The 35-hour week & hourly wage in the metal industry

In the West German metal and electrical industry, contractual full time is 35 hours per week. It is the reference quantity for the monthly pay of every pay grade and therefore also for calculating the hourly wage.

How to calculate your hourly wage

The collectively agreed hourly wage follows from the monthly salary via the formula:

hourly wage = monthly salary ÷ (weekly hours × 4.35)

The 4.35 factor is the divisor set by the collective agreement: one month counts as 4.35 weeks, so a 35-hour week amounts to 152.25 monthly hours. Applied to the current Eckentgelt in Baden-Württemberg, this gives:

Additional and reduced hours

Not every plant works exactly 35 hours. Collective agreements and works-council agreements allow deviations:

• Additional hours raise the monthly pay proportionally – working regularly more than 35 hours earns correspondingly more.
• Reduced hours (e.g. a 30-hour week) lower the pay proportionally.

In the salary calculator you can enter your actual weekly hours and immediately see how additional or reduced hours affect your monthly and annual salary. The base values per EG are in the pay scales; further questions are covered in the FAQ.