Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

EMPLOYMENT

What and where are the best and worst paid jobs in Germany?

Ever wondered what the top and flop professions are in Deutschland in terms of income, or which states and cities offer the highest salaries?

Published: 19 April 2018 16:57 CEST
Updated: 9 May 2018 11:31 CEST
What and where are the best and worst paid jobs in Germany?
A worker assembling the interior of an aircraft in Hamburg. In some states, aviation is a top-earning sector. Photo: DPA

This article is available to Members of The Local. Read more Membership Exclusives here.

After analyzing more than 750,000 pieces of data on the salaries of workers in Germany, the online portal Gehalt.de has revealed which jobs are the best and worst paid in its 2018 Gehaltsatlas.

Here are the jobs that made it out on top in the study, listed in terms of median gross income per year and rounded up.

Top ten best paid jobs

1. Senior doctor (€116,900)
2. Specialist doctor (€78,000)
3. Fund manager (€75,800)
4. Corporate finance manager (€75,400)
5. Key account manager (€72,600)
6. Patent engineer (€72,000)
7. Insurance engineer (€71,000)
8. Regional sales manager (€70,800)
9. Lawyer / Legal advisor (€69,000)
10. Sales engineer (€68,000)

Much like other countries, first place in terms of the highest-paid profession in Germany is a senior doctor. Such physicians have traditionally been well-paid in the country, nowadays earning about €116,900 a year, according to the Gehaltsatlas. To put this in perspective, room service employees earn almost €100,000 less with the lowest paid job the country.

In second place from the top are specialist doctors with a median salary of €78,000 – a considerable gap from senior physicians.

A doctor specializing in midwifery and gynaecology. Photo: DPA

The other eight professions in the list are not in the medical industry, but for the most part are in the financial, economic and judicial sectors.

According to the study, most top jobs require some sort of a degree; jobs filled by unskilled workers tend to be on the lower end of the pay scale.

On the other end of the spectrum, here are the jobs in Deutschland with the smallest salaries, listed according to median annual gross income.

Top ten lowest paid jobs

1. Room service worker (€19,400)
2. Restaurant / kitchen worker (20,000)
3. Hairdresser (€21,400)
4. Waiter (€22,300)
5. Call centre worker (€24,800)
6. Cashier (€24,900)
7. Receptionist (€25,000)
8. Cook (€25,600)
9. Dental assistant (€26,900)
10. Commercial driver (€27,000)

One of the main intentions of the study was to shed light on whether or not working in certain regions of the country plays a role when it comes to an employee’s income.

Parameters which were taken account include educational background, a worker’s industry and the pay gap between men and women (currently around 21 percent in favour of men). 

The analysis of salaries paid in Germany throughout the course of 2017 for the latest Gehaltsatlas came from three portals: Gehalt.de, Gehaltsvergleich.com and Compensation-Partner.de.

Of the over 750,000 pieces of data evaluated, 40 percent of the salaries analyzed came from female workers and 60 percent from male workers.

Hesse takes lead as top-earning German state 

One of the most significant findings of the study is that an employee in Hesse can look forward to an average of over 39 percent more income than an employee in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Taking a look at the wages of all 16 federal states, Hesse stands out as its wage levels are almost 30 percent above the average across the Bundesrepublik.

Photo: DPA / obs / BASF SE

There are many possible reasons for this, the study states, including varying living costs and costs for rent, as well as the size and the number of companies in a certain region.

In the newer federal states in eastern Germany, for instance, the mainly small and medium-sized companies that exist there don’t pay as much as large, financially strong companies mainly based in the west.

Moreover, according to the study, the average annual income of a worker at a large company with over 1,001 employees can sometimes be twice (€62,700) as high as that of a worker at a small German company with up to 20 employees (€35,400).

Hesse, which is known for its forests and for being home to financial hub Frankfurt, is also attractive for young professionals because it offers the highest income for rookies starting out in their career. Gehaltsatlas figures show that in the central German state academics start on average with a salary of €51,500 and those who have completed an apprenticeship start with €33,500.

Comparatively, academics in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania earn a starting income of €33,600 and rookies who’ve finished apprenticeships initially earn €21,800.

Following Hesse in the top five states for professional newcomers regarding highest income is Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, respectively.

The states which come in 12th to 16th place, respectively, are Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Though Schleswig-Holstein came in 11th place, it also saw the largest year-on-year drop in wage levels of almost -3 percent.

Stuttgart takes lead as top-earning state capital

Compared to all the other state capitals across the Bundesrepublik, Stuttgart fares best when it comes to employee wage levels. The Baden-Württemberg capital’s wage levels are around 128 percent above the nationwide average. Trailing closely behind is Munich in second place (126 percent). Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia comes further down in third place (119 percent), followed by Wiesbaden, Hesse (117 percent) and Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate (106 percent).

Workers in Stuttgart. Photo: DPA

The nation’s capital landed further down the list at about 97 percent, though Berlin is still a magnet particularly for young people, the study states, because of its innovative culture and image as a startup hub.

The state capitals at the bottom of the list are Potsdam, Brandenburg (81 percent) in 14th place, Erfurt, Thuringia (80 percent) in 15th place and lastly, Schwerin, Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania (76 percent).

The leading sectors in Germany in terms of income

If you’re curious to know which industries in Germany lend themselves to the highest salaries in the country, among the most attractive nationwide are professions in the pharmaceutical, automotive and banking industries.

In Hesse, the top sectors when it comes to salary levels are jobs in banking, pharmaceuticals, financial services and aviation.

In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, professions involving computers and office machines as well as the electronics, investments, aviation and automotive industries fare best when it comes to high income.

Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, process engineering and banking lend themselves well to high-paying jobs in the country's most densely populated state, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Meanwhile in Berlin, the biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, aviation, banking, and environmental sector, including energy and water, offer jobs that are typically well paid.

Across most federal states, on the other hand, the industries that tend to be the worst paid include jobs in retail, tourism, call centres, hotels and restaurants, in the crafts and trades and well as in social institutions.

SEE ALSO: Where are the vacant jobs in Germany & which industries are most in demand?

FIND A JOB: Browse thousands of English-language vacancies in Germany

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

WORKING IN GERMANY

Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

Losing a job can be a nightmare situation for foreigners in Germany - but following these simple steps will get you back on your feet in no time.

Published: 10 September 2024 16:34 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:14 CEST
Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

In times of economic downturn, layoffs are far from unusual – but that doesn’t make it any more difficult for the people who find themselves suddenly left without work.

For foreigners in Germany, the situation is even more frightening. You may wonder whether your residence status is in jeopardy, how hard it will be to find another position, and whether you can support yourself while you look for another job.

Though it may be hard to think clearly at a time like this, following these four simple steps will set you in good stead to move forward – and hopefully, it won’t be long before another dream opportunity comes your way. 

1. Negotiate your terms 

Before signing or agreeing to anything, it’s crucial that you’re familiar with your rights and understand how much notice your employer has to give you and what kind of settlement you may be owed.

Generally, the rule of thumb is that you get half a month of severance for every year you worked at the company. That said, higher settlements can be negotiated in return for signing a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag), so you may want to seek legal advice before settling. 

Even during a probationary period, your employer will also have to give you a certain amount of notice before your last working day. During the interim, you can either work for the company or be put on what is known as gardening leave in English, where you stay home but are paid as if you were working.

This can all be negotiated as part of a termination agreement, so you should think carefully about what works best for you and consider speaking to your labour council (Betriebsrat) or a legal specialist before making any firm decisions. You should also be aware that you have no obligation to sign any agreement and can legally dispute the layoff if you want to. 

READ ALSO: Can I get unemployment benefits in Germany if I quit my job?

2. Get all the necessary documents from your employer

Once the terms of the layoff are final, ensure that your employer gives you all the necessary documents you need to navigate the next phase of German bureaucracy.

The main two to think about first are the confirmation of work (Arbeitsbescheinung) and the confirmation of your holiday entitlement (Urlaubsbescheinigung).

The first can be sent to the Agentur für Arbeit (jobcentre) as proof of your last job and recent layoff, while the second will help your next employer calculate your vacation days for the rest of the year.

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn | Zacharie Scheurer

On top of these documents, you’ll want to ask your employer for a letter of reference (Arbeitszeugnis), which is useful for finding a new job in Germany.

You should also keep hold of your last payslip and statement of earnings (Lohnsteuerabrechnung), which are helpful for tax purposes and may also be requested by the Agentur für Arbeit.

Speaking of which… 

3. Register as unemployed with the Agentur für Arbeit

As soon as you know that you are soon to be unemployed, you should register as a jobseeker with the Agentur für Arbeit. To get full unemployment benefits, you usually have to do this within three days of receiving your termination notice or at least three months before leaving.

Depending on what type of residence permit you’re on, you may or may not be entitled to long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II), but most employees are able to get unemployment insurance (ALG I), which covers a proportion of your former salary while you look for a new role.

It’s important to be a little bit careful here, as claiming long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II) can affect any future citizenship applications. Any severance pay you agree to can also result in you losing some months of unemployment benefits, so these are all factors you will have to consider while deciding on the best way forward. 

READ ALSO: What happens to your work permit if you lose your job in Germany?

4. Inform the immigration office 

If you’re on a residence permit that is linked to your job in some way, like a Blue Card or work visa, you’ll need to inform the immigration office about your change in circumstances as soon as possible.

This should be done in writing, and in German, within two weeks of receiving your termination notice.

You should include all relevant personal information, such as date of birth, residence permit type, and nationality, as well as the date of your final day at work. As proof of the layoff, you should also enclose a copy of your termination agreement or a letter from your employer. 

People enter the immigration office

For foreigners who move to Germany and settle in Berlin, a visit to the Berliner Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) is ultimately unavoidable. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen

In most cases, the immigration office will give you between 3 and 12 months to look for a new job. If they give you a shorter period, be aware that you may be able to negotiate an extension later on if you are struggling to find work through no fault of your own.

Above all, stay positive. Though it may feel like one door has closed, another one is sure to open. This being Germany, you may just have to wade through a sea of paperwork to get there.

SHOW COMMENTS