Germany with its high standard of living, strong economy and great work-life balance is still one of the number one destinations for people looking forward to their careers in their own or another country. In 2025 job applicants, expats and prospective students should know what the average German salary is in software engineering, data science or mechanical engineering. In this Blog, we will deep dive into the latest pay trends and insights about salary bands in different categories in Germany.
Average Salary in Germany
As a top economy in Europe, one might envision Germany overflowing and bloated with the most powerful corporations worldwide; yet, its jobs market is all about technological advancement, innovation and skilled labor. The average gross yearly salary in Germany is about € 49,200 (approx. € 4,100 per month). But this figure is highly dependent on a variety of other factors such as professional, extra-proficient experience and where it resides.
Major Influences on Salaries in Germany
1. Field and Sector: Some fields, like Healthcare sectors, Software Engineering, Data Science or Mechanical engineering, are often better paid due to their value and complexity. German technician and engineering are two of the highest-paying industries.
2. Experience + Level of Education: Professionals with higher degrees (masters or PhD) as well as professional/technical certifications and experience are often paid more than an individual with little or no experience. To take an example, a senior software engineer might earn an order of magnitude more than an entry-level developer.
3. Region: You can get different salaries in Germany, based on the state. The question comes to the city where we live: you could get a higher salary in a big city like Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin than in a small town because living expenses are much higher there. Case in point: high-tech and automotive pay extremely well in Munich.
4. Enterprise Size: Large companies (MNCs and SMEs included) pay more than small and Mid-entries (SMEs). On average, one earns more as it relates to an international company such as Siemens or SAP than local, for example, a small business.
5. Line of work: Pay scales depend on the economic sector (public/ private/non-profit) typically, the private sector pays better in areas such as finance, technology and engineering.
Software Engineer's average salary in Germany
Software Engineering is one of the most desired and highest-paying jobs in Germany. Bilal lives in a tech-savvy country and is frequently called the innovation nation of the world it is why software engineers come here from all over the globe.
Software Engineer Average Salary
On average your salary in Germany for a software engineer ranges around €60,000 – €70,000 annually with this being maxed from experience, specialization, and location.
Entry -Level Software Engineer: Staff with less than 2 years of experience will be paid around €45,000-€55,000 yearly.
Mid-Level Software Engineer: Professional with 3-5 years of experience earn between €60,000-€75,000 Per Annum.
Senior Software Engineer: Professionals with 10+ years of experience can easily scale up to €80,000 – €100,000 yearly.
Breakdown by City
• Berlin: The average software engineer salary in Germany is around €65,000 annually, as Berlin qualifies as one of the developed tech centers in Europe. It is brimming with start-ups and big names in the tech world meaning it is the place of professional destination for software engineers.
• Munich: Munich is known for one of the highest quality of living in Germany with this comes the highest salary for software engineers. Software Engineer's average salary in Munich is €75,000 per annum.
• Frankfurt: A financial center: Software Firms also pay high salaries in Frankfurt, an average of €70,000 per year.
Specializations in Software Engineering
• Embedded Software Engineer- work on systems integrated into hardware: average salary, €68,000 per year.
• Full Stack Developer: Multilingual position with expertise in front-end and back-end development, earning on average €62,000 per annum.
• Front End developers- user interface design focused earns about €58,000 annually.
Data Scientist Average Salary in Germany
Data science jobs are very popular in Germany — Currently, a sought-after occupation across numerous industries for the smart asses who can interpret and make sense of big data. And, thanks to the rise of big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning this only spiked with data scientists being needed more.
Average Salary for Data Scientists
In Germany, the average salary for a Data Scientist in Germany is roughly €65,000 to €75,000 per year senior data scientists earn more than €90,000 and entry-level jobs pay starting at around €50,000.
Breakdown by City
• Berlin: Berlin is evidence of an exciting data scene and tons of start-ups paying strong salaries of around €70,000 per year for these roles.
• Munich: The salary of a data scientist in Munich is around €78,000 annually as the city remains highly expensive and demand (for skilled professionals) continues to outstrip supply.
• Frankfurt: Data scientists make around €75,000 a year on average in Frankfurt due to the gold mine of information being held captive by the city and the requirement for data-based insights.
Mechanical Engineer’s Average Salary in Germany
Mechanical engineering, especially in the automotive and manufacturing sectors; Germany has its industrial soul here. Mechanical engineers line up in droves to this engineering powerhouse country
Mechanical Engineer Salary Breakdown
Mechanical engineer in Germany is paid around €55,000–€65,000 per year. The senior mechanical engineers with more than 10 years of employment can draw up to €80,000 annually and entry-level jobs positions generally start around €45,000.
Breakdown by City
Munich: Mechanical engineers make an average of €70,000 per year due to the strong automotive and manufacturing hubs in Munich city.
Stuttgart: Stuttgart for the automotive industry pays well where mechanical engineers earn about €68,000 a year on average.
Berlin: The mechanical engineer salary average in Berlin is around €60,000 per year.
Electrician Engineer's Average Salary in Germany
Electrical engineering in Germany is almost as sought-after an industry as automotive (it got special rights in the country before other strata of manufacturing even existed) next to energy or manufacturing (TO DO: Expand on why on earth someone would choose anything over electrical & power?) The emphasis on renewable energy and automation is also driving up demand for competent electrical engineers.
Competitive Salary for Electrical Engineer
The typical salary of an average Electrical Engineer, in Germany ranges approximately between €60,000 and €70,000 per year and Senior electrical engineers will earn a net pay of around the €85,000 figure, along with entry-level positions starting right around the €50,000 range.
Breakdown by City
Munich: Electrical engineers at each level make an average of €75,000 per year in Munich.
Frankfurt: An electrical engineers average pay is €70,000 a year
Berlin: Electrical engineers make approximately €65,000 yearly.
Average Wages of Other German Workers
Accountants
You may earn about €45,000-€55,000 per annum while in Germany as an accountant, Senior accountant is €65,000 yearly, and entry-level jobs at least €35,000 per annum.
Architects
In Germany, the yearly wage for Architects is approximately €50,000-€60,000. Architects leave approximately €75,000 at the average level, where senior architects get at least €75000 yearly and jobs will be posted if all the mid/Low-Level are filled so an entry-level position year's income could be €40,000.
Lawyers
Lawyers in Germany consist of typically €60,000-€80,000. Then you will bring home perhaps more as Senior Lawyers €100,000 annually if you are that good and probably single digits into the six-figures in entry-level positions, on average around €50,000 annually.
Dentist
Dentists are paid a German average (excl. VAT) wage of roughly €70,000-€90,000 a year. Senior (or Lead) Dentist: €120,000 a year and with entry-level year potentially little around €50,000.
Average Salary of Students and Part-time Workers in Germany
Students and part-time jobs in Germany are getting to earn a pretty mean income as well. Average per month: Part-time work as a student gets between €450 and €550 in Germany. Internships, which usually lead to a full-time job, pay an average of €1,000 to €1,700 per month. As per the 2025 update, the minimum wage in Germany is €12.82 per hour according to the German Federal Statistical government. This is equivalent to a monthly salary of around €2,222, assuming a 40-hour work per week. Average hourly rates are different based on different industries.
Part-Time Jobs
Waiter/Waitress: The daily pay for a waiter in Germany is between €10-€12 per hour.
Working Student: Yields an average €12-€25 per hour depending on the industry, you may work as leverage.
Cost of Living in Germany
Salaries in Germany are competitive because there is a very wide price difference between cities due to the cost of living. For example, Munich and Frankfurt are rather expensive cities while smaller towns (e.g. Dresden or Leipzig) allow for a more affordable lifestyle.
Monthly Expenses
Rent: City center one-bedroom rent is between €800-€1200 per month, outside urban areas it starts from €500-€800 per month.
Utilities: The cost of monthly utilities (electricity, oil/gas, water, trash) is around €200 to €300.
Groceries: The lowest average monthly grocery bill is approximately €200-€300.
Transportation: Monthly Public Transport Pass is around €40 -€100.
Conclusion
So in 2025, Germans again will experience a land of plenty for professionals of all sorts, I guess. Germany can be very high in the salary scale when it comes to average salary in most demanded areas such as Software Engineering, Data Science & Mechanical Engineering. Nevertheless, location, cost of living and experience will have different weights while evaluating your job offers.
Whether a software engineer evaluating Munich, a data scientist pondering Berlin or a mechanical engineer weighing out Stuttgart opportunities, having the latest wage trends and insights will be a powerful tool to help make wiser career choices in Germany. With a solid economy, high standard of living and great work-life balance, Germany remains a favorite of professionals from around the globe.
