refer to monthly gross figures. The minimum training allowance is a statutory lower limit. It is intended to prevent training allowances from being set unreasonably low.

In the first training year, the minimum amount increases by 40 euros compared to the 2026 rate of 724 euros. This corresponds to an increase of nearly 5.6 percent.

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) confirms the new rates and points out that the minimum allowance has been legally set since 2020.

The start of the training is decisive

The new amounts do not automatically apply to all apprentices who are still in training in 2027.

What is decisive is when the training relationship began.

For example, someone who started training in 2026 will not automatically receive the 764 euros for the first training year starting in January 2027. For this training relationship, the minimum allowance that was set for the year of training commencement still applies.

This follows directly from § 17 paragraph 2 BBiG . There it is specified that the continued minimum allowance for the first training year applies to vocational trainings that start in the year of the respective continuation.

Therefore, for a training start in 2027, the new lower limit of 764 euros applies.

Why is the minimum allowance adjusted every year?

The amount of the minimum training allowance is not freely set by the government every year. The Vocational Training Act contains a fixed calculation mechanism for this.

The minimum allowance for the first training year is adjusted annually. The basis is the calculated average of the training allowances from the two preceding calendar years. The law also regulates how the calculated amount is rounded.

The relevant federal ministry must publish the new amounts no later than November 1 of a calendar year for the following year in the Federal Law Gazette.

For the subsequent training years, the BBiG provides fixed increases. The second training year is 18 percent higher than the first year’s amount, the third is 35 percent, and the fourth is 40 percent.

Starting from the 764 euros for the first training year, the amounts for 2027 result in 902 euros in the second, 1,031 euros in the third, and 1,070 euros in the fourth training year.

The statutory minimum allowance is not a general training wage

The 764 euros are, however, not what an apprentice usually needs to earn.

The statutory minimum training allowance is merely the lower limit. Many training companies pay significantly more.

This is also shown by looking at the tariff-based training allowances. According to the latest calculations of the BIBB , apprentices in tariff-bound companies received on average over all training years in 2025 1,209 euros gross per month.

The differences between training sectors are considerable. In the public sector, the average tariff-based training allowance in 2025 was 1,329 euros, in industry and commerce 1,266 euros, and in crafts 1,093 euros.

The statutory minimum allowance is therefore mainly a safeguard from below. It does not indicate what a training in a particular trade usually pays.

Tariff agreements can play a special role

When considering the permissible training allowance, it is therefore not always sufficient to look only at the statutory minimum allowance.

§ 17 paragraph 3 BBiG provides an exception for tariff agreement regulations. A tariff-based allowance applicable to the training company can also be considered appropriate even if it is below the statutory minimum allowance.

For non-tariff-bound companies, there are again different rules. If the training allowance is below a relevant tariff-based allowance, a reduction of more than 20 percent is generally no longer considered appropriate.

Which amount must actually be paid therefore depends, among other things, on whether a tariff agreement applies and which tariff agreement applies to the training relationship.

What applies in the case of part-time training?

There is also a special regulation for a vocational training in part-time.

The training allowance can be reduced in accordance with the shortened daily or weekly training time. However, the reduction must not be greater than the reduction in working hours.

For example, if the training time is reduced by 20 percent, the allowance can generally also be reduced by 20 percent. A further reduction is not appropriate according to § 17 paragraph 5 BBiG .

The salary must also increase with the training

The Vocational Training Act not only sets a minimum level. The salary must increase with advancing vocational training, at least once a year.

Therefore, there are higher minimum amounts for the second, third, and fourth training years respectively.

Anyone starting a three-year vocational training in 2027 will start with at least 764 Euro and reach at least 1,031 Euro in the third training year. For a four-year vocational training, the statutory minimum salary in the fourth training year is 1,070 Euro.

What does this mean for aspiring professional drivers?

The new minimum training salary is also relevant for aspiring professional drivers. The training to become a professional driver usually lasts three years.

Anyone starting the training in 2027 must therefore receive at least the salary applicable for the respective training year, provided that no collective agreement special regulation applies.

Therefore, it is particularly worthwhile for those in the transport sector to take a closer look at the training contract and to check whether a collective agreement applies to the training company. The statutory minimum salary is only the absolute lower limit, provided that no legally recognized tariff exception applies.

For training companies, the development is also relevant. Those who want to attract young talent are not only faced with the question of what is legally required to be paid at a minimum. The actual training salary can play an important role in the decision to choose a training company.

40 Euros more – but not automatically for everyone

For young people starting a vocational training in 2027, the statutory minimum salary in the first training year increases from 724 to 764 Euros. That is 40 Euros more per month.

However, this does not mean that every trainee from January 2027 will automatically receive 40 Euros more. For already ongoing training relationships, the minimum salary set for the respective year of training start remains decisive.

The new regulation therefore mainly applies to those who start a new training contract in 2027.

The minimum training salary remains exactly what its name says: a statutory minimum limit. In many vocational training occupations, the actual salaries are significantly higher.

Sources

• Federal Law Gazette – Announcement on the revision of the level of the minimum salary for vocational training 2027
• Federal Institute for Vocational Education (BIBB) – Minimum training salary increases in 2027 to 764 Euros
• Vocational Training Act (BBiG) – § 17 Right to remuneration and minimum remuneration
• BIBB – Tariff-based training salaries 2025
• BIBB – Tariff-based training salaries

As of: October 7, 2026