Student, Summer and Practical Training Jobs in Austria

In Austria, a summer job and a practical placement are not the same. Depending on whether you are a genuine trainee, a summer employee or a voluntary trainee, different rules apply to pay and insurance. Here is what you should know in 2026.

When can you work during the summer in Austria?

To take a summer job, or Ferialjob, you must meet both conditions:

• You are at least 15 years old.
• You have completed compulsory schooling, or allgemeine Schulpflicht.

Compulsory schooling ends after the ninth school level, or neunte Schulstufe, on the first day of the main summer holidays, or Hauptferien. These rules apply in Austria to all EU citizens.

Important detail: If you turn 15 before the summer holidays following the ninth school level, you are still legally considered a child under the Kinder- und Jugendlichen-Beschäftigungsgesetz (KJBG). You become a young person only when the holidays begin, and may take summer work from that point onwards.

What applies if you are under 15?

A person under 15 who has already completed compulsory schooling may only be employed in these forms:

1. A Lehrverhältnis.
2. A special practical placement that makes up for educational content missed during the school year.
3. A compulsory placement under the conditions set out in the Schulorganisationsgesetz.
4. A Teilqualifizierung or verlängerte Lehre.

In these cases, the KJBG rules for young people apply, although these young people are legally still considered children.

Practical training, summer work and volunteering

There are three main situations:

• Genuine practical trainee, or echter Ferialpraktikant: no money or benefits in kind; accident insurance only.
• Summer employee or summer worker, or Ferialangestellte and Ferialarbeiter: pay is due under the collective agreement. Full insurance applies if income exceeds the marginal employment threshold, or Geringfügigkeitsgrenze.
• Voluntary trainee, or Volontär: no pay, including pocket money; accident insurance applies.

Full insurance means sickness, accident, pension and unemployment insurance.

When is a placement a genuine practical placement?

A genuine practical trainee is a student or university student completing practical training required or customary under the curriculum or study regulations, without compensation. Typical features include:

• The person can prove that they are studying a particular subject and performs suitable work at the company.
• The placement serves the learning objectives of the course and lasts for a period consistent with the training requirements.
• There is no personal obligation to work, no obligation to follow instructions or submit to supervision, and the trainee is not integrated into the company’s organisation.
• Learning, rather than work performance, is the main focus.

This type of placement can be completed throughout the year, not only during the summer. Accident insurance applies under the statutory insurance scheme for students, without an employer contribution or social insurance registration.

Note: If the trainee is actually working as an employee in a relationship of personal and economic dependence, or is liable for wage tax because of money or pocket money received, they must be registered for social insurance.

Whether payment is due for the placement generally depends on the agreement between the trainee and the employer, unless the Kollektivvertrag expressly provides otherwise.

Special rule for hotels and catering

In the hotel and catering industry, or Hotel- und Gastgewerbe, a practical placement always creates an employment relationship. For a compulsory placement, the voluntary trainee form is not possible in this sector.

The trainee must receive at least the wage specified by the collective agreement and must be accounted for as either a worker or an employee.

Who is a voluntary trainee?

A Volontär is a person who mainly expands and applies knowledge acquired in theory at a company, without an obligation to work and without remuneration. The person is not tied to a particular task, and the arrangement primarily benefits the trainee.

If the person receives any remuneration, the arrangement becomes an employment relationship. A genuine voluntary trainee must be registered directly with the AUVA.

Where can you find a summer job or placement?

• At school: teachers may know about available placements and can offer useful tips.
• At the AMS: the employment service also offers job-search coaching specifically for young people.
• On job portals: check the LOGO Jobbörse, akzente Jugendinfo Salzburg, the FFG placement exchange, StudentJob and praktikum.info.
• On the European Youth Portal: look for jobs, placements and international opportunities.

A well-prepared Austrian-format CV can help with applications. You can also review the guide to preparing an Austrian German-language CV.

Frequently asked questions

Is a compulsory practical placement paid?

A genuine trainee does not receive remuneration. Whether payment is offered generally depends on the agreement, unless the collective agreement says otherwise. In the hotel and catering industry, at least the wage specified by the collective agreement is due.

Can practical training only be completed in summer?

No. A practical placement can be completed throughout the year.

Am I insured during a summer job?

As a summer employee, you receive full insurance if your income exceeds the marginal employment threshold. As a genuine trainee or voluntary trainee, you are covered by accident insurance.

Practical steps before starting

1. Check that you are at least 15 and have completed the ninth school level and compulsory schooling requirements.
2. Clarify in writing whether the position is a Ferialjob, Ferialpraxis or Volontariat.
3. Ask about pay, the applicable Kollektivvertrag and whether the position is treated as employment.
4. Confirm which insurance applies and whether registration with social insurance or AUVA is required.
5. Prepare an Austrian-format CV and search through your school, the AMS, job portals and the European Youth Portal.
6. In the hotel and catering industry, make sure the placement is treated as an employment relationship and that at least the collective-agreement wage is paid.

This article is based on information available online and is not legal or professional advice. Use it at your own risk. For specific guidance, contact a lawyer, legal professional, health professional, employment-law or labour-market specialist, or another relevant expert.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at