Hamburg takes the top spot overall, while Munich leads among state capitals.
According to Stepstone’s findings, Hamburg residents sit at the peak of the list with a median annual gross income of €60,000. They are followed by residents of Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, both of whose incomes exceed €58,000. Bavaria claims fourth place. In a nationwide comparison, a significant income gap remains between employees in the western states and those in the former East German states.
Top and Bottom Earners
The nationwide median gross salary currently stands at €53,900. The median salary is a statistical value used to identify the “typical” income, effectively eliminating distortions caused by extremely high or low outliers.
Based on this methodology, doctors earn the most, bringing in over €100,000 annually before taxes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists are also in high demand, with senior professionals in this field reaching annual incomes of over €89,000. At the bottom of the pay scale are professions requiring vocational training, such as bakers at €39,750 or dental assistants at €41,500. Generally, holding a university degree significantly increases earning potential.
Leading Industries
Despite numerous crises, banks continue to pay the highest wages. The median salary in the banking sector is €70,250, which is 30 percent above the national average. This is also why Hesse, home to the banking hub of Frankfurt, ranks third among federal states.
The defense sector is considered a high-growth area, primarily because states have significantly increased—and will continue to increase—their military budgets due to the war in Ukraine. This also benefits the aerospace industry, which pays its employees approximately €68,000.
Sectors with the Lowest Salaries
The lowest incomes were recorded in the hospitality and catering industries at €45,500. Logistics, leisure, tourism, skilled trades, and agriculture also see earnings below €50,000. Social professions, as well as healthcare and nursing, pay around €53,000, roughly aligning with the national median.
Munich: The City of High Earners
While Bavaria ranks fourth as a state, its capital, Munich, significantly outperforms all other state capitals with a figure of €64,750. This even surpasses Hamburg, the number one in the state rankings. Munich concentrates high-paying roles from the media, banking, and insurance sectors. However, the Free State of Bavaria is also an agricultural region with developed tourism and traditional crafts—industries that pay considerably lower wages.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at the Bottom
As a general rule, residents of western states earn significantly more on average than those in the east. This is clearly reflected in the rankings: while western regions often exceed the €50,000 mark, no eastern state reaches this threshold.
Employees in the structurally weak region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania receive the lowest pay at just €47,750. Saxony, the most economically successful state in the east, reaches only €49,000. Notably, workers without a university degree in the east earn the least in a nationwide comparison.
The Gender Pay Gap
Women continue to receive significantly lower salaries than men. According to Stepstone, women earn €50,500, while men earn €55,900. This results in a gender pay gap of 9.7 percent. When adjusted for factors such as part-time work—which is very common among women—the gap narrows to 4.8 percent.Источник: Stepstone Gehaltsreport
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