🔥Here are the median salaries of the top three industries we talk about. They are all gross annual salaries. Thanks for your feedback!: IT: €71.414 Automotive: €73.500 Academia: €52.603
I believe it's an IT average salary, if you are working intensively in IT specialised field which is not that dominant like blockchain, AI and so on. 160K/annum as I have should be achievable. Tho my taxes hurt even more :P
Does language play a factor when experience is 5+ years? I don't speak fluent German yet but I'm a senior project manager on the average pay. How much could I potentially negotiate on my salary with fluent German?
Great job! One thing that blows my mind is that there is a tremendous shortage of IT professionals, and many German companies still require a very high level of German (at least B2, but often C1). Obviously, it is important to learn German if you live in Germany, but I think a better solution is to hire professionals only with English and then finance the German courses. In this, Germany is lagging behind.
@@chikondibanda5897 culture eats strategy for breakfast, then nothing else is left for dinner. Times have changed. We either adapt, or lag behind. I think lagging behind is also not in the German culture. Question is, which cultural trait will prevail here? NOTE: it is also not a rule, there are German companies who pay for German lessons for their employees. Problem is, the courses are very, very inefficient, take a long time to really make the employees have a decent command over the language. I do not know why this is the case, but I guess the companies that offer the courses are not interested in teaching German in the crash-course fashion, the longer their students take to progress, the better it is for their business - that is a conflict of interest.
The reason why foreigners do not learn German is, that too many Germans speak English. When I started working in France and asked a question in English, the answer came in French. After half a year i could speak french decently, after a year they sent me to the of course french speaking customer. So if you prefer the german job market and social system, accept that it's Germany and not Britain or the US and learn German. It's simple as that.
Achieving a conversational level in English is easier than in German. One could argue this from a Linguistics point of view (in a minute, mathematically rigorous manner even). If we now consider the cold harsh aspects of social dynamics, we can also argue that those who will be more flexible are usually the ones who need something more from the other party. It used to be the case that foreigners came to a country like Germany in dire need of money, and they would not only do their best to learn German, but they would work to their best abilities, compete with the locals and accept lower wages. Nowadays, due to the labor shortage, Germany may be faced with a different reality: does it have enough bargaining power to afford to reject workers just because they do not speak good enough German? I know it is sad and this can, on the long run, endanger the existence of the German language, but this is what happens anyway to most languages throughout history. Look at the Latin language. It gradually died out and mostly peacefully.
@@tcioaca true that English is easier than German, but anyways they are close relatives. If an employee, for convenience says, let's stay with English and not learn the language of the local country, as an employer I would ask myself if the employee otherwise is motivated to go an extra mile? I have some colleagues from Maroc and Tunesia who perfectly speak German now and they are super motivated. Also they feel more "at home" in Germany as they have friends outside of work, in sports clubs etc. where the usual language is of course German. I don't want to speak English in my time off work either. Same, when I was is France, way easier to socialize with the locals in their mother's tongue, even if it's not perfect in the beginning, people will worship the effort. Of course you can stay in your English bubble if you like. And by the way, latin is not gone, it morphed into Italian. German will morphe too, but not disappear.
I am from IT and i would love to see the scientists and post doc researchers being paid at par to us or better than us. We need to give them more respect.
Its not possible tbh. I did a PhD in physics and currently looking for a job in data science. Universities can't compete with private companies, it doesn't make sense since the work which a scientist do is not profitable in a shorter time. Most of the phds and postdocs publish papers which are read by other academics and its goes on forever. Less than 5% of people stay in academia since there are not enough positions .
I stayed in academia after my PhD as a manager in a group developing scientific software. After a market research I see that in this position I earn more or the same compared to most project managers in IT in Germany. So, I do search for my next job in industry, but rather relaxed, cause I'm not eager to take absolutely any proposal on the market, I'm doing just fine)). You see, the proper scale for comparison is a key. Software engineers do earn more than me. Project managers - not always. If I should trust these girls data on UX designers - than I'm doing better than an average one. So, what kind of "IT" are we talking about? As my colleague just mentioned here earlier, it's not so easy to stay in academia exactly as a researcher. If you got some strong transferable skills while working on your thesis, such as programming or product/project management, you can find some jobs rather easily and can even be officially employed as a "researcher", but not let this name fool you: yes, one needs to have a deep knowledge of the research field and its needs in order to support real researchers with software and hardware infrastructure, networking and brining money. These are all quite necessary actions. But they are not an actual research. Getting a position in research exactly is more and more difficult with each degree you're getting, cause the system is built like a pyramid. On the top of the chain are professors, but I'd not like to become one, cause they work a 60+ hours week on average, and have almost no work life balance at all. They are paid rather nice, but the requirements, work conditions and responsibilities are just crazy, so it's not only a difficult position to get, it's also an extremely difficult position to be in.
I stayed in academia after my PhD as a manager in a group developing scientific software. After a market research I see that in this position I earn more or the same compared to most project managers in IT in Germany. So, I do search for my next job in industry, but rather relaxed, cause I'm not eager to take absolutely any proposal on the market, I'm doing just fine)). You see, the proper scale for comparison is a key. Software engineers do earn more than me. Project managers - not always. If I should trust these girls' data on UX designers - when I'm doing better than an average one. As my colleague just mentioned here earlier, it's not so easy to stay in academia exactly as a researcher. If you got some strong transferable skills while working on your thesis, such as programming or product/project management, you can find some jobs rather easily and can even be officially employed as a "researcher", but not let this name fool you: yes, one needs to have a deep knowledge of the research field and its needs in order to support real researchers with software and hardware infrastructure, networking and brining money. These are all quite necessary actions. But they are not an actual research. Getting a position in research exactly is more and more difficult with each degree you're getting, cause the system is built like a pyramid. On the top of the chain are professors, but I'd not like to become one, cause they work a 60+ hours week on average, and have almost no work life balance at all. They are paid rather nice, but the requirements, work conditions and responsibilities are just crazy, so it's not only a difficult position to get, it's also an extremely difficult position to be in.
Very clear video. 2 remarks though.1) it has to be noted that in many western-european countries taxes are quit high, in Belgium up to 50% if you are single. 2) There are so many additional benefits besides salary. In Belgium, most higher qualified workers have a company car and fuel card. Regards from Belgium Software Engineer, 30 years experience, 120000 gross/year.
Europe has a social democratic tradition since WWII. Salaries are moderate and taxes high to maintain the welfare state and infrastructure for the common good. It is a liberal continent "in quotes" and that makes the countries more livable compared to the US. You'd be surprised how many Germans don't work full time and only earn just enough to get by, especially in the new eastern states. Germans are very good at spreading positive preconceptions about themselves. Once living here, that idea of the super hardworking and efficient German citizen falls apart.
Hi, i'm Peter from Germany but live in the USA for 33 years! I'm surprised how low wages are bei euch, i'm a carpenter and make $ 120000 a year, but i live in a ski resort and cost is high! oh, ja, sehr gute episode!
das ist der Grund warum DEU hat einen riesen Fachkräftemangel auch im Handwerk! für solche niedrige Löhne hier in DEU haben weniger Leute Boch auf die Arbeit ! Aber sehr gut für den USA!
Not surprising at all, considering academic jobs are either public sector jobs, or aligned to public sector salaries in Germany, and the extreme competitiveness of the academic job market. :)
Hi great video! It would be fantastic if you eventually share the survey data/answers (anonymized), it could help a lot of people compare themselves against peers in similar conditions and be able to negotiate a better salary :)
Me and my wife both 100K+ in IT had thought we were getting decent pay but were astonished to find out the scale today. We are so thankful to Germany for giving us such an opportunity and special thanks to your channel which has enabled our smooth integration here from last year! ❤
Is that so ? Alright, when was the last time you compared our education system or retirement system or healthcare system ? Are you aware that 70% of all taxes are used for walfare ? With the 19% VAT tax all those institutions and even the military can be payed, the rest goes for refugees and other nonsense. I suggest you calculate the difference yourself or look it up online. Infrastructure is not even 2%.@geranienbaum
I have 72k salary as a Berufseinsteiger in consulting. I know it is considered a good salary in Germany, but this is exactly why it is sad. The salary in Germany in general too bad to attract skilled labor from other countries, considering that people will need to adapt to a unique language environment.
But to just look at the salery, without a view on the living costs or benefits is just stupid. What is correct is, Germany is not a hop-on, hop-off state, everything is kind of designed for eternity (the tomb).
@@holger_p So please do so, compare those numbers with the US for example and you will notice that Germans have it far worse. Or compare it with Australia, Switzerland etc. Just don´t compare those numbers with Afghanistan or african countries, and you will notice pretty soon how Germany compared with it´s peers is pretty poor.
In the case of PhD students, the salaries highly depend not only on the field but on the funding program. The MSCA EU Horizon 2020, for example, has a big budget and provides generous salaries. If a PhD program involves a collaboration with a company, the student can receive a very good salary as well.
This is true on top, depending on the subject students were getting 'partial positions'. In many areas a PhD Student gets 1/2 or 2/3 of a FTE position. But for IT related subjects Uni-Freiburg was giving 1-FTE per PhD. I knew of PhD students which were paid as 'Hilfskraft" which was a bit lower than 1/2 FTE position (at least the first year or so, then they would. be paid 50% of BAT IIa around the years 2000). I knew 1 PhD student in Germanistic from a different University who had 100% of a FTE but had to teach a lot wrt to other.
I work in IT for US company, so in English, do not need German. My salary would be OK, but amount of taxes I have to pay is insane and I do not see much benefits out of it and I am wondering where all money go. (I am OK for example with health insurance, because I see I am getting quite good health care). Also it is 2023 and I am receiving so many things by post on paper, literally no digitalization, quality of internet and mobile network worse than in 3rd world countries. But huge taxes. I like Germany, it is nice country, but it is stucked in the past, no innovations. If nothining changes, probably I won't stay for long. And it will be also harder to attract talented people.
Let me chime in on the Academia Section, more specifically the PhD students. The salary is broadly due to whether you are doing your PhD in a Research institute or with the university. With the Research Institute you are a full time employee (working on projects of the institute) but your PhD topic is aligned with the work you do for the institute, hence you get the fulltime employee salary. The salary scale is TVL-13 for first year PhD candidates and the pay scale increases every 2nd, 4th, and 7th year of employments. Obviously you would need to register with a university to do your PhD but your salary is paid by the Research Institute. With Universities you generally start with a percentage of the TV-L salary for example some universities offer between 30-60% of the salary for the first two years and offer 100% of the TV-L salary from the 3rd year onwards of your PhD. Obviously there are exceptions and modifications with individual cases.
In reality research institute vs. University as employer is only one factor that plays into this. The salary is usually TVÖD or TVL level 13. After some 5 years (close to finishing hopefzlly) or so at 100% you would reach that 65k. What fluctuates is how how much percent of this you get paid. Mostly, it depends on whether there is money available, or maybe there are institute-wide lower bounds as policies. In reality you are are often working full time though, either by beeing guilt-tripped by your professor, your own ambition or because of a weird clause in your contract. PhD students in engineering or computer science can easily get a 100% position, because there is a shortage, as these people can easily find work in industry if the salary was too bad. On the other end of the spectrum are humanities students, who are being gaslit into working on their dissertation in their free time, while having a 50% position or stipend. Biologists also have it pretty bad, because there are many of them and a PhD is often needed for entering industry.
Me and my wife both work in the same company in the pharma industry and earn 130k and 120k respectively. I would say that these salaries are fairly common in our industry/ company. We both have around 9 years of experience, with Engineering + MBA background. I'm very happy with life in Germany - you get something in return for the taxes you pay in terms of infrastructure and healthcare, and you can actually enjoy the money you earn due to good work life balance and great vacation policies.
Thanks for sharing and we are so happy to hear that you are enjoying your life in Germany! 😊 Would you mind sharing a bit more of your story with us? What brought you to Germany? How has our content been helping you? You can always send us a private message at www.simplegermany.com/contact/ We highly appreciate your feedback!
Thanks for your comment. Please, since you are working in pharma industry, do you know the salary of Principal Research Scientist in Pharma research industry?
@@Northwindbreeze not if you studied MBA in Germany where education is almost free, or in India (like we have) where it is comparitively inexpensive. And yes, for higher salaries, you do need higher qualifications.(either education or equivalent workex)
People in Germany don't compare a lot, don't negotiate with 3 companies when finding a job, or looking for alternatives while having a job, or changing jobs frequently at all. They also don't talk about their salery. So information is low, and you have no idea what to negotiate about at all. This gives this huge diversity of incomes for maybe the same kind of job.
Exactly... I earn around 105k as a backend software engineer consultant and was shocked to find out that my German colleague, same master degree working at another company but same project just earned 55k. 😮
@@Micha-bp5om if it's in another country, you have to compare cost of living, not gros income. But generally germans don't like hire& fire. They never quit a job in fear it could ger worse.
@@holger_pwe both worked in the same office in Germany on the same project and he was earning half of what I earn 😅 I didnt tell him my salary, just told him it is really low, he quit after some months and now earns around 70k, still much less than me
German companies had a secret terms and conditions, which state that an employer must not speak about his salary to anyone, but that is a pure psychology robbery. 👌
Moving to Germany later this year to Munich with a 74K salary as Data Scientist. Honestly, when I look at rental prices in Munich I get kinda depressed. I know I get a good transportation, somewhat good healthcare (from what I saw Brazil healthcare is better quality-wise), but not sure how much I’ll be able to invest each month and there are other clear downsides as well. Ultimately, the best option is working to an US company remotely
What position do you have? My husband work in a Data Center as Senior Data Center Engineer but he only earns around 56k/yr in Frankfurt which is behind i think
@@JEJUinDE I was hired as a data scientist with special focus in pricing. I have 3 years of experience. Is the cost of living in Frankfurt similar to Munich?
@@zskater1234 I believe Munich is a little bit expensive. He has colleagues who work in Network and Manage departments also Sales are earning around 100-120k €.
Hey, I live in Germany, Have you thought of finding appartments outside of Munich? or can you also work remotely as well? Actually, I think it is not that expensive if you search outside of Munich and also we have a deutschland ticket as well which only costs 49 euros per month, unless you want to have good city life like in Munich😅.
In the automotive field, I work as a Software Architect, earning an annual salary of €143,000, excluding bonuses. However, I must note that this is still comparatively less than what I was earning for the same role in USA.
Thanks for sharing! German salaries are indeed not comparable to the US. Would you mind sharing a bit more about your story and motivation to move to Germany?
i'm making 135k excluding bonuses as a cloud engineer in Germany (in the media sector) and I would love to hear your motivation to move to Germany as an IT specialist. I mean, the salaries in the US are way higher, so you can easily effort a great quality of life over there?
@@maddinek Absolutely, I appreciate your perspective and the chance to share my motivation for wanting to move to Germany as an IT specialist. While it's true that salaries in the US tend to be higher, my reasons for considering a move go beyond just financial aspects. First and foremost, I have a deep love for traveling and experiencing different cultures. Germany's rich history, picturesque landscapes, and vibrant cities have always captivated me. Living and working there would provide me with the opportunity to immerse myself in the local way of life, learn about the traditions, and develop a deeper understanding of the world. Furthermore, the idea of giving my children the gift of bilingualism is a driving factor for this decision. I firmly believe that learning a second language early in life has immense cognitive and cultural benefits. By being fluent in German, my children would not only have access to a broader range of opportunities but also be able to communicate and connect with a diverse global community. When it comes to higher education, the prospect of my children attending university in Germany is particularly appealing. The country boasts a reputation for excellent education, and the cost savings compared to the US can't be ignored. With their fluency in German, they would have the chance to pursue top-notch education without the burden of hefty student loans. This would also provide them with a unique chance to experience a different education system and broaden their horizons. Of course, while my family and I would be in Germany, we would ensure that our ties to the US remain strong. This move would be about embracing new opportunities and experiences while also maintaining a connection to our roots. In essence, my motivation is driven by a blend of personal enrichment, family considerations, and a desire to provide my children with an advantage that will benefit them throughout their lives. While salary is certainly a factor to consider, the holistic benefits of living in Germany and the opportunities it presents make it an exciting prospect for us.
It was an insightful video, and thank u so much for that. Just a suggestion for future reference, (as a data analyst) I think if you use Median instead of Mean, it would be more realistic. Thank a lot.🤩
I can confirm this - my husband earns a starting gross salary of 75k with shares option after a first year, as a senior UX designer. My sister earns around 120k as a junior specialist doctor. We live in BW and she lives in Hessen
@@victorychillchineke824 she is an ophthalmologist , children's ophthalmologist and ophthalmological surgeon. By junior, I don't mean years of experience, she has around 15 years, I mean that she has to pass one more state exam, but she is basically practicing as Facharzt and I'm sorry about the terminology. Her salary really increased over the five years she's been there.
The PhD with €65000 most likely was on a European Union Marie Curie grant. Whereas the lower salary is on a German grant (same in Ireland) and i had Marie curie phd grant in France and my PhD salary is still higher than my work salary
I am a senior software engineer with a salary of 102k before taxes living in Berlin. And I feel poor... According to statistics the middle class in Germany gets between 17,475 and 46,000 euros net per year. I get 59400 net, so I can be considered "rich". But I don't feel that way at all. After taxes are deducted, I have 4950 euros a month in my pocket. I spend about 2700 euros. I live alone in a not very nice one-room furnished apartment which costs me 1350 euros, including utilities and internet. I do not buy myself expensive things, rarely leave the house (1-2 times a week). The main expenses are traveling. If you recalculate the annual spending on travel, it comes out to about 500 euros a month. To buy a good car (50k euros) I need to save all my free money for about 2 years. To buy a house or an apartment I need a mortgage for 20 years. Is that really called a "big salary"? I can't imagine how the average German with a median salary of 2100 gross per month lives. I don't have a wife and kids. If I did, the rest of my paycheck would go to them. Is that still considered higher than middle class?
@@denniszenanywhere I could move to an office in Spain and stay in the same company, but I'm afraid then the salary would be reduced. Plus, as far as I understand, my blue card doesn't allow me to work outside Germany yet. But several of my colleagues have moved from Germany back to Armenia/Kazakhstan and Russia. Their salary has decreased, but the cost of living in these countries is very low. They can only spend 30-40% of their salary on living there.
@@sergey.nikitin I'm based in the States and I am watching Europe closely when it comes to AI/job regulations. Companies in the US have been laying off tech workers left and right. My job was outsourced in Asia. So I'm thinking of moving to Spain or Germany but bringing with me, if possible, remote work. So even if I did earn less money in Europe, I am thinking at least there will be more job protection -- or is it naive to think that way and even European companies will follow the corporatist culture in the US? In the States, companies proritize pleasing stakeholders and their stock. How is it like there in Germany? You feel your job is safe? In the States, I have taken only 8 days of vacation in 10 years.
When you have a wife and kids, your tax class changes. You get Kindergeld as support and you have tax return for Kinderbetreuung and for Schulgeld. Just learn a bit about tax report. It is not as bad. Also, if you earn 100K now, over time your salary will increase overtime if you grow your experience and expertise and go for better paid jobs. I am an IT architect, live in Bonn.
I believe your survey has a major flaw and does not account for dynamic salaries as found in most sales related jobs. While the base salary is usually below 100k, they often easily exceed 100k.
im a senior software engineer and earn "only" 75k gross. But I also actually only have about 3,5 years of professional experience. I think that shows that titles are quite arbitrarily chosen in the IT industry. Next month I ask for a raise to 86k, wish me luck. I even know someone who works as a CTO in startup but earns only 45k €. He does it, because he hopes the company "explodes" soon and so would his salary, but I doubt it.
@@GhenazoOReilly I live in Florida, no state income tax and we don't have VAT. My Federal income tax is %15 on average. I have travelled to almost every European country and I'm looking to buy a second home in Greece. So, applicable.
@@flux928 how much you pay for the education of your family in Florida? How much you pay for your health insurance in Florida? How much you pay for your car in Florida? More than half of these things are almost free in all Western Europe countries
@@GhenazoOReilly I was born in Florida, didn't relocate here. House is paid off, I have 3 cars paid off. 2 Porsche 928's ( hence the screen name) plus a Audi. My job covers my Health Insurance. Finished school years ago and paid as I went. I also have investments that pays passive income. Not everyone is bad with finances.
You forgot to mention about doctor or health care industry, 100k is only a range for junior level, once they reach to 10-15 years experiences, 170-200k€++ is pretty normal
Thanks @simplegermany for this video. Since i did a PhD, i would like to comment on the wide range of the Phd student and academia salaries which is due to: 1. Scholarship vs work contract: low earners with scholarship only earn an untaxable stipend 2. Percentage of work contract: Phd work contract range between 50 - 100%. A phd contract with 100 % salary is the exception 3. Years of experience: There is a public salary scale for academia i.e. Tvl 13 in which the salaries depend on years of service
Certainly highly valuable information. Can easily understand that a lot of effort has gone it. very much appreciated. Suggestion from my end. There is so much of information that you tried to condense in 12 minutes...May be it is even better to summarize at a higher level and trim down your sentences , so that you dont need to rush and also the viewers is able to digest the information completely
We have that much pf automotive Industry in germany it brings so much more development and money than IT and Software. Germany is really good in Supply chain Management and producing physical products but not really good with Software 😅
I have some data for Chemists: after 14 years of experience, the median income is higher than 100k. It rises with age. However, after 28 years of experience it levels out at 150k.
I thought in general German salaries for Engineers were higher. Apparently not. In the US salaries are far higher. An entry level Computer Science / Electrical Engineer makes easily 80K minimum in lower cost cities and in others touch close to 100K (California not in this statement). Mid level engineers easily make 130 -170K with 6 years experience in a senior Engineer Title. The only issue in the US is you dont know if you will have your job the next day or not and there are no laws that protect layoffs like in Europe where labor laws are pro employee.
Thank you for the information! I am planning a move to Germany in about 18 months (native German Fiance & I decided quality of life will be better 🙂). Not going to lie the job market scares me a little bit, but it is encouraging to know the potential for Project Management roles. I'm extremely nervous about finding a job when my German language skills are lackluster. Anyway, I enjoy your videos! I'm also curious if you have a video for decisions on transferring large sums of money (HYSA, Money Market, EFTs, Stocks, etc...) into the German/Euro economy? Tradeoffs, pros/cons.
Typically financial service providers such as Wise offer way better rates to transfer money than traditional banks. ETFs and Stocks is a different ball game and you should talk to your current brokerage what makes most sense. We hope your planning and moving will go smoothly 😊
Keep in mind in academia people often are working for the state and have way, way more left of their brutto salary than normal workers because they don't pay for social security etc. A good friend is a teacher, brutto I (working in IT) do earn quite a bit more than her, but netto she makes a good bit more than me.
The best salaries in german can be earned when you are sales engineer, with less than 2 years of experience one can make approximately 90K but you have to be good in public speaking in German.
Very educational channel. I think it would grow to the 50K mark faster if you provide alot more content on success immigration stories, 1 on 1 consultation or actionable steps for person's wanting to move to Germany. That is, if your analytics show where viewers are from and the age group.
It's less about the hard skills and more related to your negotiation skills. You also need to change the company every 2 years to get a better raise. Speaking german is very important in big companies. Prepare a really good CV and your introduction.
I lived in both countries working in tech in SF and Berlin. Finally when I moved to Germany did I stop living paycheck to paycheck and finally enjoy my money, travel and save. US salaries are higher because you need to pay a lot more for the same things. It’s not comparable
Academia is more highly differentiated. Only the top research heavy departments paying the highest salaries with the least teaching can offer the highest salaries. Moreover top schools must compete with the top 20 European and top 50 US/Canadian universities as well as a couple dozen in Asia. A professor who is hired just to teach and not publish in international English language journals will usually have the lowest salaries. Moreover, salaries in econ, business, the hard sciences, etc are usually higher than literature, history, or anthropology. Without correcting for this as well as where the students got their PhDs you will not have a good basis for a meaningfully comparative survey.
UX Designer, 12+ years of experience (in other EU country), now 63K (NRW) :/ It's my first job in DE, I'm not sure did I get tricked with this number and is it possible to get better (maybe someone from UX'ers will comment). Sad, because in my country I got 60K and prices were 3 times less, so at the end of the day I'm going 700 eur NET shortage per month compared to my life before Germany :D I feel like Germany is not so "sweet" for IT specialists as salaries are like in other countries, but expenses are much higher. For IT probably would choose Estonia.
As a UX designer with 12 years of experience you got tricked a lot. But you do get an average UX designer salary in Germany, that being said someone with 3-4 years of experience is expected to get 45-60K, this ofcourse depends on the company and area in Gemrany. Someone with your expertise should be getting a minimum of 70k. I am an Estonian living in Germany so keep in mind when you get 50K in Estonia ( I know its less than you get in Germany) you will still get more money after tax in Estonia because of the tax difference. But due to the inflation prices in Estonia have gone up quite a lot but someone with your expertise can live comfy there if you get a good IT job.
There is just no way a PhD student is actually earning 65K (as a student) -- this might be 100% salary. PhD students have 75% or 65% of the actual salary because the rest of the time is considered 'training' and they are not getting paid.
One thing that affects me and I was not expectating: in some fields, your previous experience does not have such a impact, cause is not a experience in Germany. I am a senior sales and trade marketing manager with 10 years experience in big companies plus a MBA, and right now my Software developer husband earn three times more than me ( and in our country I was earning a bit more because of my MBA). We both work at IT startups, and I heard this phrase in every job that I applied " sorry, you don't have experience in Germany". So I had to accept earn way less then I deserved( and a junior role) just cause of this. I talked with other foreigners in the same field, and it's a common reality😢 So frustrating.
@simplegermany Because it was in my home country ( Brazil), so in another market. Companies said I should have a German, or at least european experience in Sales. For example : regarding a senior position , if another candidate has 5 years of experience, but it is in Germany, I lost this job even having 10 years experience. I studied German thinking that only the language will be enough, and know I am facing this barrier. So I had to apply to junior positions, but a lot of tem said I am overqualified, and the senior ones I am not hired cause of the German Experience😥
As always these salaries are GROS not NET, meaning before taxes. In addition remember many people work remotely from other countries, where the costs of living are less so in the end after you factor out taxes, groceries, utilities, rent you save more money for yourself.
I have been living in Germany since 2013. I am a software engineer. As far as my experience goes: salary and skills/expertise/experience are not correlated. I have seen junior developer earning more than a senior developer in the same company and in the same team (I got the intel from HR friends). This is why you are not allowed to disclose your salary. Because if you do so, there might be a catastrophe and a wave of resignations. It is totally up to your negotiation skill your bargaining position, how much will you get out of your job. In my second job, I got more salary than what I earn in my fourth job. At that time, I had immnese bargaining power because of the situations at hand.
Hi , can you guys also make a video on the cleaning routine of the apartment. How to clean and maintain each part of the apartment to be on safe side from landlords while leaving the apartment. This can even be a complete series.
I have now three choices 1- study medicine in Germany 🇩🇪 2- study Ai in Germany 🇩🇪 3- study software engineering in Germany 🇩🇪 also So what do you advise me?
If you want to go into tech field please study software engineering. AI is an awesome field but also somewhat of a "buzzword" these day. If you go for software engineering you'll learn about AI and machine learning anyways and can jump into AI anytime :)
Salary in Germany is disappointing. 100k is considered a good salary when the govt steals like 40%. Also, I don't understand the good quality of life argument either. It's a weird language to learn for expats and there are other places with friendlier locals. I'm considering to go there from the US for the experience but the overall situation is grim.
Money vs. quality of life is a highly individual question. Germany is by far not for everyone, as it highly depends on one's perspective and current circumstances of living. If you'd like some more insights on what to expect from life in Germany and the 'quality' it offers, you can watch our video on the topic: ruclips.net/video/iJTLm8ld4SA/видео.html
Your thoughts on salaries and quality of life in Germany are thought-provoking. Taxation's impact on perceived salaries is worth considering, and language challenges can be part of the expat experience. Friendliness varies, and exploring a new country for the experience is valuable. Balancing pros and cons is essential.
Tax rate for 100K is 33%. And if you compare to US, this charge includes any student loan payback (university fees), any toll road (which don't exist) and things like cheap theatre tickets. You have to compare what you get, for the tax, not just what you are paying. With 100K, which is about 60K in cash, you should have nice living and are able to spend 25K per year just for leisure and joy.
the salary for academia depends usually on the percentage of your contract. assuming that you have no experience, and a master degree, you will have 54k per year as a beginner for a 100 percent contract. the percentage of the contract depends on your research topic funding, so normally in focus industries suck as construction or mechanical engineering you will probably get a job more than 80% contract and for some other fields you might just get 50%. the interesting part is that the salary in different states are similar and defined by government (except hessen i assume) so if someone is lucky enough to work in an industrial city such as braunschweig, and have low costs, academia is a great place to start their work after education, because you might easily save around 1 to 1.5k per month from begining which is great. and assuming that you get a phd in mechanical engineering from there, which would probably be in collaboration with companies such as volkswagen, you would have high chances to enter the industry later, but if you stay in academia, you will have to continue with limited salary growth, because you will have to follow governmental salary chart growth, so thats why the maximum salary growth in academia is not interesting in your results. but we should consider that a phd or post doctoral graduated person must have been probably equiped well enough with some skills to run a spin off company or start up after a few years which can lead to high nonlinear incomes, but unfortunatley research sprit in universities right now doesnt lead into such action normally.
seniors are not really the once with 9years or more - check the 20years experience people - I guess you do not reach that often. But in my Age which is 45 - working in automotive and software... In my age the salary - especially when directly with a major company like BMW, Amazon or if you work in consulting... where lots of people start at. Then 100k€ is not to much of an exception then - especially around the big expensive cities.
In Germany IT goes with 4 specialities: - Fachinformatiker Systemintegration - Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung - Daten und Prozessanalyse - Digitale Vernetzung But you mentioned only Anwendungsentwicklung which is Software development..where Are the others?
There's a difference between what you study as a major and what the market roles are. Those specialties don't exist in the German market. an IT / System Engineer / Admin can encompass all of what you mentioned.
After moving to Germany, something that really bothers me - and this video makes it very clear - is that "Software Development" is considered IT in Germany. Most of the time, Software Dev is considered (correctly so) a separate industry from IT in the U.S. Software Developers interact with IT and often rely on IT services more than most other fields, but they don't set up servers, they don't configure end-user machines, they don't install software, networking devices, firewalls, etc., they don't configure security, and they don't troubleshoot end-user or system problems outside of the specific software they develop. Software Development skills and IT skills are EXTREMELY different and have nearly zero overlap. Software Development is absolutely not an IT field.
Usually people with good IT fields choose to study Software Engineering and then become software developers. During university I learned a lot about servers, proxy and other things you mentioned. I even had a practice for 2 months where we set up the whole campus Internet connections, email adresses for all university professors etc. This was in Romania, not Germany but I guess they also learn here.
Curious Jenn and Yvonne, within your dataset are you able to compare Male versus Female wages, or citizen versus immigrant wages. I not trying to create a storm of emotions here, I am just curious how Germany rates in both of these areas.
@@simplegermany ok thanks. I appreciate how distracting it could have been. Love your channel. Hope to be in Germany next spring riding my bike. Lived in the Schwarzwald for 4 years previously. Germany is such a beautiful country.
Hi, thank you for the great video. The gross salary does it include annual bonuses and other perks or only the standard gross monthly pay? Usually companies give 10-20% annual bonus, so is that included in the numbers showed?
We have a whole playlist about finding jobs in Germany, which you can check out here ruclips.net/p/PLnp3hGZLHcOWdFqddbduUQMC_y_CbP2QV&si=5akwKOz892f2GF_C
Highest and lowest bounds do NOT make an average. Please stop saying that. It was very confusing because up until almost the end of the video it really looked, that you went in the middle of the range and called it average.
Thank you for the video. I would like to know from the realistic side, a salary of 80k gross annually in Bavaria not Munich, in machinery manufacturing industry, at which level is it? Tax class is I, so after tax it would be 4025 Euro. Thank you very much!
@@simplegermany Thank you for replying Can I ask the composition of the annual gross income from a local common sense in Germany? Should it be understood as the salary part only or should the other bonus, allowances, or any other benefits included as well?
Great info, thanks! I know from my fiancee, who was German, that some germans get 13 payments while others get 14 payments per year - can you elaborate on this? I/we live in Denmark where you get only 12 monthly payments per year, which was confusing to my late fiancee.
There essentially isn't a real difference. Having 13 payments means you earn a little bit less each month but get an additional salary (usually in december). I guess it is mostly a psychological thing to attract skilled employees. The additional payment might also be a bonus or tied to some goals set at the beginning of the year. If you rech the goal, you get the additional salary. That's how it worked in my company a few years ago... Until we got fed up with it, since it essentially meant doing extra work in our spare time to meet the goal. Now, it's just a plain extra salary in december. Many insurance fees (e.g. insurance against fire for home owners) are due in January for a lot of people because of these extra salaries. That means you don't have to save during the year to pay these rather high bills.
That depends on your lifestyle. Please go ahead and watch our latest cost of living video to get a better feeling for whether that salary is good for you 😊
🔥Here are the median salaries of the top three industries we talk about. They are all gross annual salaries. Thanks for your feedback!:
IT: €71.414
Automotive: €73.500
Academia: €52.603
I believe it's an IT average salary, if you are working intensively in IT specialised field which is not that dominant like blockchain, AI and so on. 160K/annum as I have should be achievable. Tho my taxes hurt even more :P
Does language play a factor when experience is 5+ years? I don't speak fluent German yet but I'm a senior project manager on the average pay. How much could I potentially negotiate on my salary with fluent German?
What the gross salary of dentist and specialist dentist in Germany plz make a video on that or atleast reply
Please dont come to Germany if you are a single man🐞, No room for rent, No girl friend and no friend. Just work hard abd Die hard......
@@janesmy6267yes more or less, unless if you’re in IT
My boss in academia used to say that the only way you can become a millionaire in academia is by starting as a billionaire.
Lol. There's also marrying rich.
starting your own business
Well if you can discover room temperature superconductor on your own
Or millions
in km when driving a taxi😂
Or working in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Great job! One thing that blows my mind is that there is a tremendous shortage of IT professionals, and many German companies still require a very high level of German (at least B2, but often C1). Obviously, it is important to learn German if you live in Germany, but I think a better solution is to hire professionals only with English and then finance the German courses. In this, Germany is lagging behind.
They won’t provide money for the course…it’s not German culture to pay for employee development
@@chikondibanda5897 culture eats strategy for breakfast, then nothing else is left for dinner. Times have changed. We either adapt, or lag behind. I think lagging behind is also not in the German culture. Question is, which cultural trait will prevail here?
NOTE: it is also not a rule, there are German companies who pay for German lessons for their employees. Problem is, the courses are very, very inefficient, take a long time to really make the employees have a decent command over the language. I do not know why this is the case, but I guess the companies that offer the courses are not interested in teaching German in the crash-course fashion, the longer their students take to progress, the better it is for their business - that is a conflict of interest.
The reason why foreigners do not learn German is, that too many Germans speak English.
When I started working in France and asked a question in English, the answer came in French. After half a year i could speak french decently, after a year they sent me to the of course french speaking customer.
So if you prefer the german job market and social system, accept that it's Germany and not Britain or the US and learn German. It's simple as that.
Achieving a conversational level in English is easier than in German. One could argue this from a Linguistics point of view (in a minute, mathematically rigorous manner even). If we now consider the cold harsh aspects of social dynamics, we can also argue that those who will be more flexible are usually the ones who need something more from the other party.
It used to be the case that foreigners came to a country like Germany in dire need of money, and they would not only do their best to learn German, but they would work to their best abilities, compete with the locals and accept lower wages. Nowadays, due to the labor shortage, Germany may be faced with a different reality: does it have enough bargaining power to afford to reject workers just because they do not speak good enough German? I know it is sad and this can, on the long run, endanger the existence of the German language, but this is what happens anyway to most languages throughout history. Look at the Latin language. It gradually died out and mostly peacefully.
@@tcioaca true that English is easier than German, but anyways they are close relatives. If an employee, for convenience says, let's stay with English and not learn the language of the local country, as an employer I would ask myself if the employee otherwise is motivated to go an extra mile? I have some colleagues from Maroc and Tunesia who perfectly speak German now and they are super motivated. Also they feel more "at home" in Germany as they have friends outside of work, in sports clubs etc. where the usual language is of course German. I don't want to speak English in my time off work either.
Same, when I was is France, way easier to socialize with the locals in their mother's tongue, even if it's not perfect in the beginning, people will worship the effort.
Of course you can stay in your English bubble if you like. And by the way, latin is not gone, it morphed into Italian. German will morphe too, but not disappear.
Thank you for the video. A suggestion - median instead of the average is a better data point to report
Thanks a lot for your feedback, much appreciated 😊 We just added the median numbers for the top 3 industries in a pinned comment.
Was looking for this comment. Was not disappointed😂👍👍👍
I am from IT and i would love to see the scientists and post doc researchers being paid at par to us or better than us. We need to give them more respect.
Its not possible tbh. I did a PhD in physics and currently looking for a job in data science. Universities can't compete with private companies, it doesn't make sense since the work which a scientist do is not profitable in a shorter time. Most of the phds and postdocs publish papers which are read by other academics and its goes on forever. Less than 5% of people stay in academia since there are not enough positions .
Why respect? If they want the degree they should pay the price for it.
I stayed in academia after my PhD as a manager in a group developing scientific software. After a market research I see that in this position I earn more or the same compared to most project managers in IT in Germany. So, I do search for my next job in industry, but rather relaxed, cause I'm not eager to take absolutely any proposal on the market, I'm doing just fine)). You see, the proper scale for comparison is a key. Software engineers do earn more than me. Project managers - not always. If I should trust these girls data on UX designers - than I'm doing better than an average one. So, what kind of "IT" are we talking about?
As my colleague just mentioned here earlier, it's not so easy to stay in academia exactly as a researcher. If you got some strong transferable skills while working on your thesis, such as programming or product/project management, you can find some jobs rather easily and can even be officially employed as a "researcher", but not let this name fool you: yes, one needs to have a deep knowledge of the research field and its needs in order to support real researchers with software and hardware infrastructure, networking and brining money. These are all quite necessary actions. But they are not an actual research. Getting a position in research exactly is more and more difficult with each degree you're getting, cause the system is built like a pyramid. On the top of the chain are professors, but I'd not like to become one, cause they work a 60+ hours week on average, and have almost no work life balance at all. They are paid rather nice, but the requirements, work conditions and responsibilities are just crazy, so it's not only a difficult position to get, it's also an extremely difficult position to be in.
I stayed in academia after my PhD as a manager in a group developing scientific software. After a market research I see that in this position I earn more or the same compared to most project managers in IT in Germany. So, I do search for my next job in industry, but rather relaxed, cause I'm not eager to take absolutely any proposal on the market, I'm doing just fine)). You see, the proper scale for comparison is a key. Software engineers do earn more than me. Project managers - not always. If I should trust these girls' data on UX designers - when I'm doing better than an average one.
As my colleague just mentioned here earlier, it's not so easy to stay in academia exactly as a researcher. If you got some strong transferable skills while working on your thesis, such as programming or product/project management, you can find some jobs rather easily and can even be officially employed as a "researcher", but not let this name fool you: yes, one needs to have a deep knowledge of the research field and its needs in order to support real researchers with software and hardware infrastructure, networking and brining money. These are all quite necessary actions. But they are not an actual research. Getting a position in research exactly is more and more difficult with each degree you're getting, cause the system is built like a pyramid. On the top of the chain are professors, but I'd not like to become one, cause they work a 60+ hours week on average, and have almost no work life balance at all. They are paid rather nice, but the requirements, work conditions and responsibilities are just crazy, so it's not only a difficult position to get, it's also an extremely difficult position to be in.
Very clear video. 2 remarks though.1) it has to be noted that in many western-european countries taxes are quit high, in Belgium up to 50% if you are single. 2) There are so many additional benefits besides salary. In Belgium, most higher qualified workers have a company car and fuel card.
Regards from Belgium
Software Engineer, 30 years experience, 120000 gross/year.
Europe has a social democratic tradition since WWII. Salaries are moderate and taxes high to maintain the welfare state and infrastructure for the common good. It is a liberal continent "in quotes" and that makes the countries more livable compared to the US. You'd be surprised how many Germans don't work full time and only earn just enough to get by, especially in the new eastern states. Germans are very good at spreading positive preconceptions about themselves. Once living here, that idea of the super hardworking and efficient German citizen falls apart.
Wow one comment sumarizes the German system
@@Micha-bp5om yes and all germans are the same 😂
Hi, i'm Peter from Germany but live in the USA for 33 years! I'm surprised how low wages are bei euch, i'm a carpenter and make $ 120000 a year, but i live in a ski resort and cost is high! oh, ja, sehr gute episode!
das ist der Grund warum DEU hat einen riesen Fachkräftemangel auch im Handwerk! für solche niedrige Löhne hier in DEU haben weniger Leute Boch auf die Arbeit ! Aber sehr gut für den USA!
It boggles my mind that the one field that seeks to educate people is paid practically half that of everyone else 🥺
Not surprising at all, considering academic jobs are either public sector jobs, or aligned to public sector salaries in Germany, and the extreme competitiveness of the academic job market. :)
@@dromedari Exactly that
Where is Business there is the pay.. Simple equation.
Hi great video! It would be fantastic if you eventually share the survey data/answers (anonymized), it could help a lot of people compare themselves against peers in similar conditions and be able to negotiate a better salary :)
It’s in the works ☺️ thanks for your your suggestion!
Me and my wife both 100K+ in IT had thought we were getting decent pay but were astonished to find out the scale today. We are so thankful to Germany for giving us such an opportunity and special thanks to your channel which has enabled our smooth integration here from last year! ❤
Thank you for paying for all the HARZ4 people and Refugees x)
@@sierraecho884hahaha!
Thanks for sharing 😊
Is that so ? Alright, when was the last time you compared our education system or retirement system or healthcare system ? Are you aware that 70% of all taxes are used for walfare ? With the 19% VAT tax all those institutions and even the military can be payed, the rest goes for refugees and other nonsense. I suggest you calculate the difference yourself or look it up online. Infrastructure is not even 2%.@geranienbaum
Could you please specify, what exactly in IT you and your wife do?
Very informative video Jen & Yvonne, Thank you for the info. Time to ask for a raise :)
I have 72k salary as a Berufseinsteiger in consulting. I know it is considered a good salary in Germany, but this is exactly why it is sad. The salary in Germany in general too bad to attract skilled labor from other countries, considering that people will need to adapt to a unique language environment.
It´s not the salary it´s tax + social security deduction.
@@sierraecho884 That's equivalent to generally low net salary in the country.
What do you mean by that ?@@JgvnkhgbbKhrfhutfhk
But to just look at the salery, without a view on the living costs or benefits is just stupid. What is correct is, Germany is not a hop-on, hop-off state, everything is kind of designed for eternity (the tomb).
@@holger_p So please do so, compare those numbers with the US for example and you will notice that Germans have it far worse. Or compare it with Australia, Switzerland etc. Just don´t compare those numbers with Afghanistan or african countries, and you will notice pretty soon how Germany compared with it´s peers is pretty poor.
In the case of PhD students, the salaries highly depend not only on the field but on the funding program.
The MSCA EU Horizon 2020, for example, has a big budget and provides generous salaries.
If a PhD program involves a collaboration with a company, the student can receive a very good salary as well.
This is true on top, depending on the subject students were getting 'partial positions'.
In many areas a PhD Student gets 1/2 or 2/3 of a FTE position.
But for IT related subjects Uni-Freiburg was giving 1-FTE per PhD. I knew of PhD students which were paid as 'Hilfskraft" which was a bit lower than 1/2 FTE position (at least the first year or so, then they would. be paid 50% of BAT IIa around the years 2000).
I knew 1 PhD student in Germanistic from a different University who had 100% of a FTE but had to teach a lot wrt to other.
I work in IT for US company, so in English, do not need German. My salary would be OK, but amount of taxes I have to pay is insane and I do not see much benefits out of it and I am wondering where all money go. (I am OK for example with health insurance, because I see I am getting quite good health care). Also it is 2023 and I am receiving so many things by post on paper, literally no digitalization, quality of internet and mobile network worse than in 3rd world countries. But huge taxes. I like Germany, it is nice country, but it is stucked in the past, no innovations. If nothining changes, probably I won't stay for long. And it will be also harder to attract talented people.
Let me chime in on the Academia Section, more specifically the PhD students. The salary is broadly due to whether you are doing your PhD in a Research institute or with the university.
With the Research Institute you are a full time employee (working on projects of the institute) but your PhD topic is aligned with the work you do for the institute, hence you get the fulltime employee salary. The salary scale is TVL-13 for first year PhD candidates and the pay scale increases every 2nd, 4th, and 7th year of employments. Obviously you would need to register with a university to do your PhD but your salary is paid by the Research Institute.
With Universities you generally start with a percentage of the TV-L salary for example some universities offer between 30-60% of the salary for the first two years and offer 100% of the TV-L salary from the 3rd year onwards of your PhD.
Obviously there are exceptions and modifications with individual cases.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights! 😊
In reality research institute vs. University as employer is only one factor that plays into this. The salary is usually TVÖD or TVL level 13. After some 5 years (close to finishing hopefzlly) or so at 100% you would reach that 65k. What fluctuates is how how much percent of this you get paid. Mostly, it depends on whether there is money available, or maybe there are institute-wide lower bounds as policies. In reality you are are often working full time though, either by beeing guilt-tripped by your professor, your own ambition or because of a weird clause in your contract.
PhD students in engineering or computer science can easily get a 100% position, because there is a shortage, as these people can easily find work in industry if the salary was too bad. On the other end of the spectrum are humanities students, who are being gaslit into working on their dissertation in their free time, while having a 50% position or stipend. Biologists also have it pretty bad, because there are many of them and a PhD is often needed for entering industry.
The loading animation at 10:19 made me smile
Me and my wife both work in the same company in the pharma industry and earn 130k and 120k respectively. I would say that these salaries are fairly common in our industry/ company. We both have around 9 years of experience, with Engineering + MBA background.
I'm very happy with life in Germany - you get something in return for the taxes you pay in terms of infrastructure and healthcare, and you can actually enjoy the money you earn due to good work life balance and great vacation policies.
Thanks for sharing and we are so happy to hear that you are enjoying your life in Germany! 😊 Would you mind sharing a bit more of your story with us? What brought you to Germany? How has our content been helping you? You can always send us a private message at www.simplegermany.com/contact/ We highly appreciate your feedback!
@@simplegermany Sure, happy to share, will write to you on the form!
Thanks for your comment. Please, since you are working in pharma industry, do you know the salary of Principal Research Scientist in Pharma research industry?
“ common” But you have a MBA too that has cost you $$$. Not doubting you but unless one has a mba as well, salaried won’t be this high.
@@Northwindbreeze not if you studied MBA in Germany where education is almost free, or in India (like we have) where it is comparitively inexpensive.
And yes, for higher salaries, you do need higher qualifications.(either education or equivalent workex)
You two are awesome! Such a wealth of useful information! :D
People in Germany don't compare a lot, don't negotiate with 3 companies when finding a job, or looking for alternatives while having a job, or changing jobs frequently at all.
They also don't talk about their salery. So information is low, and you have no idea what to negotiate about at all. This gives this huge diversity of incomes for maybe the same kind of job.
Exactly... I earn around 105k as a backend software engineer consultant and was shocked to find out that my German colleague, same master degree working at another company but same project just earned 55k. 😮
@@Micha-bp5om if it's in another country, you have to compare cost of living, not gros income.
But generally germans don't like hire& fire. They never quit a job in fear it could ger worse.
@@holger_pwe both worked in the same office in Germany on the same project and he was earning half of what I earn 😅 I didnt tell him my salary, just told him it is really low, he quit after some months and now earns around 70k, still much less than me
German companies had a secret terms and conditions, which state that an employer must not speak about his salary to anyone, but that is a pure psychology robbery. 👌
Moving to Germany later this year to Munich with a 74K salary as Data Scientist. Honestly, when I look at rental prices in Munich I get kinda depressed. I know I get a good transportation, somewhat good healthcare (from what I saw Brazil healthcare is better quality-wise), but not sure how much I’ll be able to invest each month and there are other clear downsides as well. Ultimately, the best option is working to an US company remotely
What position do you have? My husband work in a Data Center as Senior Data Center Engineer but he only earns around 56k/yr in Frankfurt which is behind i think
@@JEJUinDE I was hired as a data scientist with special focus in pricing. I have 3 years of experience. Is the cost of living in Frankfurt similar to Munich?
@@zskater1234 I believe Munich is a little bit expensive. He has colleagues who work in Network and Manage departments also Sales are earning around 100-120k €.
Hey, I live in Germany, Have you thought of finding appartments outside of Munich? or can you also work remotely as well? Actually, I think it is not that expensive if you search outside of Munich and also we have a deutschland ticket as well which only costs 49 euros per month, unless you want to have good city life like in Munich😅.
I'm not going to Munich for that salary, you will get rip of with cost of living, you will see.
In the automotive field, I work as a Software Architect, earning an annual salary of €143,000, excluding bonuses. However, I must note that this is still comparatively less than what I was earning for the same role in USA.
well you pay for it also haha
Thanks for sharing! German salaries are indeed not comparable to the US. Would you mind sharing a bit more about your story and motivation to move to Germany?
i'm making 135k excluding bonuses as a cloud engineer in Germany (in the media sector) and I would love to hear your motivation to move to Germany as an IT specialist. I mean, the salaries in the US are way higher, so you can easily effort a great quality of life over there?
@@maddinek Absolutely, I appreciate your perspective and the chance to share my motivation for wanting to move to Germany as an IT specialist. While it's true that salaries in the US tend to be higher, my reasons for considering a move go beyond just financial aspects.
First and foremost, I have a deep love for traveling and experiencing different cultures. Germany's rich history, picturesque landscapes, and vibrant cities have always captivated me. Living and working there would provide me with the opportunity to immerse myself in the local way of life, learn about the traditions, and develop a deeper understanding of the world.
Furthermore, the idea of giving my children the gift of bilingualism is a driving factor for this decision. I firmly believe that learning a second language early in life has immense cognitive and cultural benefits. By being fluent in German, my children would not only have access to a broader range of opportunities but also be able to communicate and connect with a diverse global community.
When it comes to higher education, the prospect of my children attending university in Germany is particularly appealing. The country boasts a reputation for excellent education, and the cost savings compared to the US can't be ignored. With their fluency in German, they would have the chance to pursue top-notch education without the burden of hefty student loans. This would also provide them with a unique chance to experience a different education system and broaden their horizons.
Of course, while my family and I would be in Germany, we would ensure that our ties to the US remain strong. This move would be about embracing new opportunities and experiences while also maintaining a connection to our roots.
In essence, my motivation is driven by a blend of personal enrichment, family considerations, and a desire to provide my children with an advantage that will benefit them throughout their lives. While salary is certainly a factor to consider, the holistic benefits of living in Germany and the opportunities it presents make it an exciting prospect for us.
wow, 143k is really a lot. Congrats. what's your experience like?
It was an insightful video, and thank u so much for that. Just a suggestion for future reference, (as a data analyst) I think if you use Median instead of Mean, it would be more realistic. Thank a lot.🤩
Thanks a lot for your feedback, much appreciated 😊 We just added the median numbers for the top 3 industries in a pinned comment.
Great! 😆 You two are the BEST.@@simplegermany
just found your channel, and am enjoying it so far, good job!
Great! Thank you for giving us a good hope on the salary aspect!
I can confirm this - my husband earns a starting gross salary of 75k with shares option after a first year, as a senior UX designer. My sister earns around 120k as a junior specialist doctor. We live in BW and she lives in Hessen
Where does she work hospital or private practice?
120K ?? which specialty ?
@@victorychillchineke824 she is an ophthalmologist , children's ophthalmologist and ophthalmological surgeon. By junior, I don't mean years of experience, she has around 15 years, I mean that she has to pass one more state exam, but she is basically practicing as Facharzt and I'm sorry about the terminology. Her salary really increased over the five years she's been there.
@@UpendraVishwas private practice in a small rural area
What is your net income ? You are probably poor by US standards.
You two are so nice! Appreciate for this informative info!
The PhD with €65000 most likely was on a European Union Marie Curie grant. Whereas the lower salary is on a German grant (same in Ireland) and i had Marie curie phd grant in France and my PhD salary is still higher than my work salary
I am a senior software engineer with a salary of 102k before taxes living in Berlin. And I feel poor...
According to statistics the middle class in Germany gets between 17,475 and 46,000 euros net per year. I get 59400 net, so I can be considered "rich".
But I don't feel that way at all.
After taxes are deducted, I have 4950 euros a month in my pocket.
I spend about 2700 euros. I live alone in a not very nice one-room furnished apartment which costs me 1350 euros, including utilities and internet.
I do not buy myself expensive things, rarely leave the house (1-2 times a week). The main expenses are traveling. If you recalculate the annual spending on travel, it comes out to about 500 euros a month.
To buy a good car (50k euros) I need to save all my free money for about 2 years. To buy a house or an apartment I need a mortgage for 20 years. Is that really called a "big salary"?
I can't imagine how the average German with a median salary of 2100 gross per month lives. I don't have a wife and kids. If I did, the rest of my paycheck would go to them. Is that still considered higher than middle class?
What if you worked remotely from a low cost of living country like Spain? So you can save more? Is remote work allowed in Germany?
@@denniszenanywhere I could move to an office in Spain and stay in the same company, but I'm afraid then the salary would be reduced. Plus, as far as I understand, my blue card doesn't allow me to work outside Germany yet.
But several of my colleagues have moved from Germany back to Armenia/Kazakhstan and Russia. Their salary has decreased, but the cost of living in these countries is very low. They can only spend 30-40% of their salary on living there.
@@sergey.nikitin I'm based in the States and I am watching Europe closely when it comes to AI/job regulations. Companies in the US have been laying off tech workers left and right. My job was outsourced in Asia. So I'm thinking of moving to Spain or Germany but bringing with me, if possible, remote work. So even if I did earn less money in Europe, I am thinking at least there will be more job protection -- or is it naive to think that way and even European companies will follow the corporatist culture in the US? In the States, companies proritize pleasing stakeholders and their stock. How is it like there in Germany? You feel your job is safe? In the States, I have taken only 8 days of vacation in 10 years.
When you have a wife and kids, your tax class changes. You get Kindergeld as support and you have tax return for Kinderbetreuung and for Schulgeld. Just learn a bit about tax report. It is not as bad.
Also, if you earn 100K now, over time your salary will increase overtime if you grow your experience and expertise and go for better paid jobs.
I am an IT architect, live in Bonn.
@@umka7536 What's a good site to search for jobs in Germany?
I believe your survey has a major flaw and does not account for dynamic salaries as found in most sales related jobs. While the base salary is usually below 100k, they often easily exceed 100k.
im a senior software engineer and earn "only" 75k gross. But I also actually only have about 3,5 years of professional experience. I think that shows that titles are quite arbitrarily chosen in the IT industry. Next month I ask for a raise to 86k, wish me luck. I even know someone who works as a CTO in startup but earns only 45k €. He does it, because he hopes the company "explodes" soon and so would his salary, but I doubt it.
You got your rise?
My husband earns over 100,000€ as an IT-Professional for the leasing insurance company. He also works a 60+ hour week.
It's not work ,it's slavery.
Zenior...Señor..Senior.. 😂 You are great! 😁 Thank you so much for all useful information, wish you all the best in New Year! 🥂
The way you explain the story is very simple ,informative and unique.A unique skill.All the best and keep rocking 🎉🎉🎉❤❤
I'm a UPS driver in US, my salary converts to about 125k in euros.
Life in Europe is much more affordable than us…comparison with you: Not Applicable
@@GhenazoOReillyMany Europeans are also content living a modest life.
@@GhenazoOReilly I live in Florida, no state income tax and we don't have VAT. My Federal income tax is %15 on average. I have travelled to almost every European country and I'm looking to buy a second home in Greece. So, applicable.
@@flux928 how much you pay for the education of your family in Florida? How much you pay for your health insurance in Florida? How much you pay for your car in Florida? More than half of these things are almost free in all Western Europe countries
@@GhenazoOReilly I was born in Florida, didn't relocate here. House is paid off, I have 3 cars paid off. 2 Porsche 928's ( hence the screen name) plus a Audi. My job covers my Health Insurance. Finished school years ago and paid as I went. I also have investments that pays passive income. Not everyone is bad with finances.
You forgot to mention about doctor or health care industry, 100k is only a range for junior level, once they reach to 10-15 years experiences, 170-200k€++ is pretty normal
All numbers are based on our survey and healthcare was not an industry that was represented strongly.
Thanks @simplegermany for this video. Since i did a PhD, i would like to comment on the wide range of the Phd student and academia salaries which is due to:
1. Scholarship vs work contract: low earners with scholarship only earn an untaxable stipend
2. Percentage of work contract: Phd work contract range between 50 - 100%. A phd contract with 100 % salary is the exception
3. Years of experience: There is a public salary scale for academia i.e. Tvl 13 in which the salaries depend on years of service
Thanks so much for sharing your insights! 😊
Certainly highly valuable information. Can easily understand that a lot of effort has gone it. very much appreciated. Suggestion from my end. There is so much of information that you tried to condense in 12 minutes...May be it is even better to summarize at a higher level and trim down your sentences , so that you dont need to rush and also the viewers is able to digest the information completely
Only in Germany would automotive sector have a higher max salary point than Software 😅 SDEs easily make atleast 2x of mechanical engineers generally..
We have that much pf automotive Industry in germany it brings so much more development and money than IT and Software. Germany is really good in Supply chain Management and producing physical products but not really good with Software 😅
Great Channel Wish you 100K
You deserve a million subs darling!❤
Even Information Security Consultants and Cyber security consultants does earn more than 110000 euros per annum based on their experience and skills
Would be great to see the median for each main city / region and see if there's any big gap between them
I have some data for Chemists: after 14 years of experience, the median income is higher than 100k. It rises with age. However, after 28 years of experience it levels out at 150k.
Cool if it's true, never had a friend/heart from a worker that makes so much
Remember that Chemist in Germany usually means a PhD in Chemistry.
This is great. Is that in research or manufacturing? In Ireland our salaries are so low
I’m 27, have 2 years of experience and work as a Sales Engineer in the IT industry and make 100k per year.
Thanks for sharing 😊
How much is the fixed part?
Cool, which city is that?
Really low gross salaries.. how does USD 350k tax free sound?
I thought in general German salaries for Engineers were higher. Apparently not. In the US salaries are far higher. An entry level Computer Science / Electrical Engineer makes easily 80K minimum in lower cost cities and in others touch close to 100K (California not in this statement). Mid level engineers easily make 130 -170K with 6 years experience in a senior Engineer Title. The only issue in the US is you dont know if you will have your job the next day or not and there are no laws that protect layoffs like in Europe where labor laws are pro employee.
and higher costs of living.
higher cost of living in Germany / US?@@lina6325
Thank you for the information! I am planning a move to Germany in about 18 months (native German Fiance & I decided quality of life will be better 🙂). Not going to lie the job market scares me a little bit, but it is encouraging to know the potential for Project Management roles. I'm extremely nervous about finding a job when my German language skills are lackluster. Anyway, I enjoy your videos! I'm also curious if you have a video for decisions on transferring large sums of money (HYSA, Money Market, EFTs, Stocks, etc...) into the German/Euro economy? Tradeoffs, pros/cons.
Typically financial service providers such as Wise offer way better rates to transfer money than traditional banks. ETFs and Stocks is a different ball game and you should talk to your current brokerage what makes most sense.
We hope your planning and moving will go smoothly 😊
Keep in mind in academia people often are working for the state and have way, way more left of their brutto salary than normal workers because they don't pay for social security etc. A good friend is a teacher, brutto I (working in IT) do earn quite a bit more than her, but netto she makes a good bit more than me.
The best salaries in german can be earned when you are sales engineer, with less than 2 years of experience one can make approximately 90K but you have to be good in public speaking in German.
I have a experience in I.T Sales can you please tell me which companies pay more?
Very educational channel. I think it would grow to the 50K mark faster if you provide alot more content on success immigration stories, 1 on 1 consultation or actionable steps for person's wanting to move to Germany. That is, if your analytics show where viewers are from and the age group.
It's less about the hard skills and more related to your negotiation skills. You also need to change the company every 2 years to get a better raise. Speaking german is very important in big companies. Prepare a really good CV and your introduction.
You have to do survey for salaries as low as 100K speaks the volume of how bad the economic scene is in Germany
Very low salaries as compared to the US, for the same roles. I guess that explains so many people keep heading to the US.
I lived in both countries working in tech in SF and Berlin. Finally when I moved to Germany did I stop living paycheck to paycheck and finally enjoy my money, travel and save. US salaries are higher because you need to pay a lot more for the same things. It’s not comparable
Very Informative
can you make the survey data public? it would be really helpful
Academia is more highly differentiated. Only the top research heavy departments paying the highest salaries with the least teaching can offer the highest salaries. Moreover top schools must compete with the top 20 European and top 50 US/Canadian universities as well as a couple dozen in Asia. A professor who is hired just to teach and not publish in international English language journals will usually have the lowest salaries. Moreover, salaries in econ, business, the hard sciences, etc are usually higher than literature, history, or anthropology. Without correcting for this as well as where the students got their PhDs you will not have a good basis for a meaningfully comparative survey.
Very good tooic! A Video about a combined house unit income will be also superinteresting. Combined salaries Vs. Prozent huouseholds.
UX Designer, 12+ years of experience (in other EU country), now 63K (NRW) :/ It's my first job in DE, I'm not sure did I get tricked with this number and is it possible to get better (maybe someone from UX'ers will comment). Sad, because in my country I got 60K and prices were 3 times less, so at the end of the day I'm going 700 eur NET shortage per month compared to my life before Germany :D I feel like Germany is not so "sweet" for IT specialists as salaries are like in other countries, but expenses are much higher. For IT probably would choose Estonia.
I say you got tricked.
As a UX designer with 12 years of experience you got tricked a lot. But you do get an average UX designer salary in Germany, that being said someone with 3-4 years of experience is expected to get 45-60K, this ofcourse depends on the company and area in Gemrany. Someone with your expertise should be getting a minimum of 70k. I am an Estonian living in Germany so keep in mind when you get 50K in Estonia ( I know its less than you get in Germany) you will still get more money after tax in Estonia because of the tax difference. But due to the inflation prices in Estonia have gone up quite a lot but someone with your expertise can live comfy there if you get a good IT job.
It's NRW. Too much competition, not many jobs
There is just no way a PhD student is actually earning 65K (as a student) -- this might be 100% salary. PhD students have 75% or 65% of the actual salary because the rest of the time is considered 'training' and they are not getting paid.
One thing that affects me and I was not expectating: in some fields, your previous experience does not have such a impact, cause is not a experience in Germany. I am a senior sales and trade marketing manager with 10 years experience in big companies plus a MBA, and right now my Software developer husband earn three times more than me ( and in our country I was earning a bit more because of my MBA). We both work at IT startups, and I heard this phrase in every job that I applied " sorry, you don't have experience in Germany". So I had to accept earn way less then I deserved( and a junior role) just cause of this. I talked with other foreigners in the same field, and it's a common reality😢 So frustrating.
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting - do they give you more specifics on what exactly your previous experience is not bringing in value excatly?
@simplegermany Because it was in my home country ( Brazil), so in another market. Companies said I should have a German, or at least european experience in Sales. For example : regarding a senior position , if another candidate has 5 years of experience, but it is in Germany, I lost this job even having 10 years experience. I studied German thinking that only the language will be enough, and know I am facing this barrier. So I had to apply to junior positions, but a lot of tem said I am overqualified, and the senior ones I am not hired cause of the German Experience😥
As always these salaries are GROS not NET, meaning before taxes. In addition remember many people work remotely from other countries, where the costs of living are less so in the end after you factor out taxes, groceries, utilities, rent you save more money for yourself.
I've started earning 100+k p.a. 2 years ago. At that time I already had 15 years of progressive experience in IT. These salaries are real
I have been living in Germany since 2013. I am a software engineer. As far as my experience goes: salary and skills/expertise/experience are not correlated. I have seen junior developer earning more than a senior developer in the same company and in the same team (I got the intel from HR friends). This is why you are not allowed to disclose your salary. Because if you do so, there might be a catastrophe and a wave of resignations. It is totally up to your negotiation skill your bargaining position, how much will you get out of your job. In my second job, I got more salary than what I earn in my fourth job. At that time, I had immnese bargaining power because of the situations at hand.
Hi , can you guys also make a video on the cleaning routine of the apartment. How to clean and maintain each part of the apartment to be on safe side from landlords while leaving the apartment. This can even be a complete series.
Thanks for this interesting video
Subscribed! ❤
Great video and Great content.
I would add that people don't have to pay back credit for education here in Germany. High education is almost free.
Thanks for sharing information , I am planning to move to germany from Spain , as web developer,
I have now three choices 1- study medicine in Germany 🇩🇪 2- study Ai in Germany 🇩🇪 3- study software engineering in Germany 🇩🇪 also
So what do you advise me?
If you want to go into tech field please study software engineering. AI is an awesome field but also somewhat of a "buzzword" these day. If you go for software engineering you'll learn about AI and machine learning anyways and can jump into AI anytime :)
I studied Software Engineering (MSc) in Eastern Europe and earn over 100k. I can switch to AI any time
Hallo Yvonne und Jen. I do really enjoy and follow your contents. May you also consider making a video about gyms in Germany? Thanks a lot.💕
You totally missed industries like finance, healthcare, and law… these are highly paid too
Gross salaries are not bad but the German income taxes are crazy high, so the net pay really suffers after all the deductions.
Salary in Germany is disappointing. 100k is considered a good salary when the govt steals like 40%. Also, I don't understand the good quality of life argument either. It's a weird language to learn for expats and there are other places with friendlier locals. I'm considering to go there from the US for the experience but the overall situation is grim.
Money vs. quality of life is a highly individual question. Germany is by far not for everyone, as it highly depends on one's perspective and current circumstances of living. If you'd like some more insights on what to expect from life in Germany and the 'quality' it offers, you can watch our video on the topic: ruclips.net/video/iJTLm8ld4SA/видео.html
well the gov doesnt really steal it, you get many things back in forms of support, infrastructure and general calm environment
Your thoughts on salaries and quality of life in Germany are thought-provoking. Taxation's impact on perceived salaries is worth considering, and language challenges can be part of the expat experience. Friendliness varies, and exploring a new country for the experience is valuable. Balancing pros and cons is essential.
Tax rate for 100K is 33%. And if you compare to US, this charge includes any student loan payback (university fees), any toll road (which don't exist) and things like cheap theatre tickets. You have to compare what you get, for the tax, not just what you are paying. With 100K, which is about 60K in cash, you should have nice living and are able to spend 25K per year just for leisure and joy.
@@alihorda well a large portion to support the living costs and insurance of the refugees that lie at home and don't work
I earn more than €100k in the Netherlands. A STAGGERING 43% GOES TOWARDS TAX 🤯🤯
Same in Germany. I earn 107k and 43% exactly on taxes & public basic health insurance 😢
the salary for academia depends usually on the percentage of your contract. assuming that you have no experience, and a master degree, you will have 54k per year as a beginner for a 100 percent contract. the percentage of the contract depends on your research topic funding, so normally in focus industries suck as construction or mechanical engineering you will probably get a job more than 80% contract and for some other fields you might just get 50%. the interesting part is that the salary in different states are similar and defined by government (except hessen i assume) so if someone is lucky enough to work in an industrial city such as braunschweig, and have low costs, academia is a great place to start their work after education, because you might easily save around 1 to 1.5k per month from begining which is great. and assuming that you get a phd in mechanical engineering from there, which would probably be in collaboration with companies such as volkswagen, you would have high chances to enter the industry later, but if you stay in academia, you will have to continue with limited salary growth, because you will have to follow governmental salary chart growth, so thats why the maximum salary growth in academia is not interesting in your results. but we should consider that a phd or post doctoral graduated person must have been probably equiped well enough with some skills to run a spin off company or start up after a few years which can lead to high nonlinear incomes, but unfortunatley research sprit in universities right now doesnt lead into such action normally.
I am almost done with my MSc in robotics and am researching my options, so this information is great! Thanks for sharing!
right on point
Interesting video, but averages are bad for measuring wages. Please take the median next time.
We added the median numbers in the pinned comments.
seniors are not really the once with 9years or more - check the 20years experience people - I guess you do not reach that often. But in my Age which is 45 - working in automotive and software... In my age the salary - especially when directly with a major company like BMW, Amazon or if you work in consulting... where lots of people start at. Then 100k€ is not to much of an exception then - especially around the big expensive cities.
In Germany IT goes with 4 specialities:
- Fachinformatiker Systemintegration
- Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung
- Daten und Prozessanalyse
- Digitale Vernetzung
But you mentioned only Anwendungsentwicklung which is Software development..where Are the others?
I am studying Network engineering
There's a difference between what you study as a major and what the market roles are. Those specialties don't exist in the German market. an IT / System Engineer / Admin can encompass all of what you mentioned.
@@mouath_14 very true. those 4 named specialities are pretty much useless and not existing in the real world as such.
please make a video on Ausbildung & their salary & genral life standerd
After moving to Germany, something that really bothers me - and this video makes it very clear - is that "Software Development" is considered IT in Germany. Most of the time, Software Dev is considered (correctly so) a separate industry from IT in the U.S.
Software Developers interact with IT and often rely on IT services more than most other fields, but they don't set up servers, they don't configure end-user machines, they don't install software, networking devices, firewalls, etc., they don't configure security, and they don't troubleshoot end-user or system problems outside of the specific software they develop.
Software Development skills and IT skills are EXTREMELY different and have nearly zero overlap. Software Development is absolutely not an IT field.
Usually people with good IT fields choose to study Software Engineering and then become software developers. During university I learned a lot about servers, proxy and other things you mentioned. I even had a practice for 2 months where we set up the whole campus Internet connections, email adresses for all university professors etc. This was in Romania, not Germany but I guess they also learn here.
I love all of your videos! Great insights! Could you do more videos about the new immigration law 2023-2024 for Germany? Thanks.
We have a video about it here: ruclips.net/video/jChIKkuOIG8/видео.html
I found my position and exact salary in this video💀 (after conversion to £'s as I'm currently in the UK)
Rarere your skills are more the compnies will be willing to pay. If you can be replaced easily you will be earning avaerage
Curious Jenn and Yvonne, within your dataset are you able to compare Male versus Female wages, or citizen versus immigrant wages. I not trying to create a storm of emotions here, I am just curious how Germany rates in both of these areas.
Nope, we didn’t ask for gender nor nationality.
@@simplegermany ok thanks. I appreciate how distracting it could have been. Love your channel. Hope to be in Germany next spring riding my bike. Lived in the Schwarzwald for 4 years previously. Germany is such a beautiful country.
82 K with an experience of 10 years after PhD
Thanks for sharing
Researchers often get paid by the government according to some public contract (tvöd, tbk...).
I'm well versed in German academic salaries and compensation, would love to talk
Well talk :) Spill the beans! Don't keep us in the dark.
100K isn't what used to be, also in Germany.
Hi, thank you for the great video. The gross salary does it include annual bonuses and other perks or only the standard gross monthly pay? Usually companies give 10-20% annual bonus, so is that included in the numbers showed?
I have just came across your channel and got hooked. I’m in need of videos on jobsite for IT professionals. Please provide link and guidance
We have a whole playlist about finding jobs in Germany, which you can check out here ruclips.net/p/PLnp3hGZLHcOWdFqddbduUQMC_y_CbP2QV&si=5akwKOz892f2GF_C
Highest and lowest bounds do NOT make an average. Please stop saying that. It was very confusing because up until almost the end of the video it really looked, that you went in the middle of the range and called it average.
You both are doing amazing jobs❤❤❤…keep it up 🎉
Plz make a video on data science opportunities and salary
Thank you for the video. I would like to know from the realistic side, a salary of 80k gross annually in Bavaria not Munich, in machinery manufacturing industry, at which level is it? Tax class is I, so after tax it would be 4025 Euro. Thank you very much!
You can consult pages like Glassdoor and stepstone to get more insights for your industry.
@@simplegermany Thank you for replying Can I ask the composition of the annual gross income from a local common sense in Germany? Should it be understood as the salary part only or should the other bonus, allowances, or any other benefits included as well?
I love it to work in UI/UX.
Great info, thanks! I know from my fiancee, who was German, that some germans get 13 payments while others get 14 payments per year - can you elaborate on this? I/we live in Denmark where you get only 12 monthly payments per year, which was confusing to my late fiancee.
Indeed, another interesting topic! Thanks for the suggestion! 😊
There essentially isn't a real difference. Having 13 payments means you earn a little bit less each month but get an additional salary (usually in december). I guess it is mostly a psychological thing to attract skilled employees.
The additional payment might also be a bonus or tied to some goals set at the beginning of the year. If you rech the goal, you get the additional salary. That's how it worked in my company a few years ago... Until we got fed up with it, since it essentially meant doing extra work in our spare time to meet the goal. Now, it's just a plain extra salary in december.
Many insurance fees (e.g. insurance against fire for home owners) are due in January for a lot of people because of these extra salaries. That means you don't have to save during the year to pay these rather high bills.
Great video!
Thank you Jen and Yvonne for this video. Is 73k considered good salary for a couple in Munich ? Thanks
That depends on your lifestyle. Please go ahead and watch our latest cost of living video to get a better feeling for whether that salary is good for you 😊
if you are planning to have children, I can tell you that 73K in Münich is not enough.