Germany salary calculator 2026: brutto-netto take-home pay
This free Germany salary calculator turns your gross salary (Brutto) into your real take-home pay (Netto) for 2026. Pick your federal state and tax class and it shows your pay after income tax (Lohnsteuer), the solidarity surcharge, optional church tax and the four social-insurance contributions, down to the monthly figure. Every rate comes from official sources (§32a EStG, the BMF wage-tax program and the 2026 social-insurance figures), and you can see exactly how each number is worked out.
How your German take-home pay is calculated
Wage tax uses the progressive §32a tariff: the first €12,348 is tax-free (Grundfreibetrag), then the rate climbs from 14% to 42%, and to 45% on very high incomes. It is charged on income after the €1,230 employee lump, the €36 special-expenses lump and the Vorsorgepauschale (a deduction for your pension, health and care contributions), which is why the tax is lower than the headline rate suggests.
| 2026 social insurance (employee) | Rate | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Pension (Rentenversicherung) | 9.3% | €101,400 |
| Unemployment (Arbeitslosenversicherung) | 1.3% | €101,400 |
| Health (Krankenversicherung) | 7.3% + ½ × 2.9% | €69,750 |
| Long-term care (Pflegeversicherung) | 1.8% (+0.6% childless) | €69,750 |
€50,000 after tax in Germany (2026)
A single person on €50,000 in Berlin (tax class I) takes home about €32,337 a year (roughly €2,695 a month): about €6,788 income tax, no solidarity surcharge, and €10,875 of social insurance (€4,650 pension, €650 unemployment, €4,375 health, €1,200 care). Your Krankenkasse's supplementary rate (Zusatzbeitrag) shifts the health figure slightly, so enter your own rate above to match your payslip exactly.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this Germany salary calculator free?
- Yes. It's completely free, with no sign-up. Enter your gross salary (Brutto), pick your federal state and tax class, and it shows your take-home pay (Netto) for 2026 after Lohnsteuer, the solidarity surcharge and social insurance, using official §32a EStG and German social-insurance figures.
- How is take-home pay (Netto) calculated in Germany?
- From your gross salary, Germany deducts wage tax (Lohnsteuer) under the §32a income-tax tariff, possibly the solidarity surcharge and church tax, and four social-insurance contributions: pension (9.3%), unemployment (1.3%), health (about 8.75%) and long-term care (2.4% for a childless employee). The wage tax is charged on income after the €1,230 employee lump, the €36 special-expenses lump and the Vorsorgepauschale (an insurance lump deduction). What's left is your Netto.
- How much is €50,000 after tax in Germany?
- For 2026 in Berlin, a €50,000 salary in tax class I gives a take-home of about €32,337 a year, or roughly €2,695 a month. That's after about €6,788 income tax, €4,650 pension, €650 unemployment, €4,375 health and €1,200 care insurance, with no solidarity surcharge. Enter your own salary, state and tax class above for an exact breakdown.
- What are the German tax classes (Steuerklassen)?
- Class I is for single employees, IV for married couples who earn roughly the same, and III/V for married couples with unequal incomes (the higher earner takes III, the lower V). Class II is for single parents and VI is for a second job. Your class changes how much wage tax is withheld each month.
- How much are social-insurance contributions in 2026?
- Employees pay half of most contributions: pension 9.3% and unemployment 1.3% up to €101,400 a year, statutory health 7.3% plus half the supplementary rate (2026 average 2.9%) and long-term care 1.8% up to €69,750. Childless employees aged 23 or over pay an extra 0.6% care surcharge; Saxony residents pay 0.5% more care.
- Do I pay the solidarity surcharge and church tax?
- The solidarity surcharge (5.5% of wage tax) only applies once your annual wage tax passes €20,350, so most single employees up to about €82,000 gross pay none. Church tax is only for registered church members: 8% of the wage tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% in the other states.