North Rhine-Westphalia Public Sector Employees to Receive Salary Increases in 2026
Public sector employees in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are set to receive salary increases in 2026, following collective bargaining agreements. NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst has confirmed the adjustments will be implemented.
New Collective Bargaining Agreement for State Employees (TV-L)
On February 14, 2026, the Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL) and unions reached a new agreement for state employees (TV-L). This agreement provides for a total wage increase of 5.8 percent over 27 months. Specifically, salaries will increase by 2.8 percent from April 1, 2026, with a minimum increase of 100 euros. A further 2.0 percent increase will follow on March 1, 2027, and an additional 1.0 percent will be implemented on January 1, 2028. The agreement is subject to a declaration period running until March 13th, after which the Federal Tariff Commission will make a final decision following a vote by Ver.di members.
Improved Conditions for Trainees
Trainees in North Rhine-Westphalia will similarly benefit from the new collective bargaining agreement, receiving a total increase of 150 euros over the agreement’s duration. An administrative assistant in their first year of training will earn 1,296 euros per month from April 2026, up from 1,236 euros. Improvements have also been made regarding acceptance and level advancement based on final grades.
Civil Servants to Receive Equivalent Increases
The North Rhine-Westphalia state government, under Minister-President Hendrik Wüst, announced at the dbb annual meeting in mid-January that the collective bargaining results would be transferred to civil servants on a 1:1 basis, with the same effect. This practice of equal transfer for civil servants is standard in North Rhine-Westphalia and has been consistently applied in previous collective agreements.
To enact these increases, the state government will prepare a salary adjustment law for consideration by the state parliament. These increases will apply equally to state and local civil servants.
Municipal Employees (TVöD) to See Increases in May 2026
Employees of municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia, covered by the TVöD collective agreement, will also receive salary improvements. The agreement, concluded in April 2025 between the Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations (VKA) and the unions, included an initial increase of 3.0 percent, or at least 110 euros, on April 1, 2025. A further increase of 2.8 percent will take effect on May 1, 2026. This applies to all TVöD employees at both federal and local government levels.
As of June 2024, approximately 400,000 people were employed by municipalities and municipal associations in North Rhine-Westphalia, representing a significant portion of the over 916,000 public sector employees in the state [1]. Employees in municipal social and educational services will also receive the 2.8 percent increase from May 2026. All TVöD employees will gain an extra day of vacation starting in 2027, and the annual special payment will be increased, with the option to convert it into additional days off.
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