Part-Time Jobs for Students in Germany: What You Need to Know

Germany is one of the many preferred destinations for students wishing to study abroad because of the high quality of education and easy PR after education. More importantly, graduating is tuition-free! 

Therefore, pursuing an education in Germany isn’t as expensive as in other countries. However, the students may prefer a part-time job to support their expenses. If you wish to study in Germany and work part-time jobs, we will discuss a few options in this article. 

Part-Time Jobs in Germany

Reports indicate that from January 1, 2021, an international student in Germany will require 861 EUR/month to cover their living expenses. Those costs work out to around 10,332 EUR/year. 

Hence, students will need a part-time job to support their expenses. But students should also be aware of Germany’s laws and eligibility so they can take up part-time jobs. 

Laws and Eligibility

Students from Europe, Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland share the same working rights as German students. They have the flexibility of working for more than 20 hours per week. However, the working rights of students from other countries aren’t the same. 

There are certain restrictions on international students outside of the countries mentioned above, including:

• The students can work for only 120 full days or 240 half days. 
• Per university rules, no student will be allowed to work more than 20 hours during the term. However, during the vacations, the students can take up full-time jobs. 
• No student can be self-employed or work as a freelancer. 
• Students need to have a work permit (which showcases the maximum limit of work that they can take up) provided to them by the Federal Employment Agency and foreigners’ authority. 
• Students who earn less than 450 euros per month do not need to pay taxes. This also applies to students who do not work continuously for 50 working days. 
• Students who take a language or preparatory course can work only during free periods. But they need explicit permission from the Federal Employment Agency and Immigration Office to work for free.

Types of Part-Time Jobs in Germany

The opportunities are endless if you’re an international student looking for part-time jobs in Germany. You can choose from a wide range of job options, such as filing documents, waiting tables, and bartending. 

You could also get employed at your university as an academic assistant. Ideally, when choosing a part-time job, you must choose one that will support your field of study. Below are listed some of the prominent job options that you can choose from in Germany:

Academic Assistants

• Library supervisor
• Literature researcher
• Tutoring (Students training to be a teacher can opt for this)
• Tutorial Assistant
• Media (this is a perfect opportunity for journalism students)

Off-Campus Jobs

• Bartender
• Waiter/Waitress
• Trade Fairs
• Babysitter
• Filing office documents
• Courier
• Cashier

A brief description of some job profiles is given below:

Off-Campus Jobs

You can expect the pay for off-campus jobs to be quite basic. However, the best part of these jobs is that the students get many opportunities to meet the locals and explore the culture. Networking in the country can be invaluable since it’ll help you find more part-time and well-paying jobs after graduation.

Academic Assistants

Teaching assistant jobs are the most common academic assistant jobs you will find. These jobs tend to pay better than off-campus jobs. As an academic assistant, some prominent tasks include preparing research, giving presentations and tutorials, serving as a librarian, acting as a supervisor, and marking copies. You could also work as a research scholar, depending on what you’re pursuing and your level of dedication to academia. 

Salary

The pay scale is the most significant consideration when students take part-time jobs. The minimum wage for these part-time jobs is 8.80 Euros per hour. The salary may be higher in bigger cities, but the cost of living there will be higher too. 

While the pay may not be enough to support your education, it will cover your living expenses. As mentioned earlier, students who earn less than 450 euros per month will not need to pay taxes. For academic institutions and production, part-time jobs offer a higher pay per hour than the minimum wage. 

Looking for more information about part-time jobs in Germany? 21K schools will keep you updated. 21K School is India’s first online-only and world’s first web 3.0 school. Bookmark our page and visit our blog for regular updates about studying in Germany. We wish you the best for all your future endeavours and successful education in Germany!