How much money is there in maternity leave?

During the periods of protection before and after childbirth (maternity leave), employees with statutory health insurance generally receive their previous net pay: up to €13 per day from the health insurance fund and the rest as a contribution from the employer. One-off payments such as Christmas bonuses are not included. If you have private or family insurance, you receive a one-off payment of at most €210 from the Federal Office for Social Security instead of the €13 per day; the employer still deducts the €13 – so there is a gap.

How is the maternity leave payment calculated?

First, the pre-maternity leave comparison period must be determined (usually the last three settled calendar months before the start of maternity leave). The net income of this period is added up and the sum divided by 90 calendar days (30 days per month) to obtain an average net income per calendar day that is paid to you tax-free during the protection period.

How much maternity leave payment do I get from my employer?

First, the calendar-day net pay from the comparison period before maternity leave must be determined. The employer pays the amount exceeding 13€ per day with the current pay check. Mothers receive the 13€ themselves from the health insurance fund.

How long is maternity leave payment paid by the employer?

The employer generally pays the maternity leave contribution until the end of the maternity leave. You can determine the duration quickly and easily with our Maternity Leave Calculator. If the employment relationship ends during the maternity leave period, the employer will only pay the contribution for that period.

Which months count if I was on parental leave before?

If you end parental leave when the protection period starts, the three settled months before your parental leave count – with the deductions of that time. Permanent pay rises since then count from their start. If you work part-time during parental leave, the months before parental leave count as well. If parental leave continues without part-time work, only the health insurance fund pays, up to €13 per day.

Do Christmas bonuses and pay rises count?

One-off payments such as Christmas or holiday bonuses and other bonuses do not count. A permanent pay rise within the calculation period counts for all three months, a later one from its start.

Is it worth changing tax class for the employer contribution?

Often yes – but only if the change takes effect in the three months before maternity leave; a change applies from the month after the application to the tax office. Common combinations such as III/V, where you earn more than your partner, must be taken into account by the employer. Our calculator tells you the date.

What applies to sickness benefit or short-time work before maternity leave?

Days with sickness benefit, short-time work or other absences through no fault of your own do not count; the average is calculated from the remaining days.

Maternity leave payment calculator

With our maternity leave payment calculator you can quickly and easily calculate your entitlement

By Felix Böhme, Dipl.-Finanzwirt (FH), graduate in public finance Updated 26 Oct 2026

Maternity leave payment is the net wage replacement that mothers receive during the protection periods before and after the birth. For salaried employees, it consists of the current maternity leave payment from the health insurance fund (max. €13 per day) and the maternity leave contribution from the employer. In our maternity leave payment calculator, you can quickly and easily calculate the maternity leave contribution from your employer.

In short: Employees with statutory health insurance receive up to €13 a day in maternity benefit (Mutterschaftsgeld) from their health insurance fund during maternity protection, and the employer tops it up to their previous net pay. With €2,400 net pay a month, that adds up to around €80 per calendar day. As of October 2026.

This is how our maternity leave payment calculator works

Maternity leave replaces an average pre-maternity net pay. In the first step, therefore, you enter the start of maternity leave into the calculator.

Based on this, the three-month period before the start of maternity leave is automatically determined. The net remuneration for the respective months is to be entered there.

By clicking on “Calculate maternity leave payment”, the maternity leave contribution from the employer is determined by first calculating the sum of the net pay entered, which is then divided by 90 calendar days (30 days per month) to obtain the average net pay per calendar day. Days without pay (for example with sickness benefit) and one-off payments such as Christmas bonuses are not included.

The €13 health insurance contribution is deducted from this amount, leaving the employer’s contribution, which the employer pays to the mother for each day of maternity leave. As a rule, payment is made in the same way as for current pay.

Good to know:

The employer is not left to bear the costs, but is reimbursed in full by the health insurance fund via the U2 maternity benefit contribution. The maternity leave payment is thus ultimately borne by the community of insured persons.

Elterngeldberatung Einfach Elterngeld - Individuelle Beratung vereinbaren.

We have answers to your questions.

The regulations on parental allowance can be very complicated. Get professional advice.

Parental allowance consulting

To print: Maternity protection planner – enter the start and end of your protection periods yourself, special cases, what to send to whom and your money during maternity protection (PDF, 2 pages).

Maternity protection planner (PDF)

FAQ

How much money is there in maternity leave?: During the periods of protection before and after childbirth (maternity leave), employees with statutory health insurance generally receive their previous net pay: up to €13 per day from the health insurance fund and the rest as a contribution from the employer. One-off payments such as Christmas bonuses are not included. If you have private or family insurance, you receive a one-off payment of at most €210 from the Federal Office for Social Security instead of the €13 per day; the employer still deducts the €13 – so there is a gap.
How is the maternity leave payment calculated?: First, the pre-maternity leave comparison period must be determined (usually the last three settled calendar months before the start of maternity leave). The net income of this period is added up and the sum divided by 90 calendar days (30 days per month) to obtain an average net income per calendar day that is paid to you tax-free during the protection period.
How much maternity leave payment do I get from my employer?: First, the calendar-day net pay from the comparison period before maternity leave must be determined. The employer pays the amount exceeding 13€ per day with the current pay check. Mothers receive the 13€ themselves from the health insurance fund.
How long is maternity leave payment paid by the employer?: The employer generally pays the maternity leave contribution until the end of the maternity leave. You can determine the duration quickly and easily with our Maternity Leave Calculator. If the employment relationship ends during the maternity leave period, the employer will only pay the contribution for that period.
Which months count if I was on parental leave before?: If you end parental leave when the protection period starts, the three settled months before your parental leave count – with the deductions of that time. Permanent pay rises since then count from their start. If you work part-time during parental leave, the months before parental leave count as well. If parental leave continues without part-time work, only the health insurance fund pays, up to €13 per day.
Do Christmas bonuses and pay rises count?: One-off payments such as Christmas or holiday bonuses and other bonuses do not count. A permanent pay rise within the calculation period counts for all three months, a later one from its start.
Is it worth changing tax class for the employer contribution?: Often yes – but only if the change takes effect in the three months before maternity leave; a change applies from the month after the application to the tax office. Common combinations such as III/V, where you earn more than your partner, must be taken into account by the employer. Our calculator tells you the date.
What applies to sickness benefit or short-time work before maternity leave?: Days with sickness benefit, short-time work or other absences through no fault of your own do not count; the average is calculated from the remaining days.

This might also interest you:

Maternity leave calculator
Calculate your maternity leave periods quickly and easily with our free calculator.

Maternity leave contribution from the employer
We inform you about maternity leave contribution from the employer.

Maternity leave payment from the public health insurance
You can find out more about maternity leave payment from the public health insurance here.