What is the Software Engineer Salary in Germany?


According to Glassdoor, it is estimated that the average salary of a software engineer in Germany is €68,750 per year. The average additional cash compensation of a software engineer in Germany is €3,750, with the range of €1850 – €7000. Additional pay includes bonuses, commission, tips, and profit sharing. As per the report, the estimated salary potential of a software engineer will likely be increased to 18% over five years. Before making a decision, you need to be first aware of the information. In this article, you will get to know the complete details of the software engineer’s salary in Germany based on the company, experience, skillset, and location.

Software Engineer Salary in Germany Based on Experience

The estimated range of junior to senior developers’ salaries is around €55,500 to €80,776. Below we’ve given the median and average salary along with the additional pay for a different level of experienced software engineers.

  • Entry level: The estimated salary of an entry-level software engineer who has less than 1 year of experience will be €55,500 per year. The average salary will be €52,000 per year with additional pay of €3,500 per year.
  • Junior level: The total annual salary of a junior software engineer who has 1 to 3 years of experience is €60,900. The average annual salary will be €57,000 and additional pay will be €3,900.
  • Mid-level: The total pay of a mid-level software engineer having an experience of 4 to 9 years is €67,650 per year. The average salary of these engineers will be €64,000 per year and get an additional pay of €3,650 per year.
  • Senior Level: The senior software engineer salary in Germany is €75,000 per year. The senior-level experience falls from 10 to 14 years. The average salary of a senior software engineer is €70,000 per year and additional pay will be €5,000 per year.
  • Experienced: Software engineers who has 15+ years of experience will get a salary of €80,776 per year while the average salary will be €74,026 per year. The additional compensation will be €6,750 per year.

Software Engineer Skills with Salary

If you’re planning to take up a career in software development, then you need to learn these in-demand skills that top employers in Germany expect. The popular software engineer skills and the average salary are listed below:

  1. C++ – €57,822 per year
  2. C#.NET – €58,000 per year
  3. Java – €56,173 per year
  4. Java script – €53,767 per year
  5. Python – €55,069 per year
  6. SQL – €54,556 per year
  7. DevOps – €64,000 per year

Salary of Software Engineer in Germany Based on Location

In Germany, Berlin and Munich are one of the top-paying cities for software engineers and developers. As per a recent report, software engineers in Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg earn an average of 5.5% more than the national average. Check the below table to know the salary in detail.

Top Paying Cities in GermanyAverage Salary per annum
Berlin63,000 EUR
Munich64,000 EUR
Hamburg61,000 EUR
Frankfurt60,000 EUR
Stuggart59,000 EUR
Dusseldorf58,000 EUR
Cologne58,000 EUR
Aachen57,000 EUR
Bielefield50,000 EUR
Bremen52,000 EUR
Darmstadt57,000 EUR
Dortmund61,000 EUR
Dresden49,000 EUR
Essen62,000 EUR
Hanover56,000 EUR
Karlsruhe59,000 EUR
Kaiserslautern49,000 EUR
Konstanz84,000 EUR
Leipzig53,000 EUR
Mannheim65,000 EUR
Muenster59,000 EUR
Nuremberg55,000 EUR
Ulm63,000 EUR

Top Employers Hiring Software Engineers in Germany

As a fresh graduate, you can also get into some of the top software companies in Germany with the highest pay. Check the table below to know the top employers hiring software engineers in Germany.

Top EmployersAverage Salary per annum
Zalando€60,251
Wirecard payment solutions€69,091
Amazon€68,765
Robert Bosch€65,244
Yelp€55,000
Valeo€60,283
Siemens€59,462
Trivago€57,456
Google€95,000
SAP€58,576
Intel€75,497
Facebook€131,802
SeatGeek€170,303
Apple€118,398
Microsoft€133,552
Nvidia€110,820
VMware€108,926
Stripe€96,612
Elastic€102,298
Wayfair€105,139
GitHub€94,720
IBM€59,915

According to BLS, the employment outlook for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032. Check the below table to know the salary for the different roles of software developers.

Job RoleAverage Salary per annum
Senior Software Engineer€55k — €87k
Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer€49k — €84k
Software Developer€39k — €68k
Front End Developer / Engineer€54,750
Back End Developer€60,259
Full Stack Developer€60,000
React Developer€50,000
Web Developer€29k — €55k
Java Developer€39k — €66k
Senior Java Developer€52k — €80k

How to get a software engineer job in Germany?

According to BLS, there are expected to be about 153,900 job openings annually for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers over the next decade. German job market competitiveness for software engineering roles depends on your coding expertise, experience, and residency/work permit status. Proficiency in German (C1 level) may boost your chances with many companies.

Key steps for securing a software engineering job in Germany:

  • Assess and build the required skill set, which may include JavaScript, React, TypeScript, and database knowledge.
  • Obtain relevant certifications to showcase expertise.
  • Develop a comprehensive portfolio showcasing projects, open-source contributions, technical writing, and community involvement.
  • Create a professional resume and profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Kununu, and Xing.
  • Utilize social and publication platforms (e.g., X, Medium, dev.to) to share your work and expand your portfolio.
  • Apply for suitable positions, including internships, traineeships, and working student roles.
  • Explore job opportunities on platforms like LinkedIn, Xing, and the Agentur für Arbeit job board.
  • Consider reaching out to recruiters strategically and exploring options for a jobseeker’s visa if you’re a foreigner.
  • Networking through local or online tech communities, meetups, and events can also be beneficial for finding job prospects and building professional connections.

Summary

In conclusion, the average salary in Germany for a software engineer is €68,750 per year. The salary of a software engineer will vary depending on their experience level, skill set, job role, location, company, and interpersonal skills.