Salary & average income in Germany

If you are looking for a job or already working in Germany, you will undoubtedly have questions about what a fair wage in Germany is, how your salary and taxes are calculated, and how to understand your payslip. Our guide to salaries and the average income in Germany has a lot of the answers. 

Gross salary and net income in Germany

The difference between gross and net salary in Germany can come as a surprise to many expats, as the tax system in Germany may be different to that in your home country.

Gross salary

Your gross salary (Bruttogehalt) is your monthly or annual salary before deductions. The amount will usually be detailed in your employment contract.

Net salary

Your net salary (Nettogehalt) is the amount you will receive each month into your bank account, once all taxes, social security contributions and other costs have been deducted.

If you are discussing salary with your employer, this will always be in terms of gross salary. Make sure you take into account the fairly big difference between gross and net income during any salary negotiations.

Salary calculator Germany

Altogether, income taxes and social security contributions will take up around 35% of your gross salary. For example, if your gross monthly salary is €3.000, then after deductions you can expect to take home around €1.950 per month. To get a better idea of your net income, you can use a salary calculator.

Average salary in Germany

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in April 2024 the average gross annual salary in Germany was €55.608, or €4.634 per month. 

Individual salaries can vary greatly from this figure, as they are affected by factors such as age, seniority, industry, experience, working hours and geographical location. The tables below give an idea of how these factors can influence your pay.

Average salary in Germany by education

Data from Destatis (from April 2022) shows how people with higher educational qualifications generally receive higher salaries in Germany: 

Qualification	Average monthly salary
Doctorate	€8.687
Master's degree	€6.188
Master craftsperson / technician / technical school qualification	€4.826
Bachelor's degree	€4.551
Vocational training qualification	€3.521
No vocational training	€2.817

Average salary in Germany by profession

Destatis' data from 2022 also lists average salaries across a range of different occupations in Germany: 

Occupation	Average monthly income (gross)
Pilot	€8.739
Doctor	€7.706
Software developer	€5.541
Firefighter	€3.845
Office worker	€3.649
Geriatric carer	€3.559
Mechatronics engineer	€3.204
Baker	€2.738
Chef	€2.590
Hairdresser	€1.778

Source: Destatis

Data from 2024 shows how salaries are distributed across different industries:

Sector	Average annual salary
Hospitality	€38.722
Agriculture	€40.413
Art, entertainment & recreation	€56.345
Trade	€57.874
Health & social services	€59.746
Real estate & housing	€61.570
Education & teaching	€63.043
Manufacturing	€63.483
Information & communication	€83.565
Financial & insurance services	€90.652

Source: Destatis

Average salary in Germany by federal state (Bundesland)

The salary you can expect to receive is also affected by where in Germany you live. Typically, the larger cities will offer higher salaries to compensate for a higher cost of living. Jobs in eastern Germany also usually command a lower salary. The following table demonstrates how average annual salaries stack up in the different federal states:

Federal state	Average annual salary
Hamburg	€48.132
Baden-Württemberg	€47.962
Hesse	€47.762
Bavaria	€46.757
North Rhine-Westphalia	€44.230
Bremen	€43.434
Berlin	€43.179
Rhineland-Palatinate	€41.972
Lower Saxony	€41.924
Saarland	€41.462
Schleswig-Holstein	€40.820
Saxony	€37.037
Brandenburg	€36.607
Thuringia	€36.588
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	€36.191
Saxony-Anhalt	€36.122

Source: Stepstone.de

Bonuses and remuneration packages

Some employers in Germany also offer additional remuneration in the form of “13th-month”, summer or Christmas sa€laries, commission and performance-based bonuses. Benefits can also include company cars, computers or mobile phones. Note that these “benefits in kind” (geldwerter Vorteil) are also subject to income tax.

If you are recruited from abroad (e.g. by an international company), you may be offered an even more generous remuneration package: some expats are offered money to cover the cost of relocation, private health insurance, short-term accommodation or school fees for their children.

Your net salary, bonuses and benefits in kind all add up to equal your total net income.