Do I pay social security contributions when working as a student?

Yes, but how much depends on the type of job. Being a student does not exempt you from contributions by itself; there are special rules for Werkstudent jobs and Minijobs.

#Werkstudent

If you regularly work no more than 20 hours a week during the lecture period (all employers combined), only pension insurance is deducted: 18.6 percent in total in 2026, of which your share is 9.3 percent. You are exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance in the job. You pay your own student health and long-term care insurance (KVdS) separately.

#Minijob (up to 603 € a month in 2026)

Minijobs are pension-insurance liable: the employer pays 15 percent, you pay 3.6 percent. You can ask your employer in writing to exempt you, which removes your share (Minijob-Zentrale). You still pay your student health insurance yourself.

#Regular job (neither Werkstudent nor Minijob)

You pay the employee shares of health, long-term care, pension and unemployment insurance. The exact amounts depend on your insurer and personal situation; you will see them on your monthly payslip (Lohnabrechnung).

#Tax is a separate matter

Social contributions are not the same as tax. The basic tax-free allowance (Grundfreibetrag) for 2026 is 12,348 € a year; if your taxable annual income stays below it, no income tax is due. If wage tax (Lohnsteuer) was withheld during the year, you can reclaim it with a tax return (Steuererklärung).

#When you leave Germany

What happens to the pension contributions you paid (for example a refund) depends on your individual case – ask the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.

More: HiWi vs Werkstudent