What’s a software engineer’s salary in Germany? - Lingoda (2024)
Software development has been and continues to be an interesting and growing field to work in. While there were 13 million developers in 2013, that number has doubled as of 2022 – and predictions are that this trend will continue. Being one of the hot spots of engineering, Germany offers a wide range of job opportunities for software engineers, with a starting salary of around €46.000 and senior or management positions paying twice as much. However, there are a few things to consider when planning your career as a developer. We’ll give you a brief overview of different functions you can fulfill as a software engineer and how to become one in Germany if you so choose.
Your salary may vary depending on your work experience, education and skills. If you are fresh out of university, you may be able to get a position as a junior engineer or developer. The company you work for may offer you additional training or courses so you can earn bonuses or raises, and over time you may get a higher salary depending on your performance.
Working in software development
If you have studied one of the many fields related to software development or engineering, you can apply to a wide range of positions, both in small start-ups and in huge multinational companies. This is of course no surprise – with more than nine billion devices in use across the world, developers are very much needed to keep things running. If you’re looking for an entry-level position, quality assurance, cybersecurity or game development could be good fields to work in. Each function may require additional skills in particular programming languages or soft skills.
Different industries
Just because you’re trained as a developer or engineer doesn’t mean you’re locked into a specific role or career path. For example, you can aim for a career as a manager or business consultant once you have gained some work experience. There are also companies that offer traineeships for people who have a degree but want to change industries. Such people in Germany are called Quereinsteiger. You can look out for offers with this term if you are interested in switching up your career path.
An overview of different salaries
Salaries can vary depending on the function of the role. A salary always includes paid holiday leave of at least 20 days a year.
Job Title
Junior salary
Senior salary
Average salary
Software engineer
€46.000
€65.000
€50.000
Software development manager
€59.000
€105.000
€80.000
Software Consultant
€47.000
€67.000
€56.000
Product Manager
€45.000
€85.000
€58.000
Before applying for a job, you can use websites like Glassdoor or Payscale to compare average salaries.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay taxes on your salary, as well as insurances for medical bills, retirement plans and the like. Living costs like rent, electricity and groceries can vary in the different regions, so a salary should match the average costs you can expect in the place you will live in.
Working in Germany
Once a job in Germany has caught your eye, there are some things to take into consideration when moving countries. If you come from a country outside the European Union, you will, for example, need a work visa. Although your work may not directly require it, it’s always a good idea to learn the German language so that you can get around in your neighborhood – after all, only 56% of Germans speak English.
Becoming a software engineer in Germany
Don’t have a degree yet? Don’t worry – German universities offer a range of specializations that can prepare you for a career in software development. If you consider studying in Germany, keep in mind that while Master’s programs are often taught in English, particularly Bachelor’s programs usually have speaking German as a requirement.
Ready to get started?
No matter if you already have a degree as a software engineer or not – working in Germany in the industry can be an attractive option, not only because of the competitive salary. If you already have a specific role in mind to apply to, you can head over to online job search engines to check out current opportunities in Germany. If you are still considering whether software engineering is the right choice for you, you can first check out some university degree programs.
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Anne is a German freelance writer and communication consultant. In addition to her job, she is founder and coach of the Dutch non-for-profit organization CLUB Coaching. Due to her work, she resides in both Germany and the Netherlands. Whenever her time is not occupied with communication in all its forms, she spends time with her six pets, gardening or being creative with fashion and design. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
The average salary of a software engineer in Germany is 56,000 EUR per year or 27 EUR per hour. Beginners earn from 40,000 EUR per year while very experienced workers get paid up to 100,000 EUR per year.
In Germany, an average software developer salary starts at €40,000 and can reach six figures with bonuses and compensations for a senior developer. Full-time employees have legally guaranteed a minimum of 20 paid holiday days per year and usually work no more than 8 hours a day.
Software Engineers working in Germany earn normally around 60.000 EUR per year and most of the Software salaries are between 45.000 EUR and 80.000 EUR per year.
The most likely salary will be between €44,000 and €52,000 per year. In a small company it can go down to €38,000. In lucky cases it can increase to €65,000. Despite the high demand for engineers, the selection process is not easy.
In Germany, the net monthly salary between 2,500 EUR and 3,000 EUR is good, and over 3,500 EUR is very good. The average gross wage in Germany in 2022 is 51,010 EUR or 31,386 EUR after-tax for a single person. This translates to the 2,615 EUR net monthly salary.
60.000 euros a year in Germany is considered a good gross salary as it is well above the average salary of 47.700 euros a year for the whole country. Most Germans who earn 60.000 euros or more are very happy with their salary.
- while getting a job in Germany is not easy, it is even harder as a Junior Software Engineer, especially if you are a foreigner. Most of the companies are looking for Developers with 2+ years of experience.
On average, to cover your living expenses in Germany you will need around 861 euros per month (around $1,002 US dollars) or 10,332 euros per year (around $12,024 US dollars). The prices for food, accommodation, bills, clothes and entertainment are basically in line with the EU average.
Is Germany one of the best places for software engineers? Yes it is! So let's take a look at why Germany is the best place for internationals in IT & software engineering to find rewarding and well-paid work.
Graduates in Germany earn an average starting salary of 45.000 euros. The average starting salary of university graduates in Germany is almost 45.000 euros, according to a new report by online recruiter Stepstone. This is mainly due to the growing demand for highly skilled workers in specialist occupations.
after taxes, insurance and everything you will get roughly 42000 euros, or 3500 per month. If you are single and want to live in a shared apartment, then you can save much more. Variable 1- house rent - WG in a city can range from 500 to 800 euros per month.
60,000 Euros will get you far in rural East Germany and a good standard in most cities in Germany. It is a notch above the typical beginner's salary in academic jobs, I would say, be they first year doctors, teachers or engineers which is usually around 45,-55,000 Euros.
What is a good average salary in Germany in 2022? A good annual average salary in Germany is between €64,000 to €81,000. This gross salary (salary before taxes or social contributions) depends on your profession, industry, and education.
In Munich, the average salary for a professional with experience is around 50,000 EUR – 70,000 EUR. Senior-level executives enjoy a higher income of 65,000 EUR – 100,000 EUR.
This one may sound obvious, but if you're single (or married without kids) then you can have a good life on a lot less money than what would be considered sufficient if you have the extra expenses associated with having a family. €50,000 is plenty for a single professional.
In 2018, anyone with a net monthly income of 4.560 euros or more was part of the top 5 percent. To reach the top 1 percent of earners, you would need a monthly take-home salary of 7.190 euros.
At 70k annual salary, you will have a comfortable life in any part of Germany. While Munich and Stuttgart are relatively expensive compared to rest of Germany, its not close to the costs of a global city (London, Paris, Amsterdam etc).
But for normal person the answer is Yes. If you have 2500 Euro after tax and assurance, you will have a life as middle class in Germany. The daily cost is very low in Germany even compared with developing countries like China.
Most tech jobs and startups in Germany are concentrated in Berlin, but still, you can find tech companies in Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt, as well as in other smaller cities. So if you are considering a tech job in Germany, most probably you will find one in Berlin. Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany.
Both Java and JavaScript are the two most in demand programming languages in Germany. Java is the most popular language due to its flexibility (meaning that it can run on any operating system), it's easy to understand and it is stable.
Tax Rates. Income tax in Germany is progressive, starting at 1% and rising incrementally to 42% or for very high incomes, 45%. The tax rate of 42% applies to taxable income between €58,597 to 277,825 for 2022.
The retirement age for software engineers. The retirement age for most software engineers is between 55 and 65 years old, with the average age of a software engineer being 39 years old. The average retirement for software engineers is similar to most other industries.
Because of that, medical occupations are the top paid degrees in Germany. A doctor or a dentist is expected to make the highest amount of money out of anyone with other degrees. The average annual pay is €79,538.
What is the average cost of rent in Germany? Average rent costs in Germany range from €300 to €800 per calendar month for a room in shared accommodation and from €500 to €1,346 for a one-bedroom flat. The overall average rental price is €750 for a one-bedroom apartment.
The minimum wage in Germany in 2019 is €9.19 per hour. This increase marks a €0.35 (4%) increase on the level seen in 2018. That means pre-tax wages of €1,593 for people working the standard 40 hours a week. The minimum wage will increase again from 1 January 2020, when it will be set at €9.35.
Under Section 17(2), the employee is taxed for 10% of the value of the asset. So, if he buys a gadget worth Rs 25,000, he will be taxed for Rs 2,500. Purchase of computers and laptops is not taxed.
According to a survey conducted in 2020 in Germany, the average monthly savings among the population amounted to 451 euros. The survey revelead slight differences between age groups. Individuals between 18 and 29 years of age could save on average 390 euros per month.
Getting a job as a software engineer is never easy, but, for a few key reasons, it's especially difficult the first time around. First, you're not likely to have a professional network or existing software engineer connections who can make introductions on your behalf.
63k per annum is a decent start salary in Berlin. This will mean a gross of 5,250 Euros (or ~ ₹4,05,000) per month, and a net of ~3,534 Euros ( or ~ ₹2,73,000) per month at today's rate.
after taxes, insurance and everything you will get roughly 42000 euros, or 3500 per month. If you are single and want to live in a shared apartment, then you can save much more. Variable 1- house rent - WG in a city can range from 500 to 800 euros per month.
A person working as a Software Engineer in Berlin typically earns around 4,140 EUR per month. Salaries range from 2,240 EUR (lowest) to 6,260 EUR (highest). This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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