Master and journeyman hourly rates 2026: current rates by trade, how they are calculated, and what the charge-out rate means.
TL;DR
In 2026 a craftsman hour costs 65 to 70 euros net for journeymen and 72 to 78 euros for masters.
When customers receive a bill, the first reaction is often: "So expensive?" But many don't realize that an hourly rate of 60 to 80 euros involves much more than just the craftsman's wage. According to the German Craftsmanship Newspaper, hourly rates in 2024 ranged between 38 and 68 € net depending on the trade, averaging around 64 € for master craftsmen.
You'll learn in this post:
What a craftsman's hour costs you when you hire one and what you can charge customers if you're a craft business owner.
What the hourly charge-out rate means and how to calculate it.
Not, however, what you can earn if you're an employed craftsman.
Hourly wage vs. hourly rate: Don't confuse them. The hourly wage is the gross salary an employed craftsman earns per hour (e.g. 18 to 25 euros). The hourly rate (charge-out rate) is what a business charges customers per working hour (e.g. 60 to 85 euros). This article covers hourly rates only. What tradespeople actually earn is in our tradesman hourly wage table.
For orientation: The following ranges refer to hourly charge-out rates (colloquially: hourly rates) by trade.
The differences between individual craft trades are significant. The most recent cross-trade survey by the German Craftsmanship Newspaper (as of 2024) breaks down as follows:
| Trade | Hourly Rate net (as of 2024) |
| Roofers and Carpenters | 68 € (Top position) |
| SHK, Metalwork, Steel Construction | 65 € |
| Electrical Engineering | 64 € |
| Joiners/Carpenters | 63 € |
| Painters/Plasterers/Stucco Workers | 62 € |
The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest trade is currently only six euros. The rates are converging.
All hourly rates by trade, regional differences and cost breakdowns at a glance: Craftsman Hourly Rate Table 2026 (PDF) free download.
Due to the increase in the minimum wage to 13.90 € from 2026, rising wage-related costs and higher operating expenses, craftsman hourly rates in 2026 will likely rise by 5 to 10 %. Realistically, costs are:
a journeyman hour 65–70 € net
a master hour 72–78 € net
depending on trade and region.
The price distribution shows clear regional differences across Germany:
On average, a craftsman's hour costs approximately 54 € in eastern Germany and 64 € in the west, a difference of around 15 percent.
Formula: Charge-out rate = (annual total costs + target profit) / productive annual hours Example: EUR 320,000 / 5,000 h = EUR 64/h
The price for a craftsman's hour is composed of several components, as transparently presented by the Stuttgart Chamber of Crafts:
Business consultants confirm: "Most craftsmen are too cheap" and their hourly rates often just cover their costs.
Our guide on how to calculate the hourly charge-out rate covers the formula, a worked example and an Excel template. The charge-out rate calculator does it straight in the browser.
The industry minimum wages for 2026 are significantly above the statutory minimum wage:
The statutory minimum wage (2025: 12.82 € gross) increases to:
This is based on the recommendation of the Minimum Wage Commission and the decision of the Federal Cabinet.
71 percent of the surveyed craft businesses have increased their prices. The reasons:
At an hourly rate of 65 €, every wasted hour costs the business real money. Typical time wasters:
Digital procurement solutions like automatic reordering systems and central supplier integration significantly reduce these unproductive times. To put it in numbers: if a five-person team loses just one hour per person per week to material searches and unplanned procurement trips, that adds up to roughly 14,950 euros per year in wasted labor at a 65 euro hourly rate across 46 productive weeks.
Further reading: In our blog post on digital procurement in crafts, you'll learn 12 strategies to save on process and material costs.
The Chambers of Crafts recommend: Businesses should transparently show their customers how prices are composed. Those who communicate their calculations openly usually receive understanding instead of criticism.
Explaining your charge-out rate transparently significantly reduces price discussions.
In 2026 a journeyman's hour costs 60 to 75 € net on average, a master's hour 75 to 90 €. Roofing and electrical sit at the upper end, in eastern Germany rates run around 15 percent lower. Of that customer price the journeyman himself earns 18 to 25 € gross; the rest covers payroll overheads, vehicles, tools, insurance and the hours nobody can bill.
For customers that means 2027 will likely be more expensive. The statutory minimum wage rises by 5.0 percent to 14.60 € on 1 January 2027, and fuel costs add to the calculation: diesel hit an all-time high of 2.45 € per litre in April 2026 and has settled at around 2.15 € since. Realistically, charge-out rates will rise by 3 to 5 percent on average: 65 € becomes 67 to 68 €, 78 € becomes roughly 80 to 82 € net.
This is not a blanket price increase for every business. But anyone who wants to keep qualified staff, run vehicles and honour warranty claims cannot absorb rising costs indefinitely. The 2027 minimum wage is decided; the energy side is the uncertain part of the forecast.
repleno Founder
Christoph worked as an electronics technician in industry for five years and saw how missing small parts slow down operations. Later, as a project manager at P.S. Cooperation GmbH (Böllhoff Group), he led system-supported C-parts logistics projects for companies including Julabo and DMG Mori Bielefeld. Today, he is building repleno full-time, inventory management that helps small businesses detect demand early and automate reordering.
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