What Is the Minimum Wage in the Netherlands?
The Dutch statutory minimum wage (wettelijk minimumloon) is EUR 14.99 gross per hour from 1 July 2026 for employees aged 21 and over. It is an hourly minimum: since 2024 there are no fixed monthly, weekly or daily minimum wages, so the monthly amount depends on the hours worked. Employees aged 15 to 20 receive a youth minimum wage, from EUR 4.50 at age 15 to EUR 11.99 at age 20. On top of the wage, every employee is entitled to a holiday allowance of at least 8%. The rates change on 1 January and 1 July each year.
The Dutch minimum wage at a glance
- EUR 14.99 gross per hour from 1 July 2026 for employees aged 21 and over (EUR 14.71 from 1 January 2026).
- Hourly, not monthly. The employer must pay at least the hourly rate for every hour worked.
- Youth minimum wage for ages 15 to 20: a fixed percentage of the adult rate.
- Holiday allowance of at least 8% of the wage, normally paid in June (Articles 15 and 17 of the Minimum Wage Act).
- Bank transfer: the minimum wage must be paid by bank transfer, not in cash (Article 7a).
- No deductions from the minimum wage, except those the Act allows (Article 13).
- Void clauses: any agreement contrary to the Act is void (Article 19).
- Fines: the Netherlands Labour Authority can fine the employer for each employee underpaid.
On this page
What Is the Minimum Wage in the Netherlands in 2026?
The rates below are the gross hourly amounts published by the Dutch government for 2026. The youth rates are a fixed percentage of the adult rate.
| Age | From 1 January 2026 | From 1 July 2026 | Share of adult rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | EUR 14.71 | EUR 14.99 | 100% |
| 20 | EUR 11.77 | EUR 11.99 | 80% |
| 19 | EUR 8.83 | EUR 8.99 | 60% |
| 18 | EUR 7.36 | EUR 7.50 | 50% |
| 17 | EUR 5.81 | EUR 5.92 | 39.5% |
| 16 | EUR 5.07 | EUR 5.17 | 34.5% |
| 15 | EUR 4.41 | EUR 4.50 | 30% |
Source: Rijksoverheid, minimum wage amounts 2026. The amounts are gross, before tax and social security contributions. The Minimum Wage Act (Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag, WML) contains the base amounts, which are indexed on 1 January and 1 July each year. The next change is on 1 January 2027; always check the current rate before relying on the figures above.
How Much Is the Minimum Wage per Month?
There is no fixed monthly minimum wage any more. The monthly minimum is the hourly rate multiplied by the hours actually worked, so it differs with the working week.
As an illustration, at EUR 14.99 per hour and an average of 52 weeks per year divided by 12 months, the monthly minimum is approximately:
| Working week | Approximate gross monthly minimum from 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| 36 hours | EUR 2,338 |
| 38 hours | EUR 2,468 |
| 40 hours | EUR 2,598 |
These are calculations for illustration, not statutory amounts. Where an employee has a fixed number of hours per week and a fixed monthly salary, Article 11 of the Act requires that the employee receives at least the hourly minimum over the average number of hours worked in the month, derived from the total hours for the calendar year. Hours worked beyond the agreed hours must be paid at the latest in the next pay period, unless compensation in paid time off has been validly agreed (Article 13a). The Act also contains a separate monthly amount, EUR 2,337.00 from 1 July 2026, but that figure is used for calculating social security benefits that refer to the minimum wage (Article 8(1)(b)), not as a monthly minimum salary.
Who Is Entitled to the Minimum Wage in the Netherlands?
Every employee with an employment contract governed by Dutch civil law, from the age of 15, regardless of nationality. The Act also covers some people who work under a contract for services rather than an employment contract.
- Employees. The Act applies to employment under a civil-law employment contract (Article 2(1)). The adult minimum wage applies from the age of 21 (Article 7(1)); for ages 15 to 20 the youth rates apply.
- Certain contractors. The Act also treats as employment the relationship of someone who, for payment under a contract for services, regularly acts as an intermediary exclusively for one principal, or who performs work, unless that contract was entered into in the course of a business or in the independent exercise of a profession (Article 2(2)). Genuinely self-employed contractors are therefore outside the Act, but a "freelance" arrangement that is not a real business can fall within it. See bogus self-employment.
- Work abroad. Someone who works outside the Netherlands is only an employee under the Act if he or she lives in the Netherlands and the employer is also located there, or has a permanent establishment or representative there (Article 4(2)).
- Tips and third-party pay. Payments the employee receives from third parties for the work count towards the minimum wage only insofar as they form part of the terms of employment (Article 7(4)).
Workers posted to the Netherlands from other EU countries are also entitled to the Dutch minimum wage for the work done here; see posted workers in the Netherlands.
How Does the Minimum Holiday Allowance Work?
Under Article 15 of the Minimum Wage Act, the employee is entitled to a holiday allowance (vakantiebijslag) of at least 8% of the wage paid by the employer, and of certain benefits received during the employment.
The 8% is calculated on the wage up to three times the minimum wage; the part of the wage above that is disregarded for the statutory minimum (Article 15(1)). A collective agreement or public-law regulation can provide for a lower or no holiday allowance, but not for employees earning around the minimum: the wage and holiday allowance together must be at least 108% of the minimum wage earned over the period (Article 16). The allowance is paid in June over the twelve months up to 31 May, unless a different moment has been agreed in writing, and it must be paid at least once a year (Article 17). More: holiday allowance in the Netherlands.
How Must the Minimum Wage Be Paid?
On time, by bank transfer, and without deductions other than those the Act allows.
- On time: the employer must pay the minimum wage in time, with reference to the rules on payment of wages in the Civil Code (Article 7(6)).
- By bank transfer: the minimum wage must be paid into a bank account (Article 7a(1)). The exception is domestic staff working for a private household on fewer than four days a week (Article 7a(2)).
- No deductions or set-off: the minimum wage is protected against deductions and set-off by the employer, with limited statutory exceptions (Article 13).
- Void clauses: any agreement that departs from the Act, such as an hourly rate below the minimum, is void (Article 19).
Can a Collective Agreement Set a Higher Minimum?
Yes. The statutory minimum is a floor. Many collective labour agreements (cao) set higher wage scales, and where a collective agreement applies, the employee is entitled to its scale if that is higher.
A collective agreement cannot go below the statutory minimum wage. The only route to a lower minimum in the Act is a decision of the minister for a category of employees in a company or sector whose survival is seriously threatened, after consultation with employers' and employees' organisations (Article 10). Whether a collective agreement applies, and which scale, is explained in the guide to collective labour agreements in the Netherlands.
What Happens If an Employer Pays Less Than the Minimum Wage?
The employee can claim the shortfall, with a statutory increase for late payment, and the Netherlands Labour Authority can fine the employer.
The employee's claim is a claim for wages. Wages paid late can carry a statutory increase of up to half the amount owed, which the court can limit (Article 7:625 of the Dutch Civil Code). See wage claims in the Netherlands.
Failing to pay the minimum wage or the minimum holiday allowance, paying it other than by bank transfer, and making prohibited deductions are offences under Article 18b of the Act. The fine is imposed by an official designated by the minister, and the offence counts separately for each person concerned (Article 18c). The Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) explains its fining policy on its website; the standard fine can reach EUR 10,000 per employee, scaled to the extent of the underpayment.
Paying the Dutch Minimum Wage: A Checklist for Employers
- Is the hourly wage of every employee at least the current rate for his or her age, on 1 January and on 1 July?
- Are employees with a fixed monthly salary paid at least the hourly minimum over their average hours?
- Are extra hours paid in the next pay period, or has compensation in time off been validly agreed in advance?
- Is the holiday allowance of at least 8% paid at least once a year?
- Is the wage paid by bank transfer, and are there no deductions that bring it below the minimum?
- Does a collective agreement apply with higher scales?
- Are contractors who work for you really running their own business, or could the Act apply to them?
For advice on a specific situation, see a Dutch employment lawyer. The rates on this page are reviewed each January and July.