Highest-paying jobs in Germany: Official data and job postings reveal top salaries
Germany is the world's third-largest economy, with a projected GDP of $4.74 trillion (€4.12tn) in 2025. According to IMF estimates from April of this year, it ranks among the top 20 countries in GDP per capita, with its total standing at $55,911 (€47,206).
Germany is also the top EU destination for immigrants in total — combining arrivals from both within and outside the bloc, according to Eurostat. Some of them are highly skilled and dream of finding good, well-paid jobs.
So, what are the highest-paying positions in Germany, and what are the average annual earnings for these roles?
Euronews Business takes a closer look at the highest salaries in Germany using two sources that reflect different aspects of the job market.
The first is the gross earnings dataset from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) from April 2024. While the data is reported monthly, it has been converted into annual figures by multiplying by 12.
Euronews has also looked at job postings from global hiring firm Indeed, covering annual earnings from May 2024 to April 2025.
According to Destatis, aviation is the top-paying sector in Germany, with a median gross annual salary of €336,000. Median earnings in this field typically start from €132,000.
In the healthcare industry, median annual earnings range between €108,000 and €156,000, followed by the legal and judiciary sector, where salaries fall between €84,000 and €144,000.
In academia and research, median salaries range from €72,000 to €120,000, closely followed by the IT and engineering sector, where salaries fall between €72,000 and €114,000. Public sector employees are also well paid, with median salaries ranging from €60,000 to €114,000.
Retail and services represent the lowest-paid sector, with median annual earnings ranging from €30,000 to €42,000.
The average gross monthly earnings in April 2024 were €4,634, amounting to €55,608 annually in Germany.
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Pilots have the highest median annual gross earnings in Germany, with salaries varying based on experience and specific roles. Those in highly complex aviation roles earn a median salary of €342,072, and an average of around €337,152.
Flying instructors in complex roles have a median annual salary of €281,592, ranking them second in terms of median earnings. Among the top 50 highest-paying jobs, four additional aviation roles are also featured: air traffic surveillance and control (complex) at €147,996 (5th), airline and aircraft pilots (complex) at €139,524 (6th), aircraft pilots at €122,484 (12th), and technical air traffic control (complex) at €109,188 (20th).
Healthcare occupations dominate the list of highest-paying jobs in Germany, with 11 roles included in the top 50. At the top of the list are managers in human medicine and dentistry, earning a substantial €165,576 annually and ranking third overall.
Among technical roles, highly complex positions in laboratory medicine and radiology follow closely, with median annual salaries of €131,556 and €129,012, respectively.
Medical doctors are also well represented, especially those in surgical specialties, earning €118,668 per year.
General or unspecified medical practitioners in highly complex roles can expect to earn around €100,000 annually.
Managers in legal services and jurisdiction rank fourth overall, with a median annual salary of €149,280. Judges in highly complex roles follow at 38th place, with prosecutors and lawyers in similarly complex roles ranking just behind them, all earning around €95,000 annually.
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Not surprisingly, managerial positions across various sectors appear in the top 50 highest-paying jobs. These sectors include universities, technical research, computer science, public administration, IT systems, software development, accounting, business organisation, and media management.
These managers typically earn more than €100,000 annually, with none earning less than €90,000.
Perhaps one of the most surprising entries in the list is the magicians and illusionists sector, ranking eighth overall with annual earnings of €134,316.
National security service employees in highly complex roles also feature in the top 50, with salaries just over €90,000.
Indeed's list of highest-paying occupations also highlights broader salary trends. Corporate tax advisors top the chart with a median annual salary of €145,000 in Germany. Various sales roles come next in the ranking, such as managing directors and heads of sales, with median earnings ranging from €107,500 to €138,243.
A labour law attorney earns €105,000, while general lawyers receive around €93,334.
System Applications Product consultants earn just under €100,000, with senior system engineers following closely at €95,000. Other tech roles, such as IT security specialists and technical SAP consultants, have salaries around €90,000. In the management category, directors also earn approximately €90,000.
There is only one medical profession appearing on the list — dentists — with a median wage of nearly €86,000 because 'physicians and surgeons' is excluded from Indeed's dataset, requiring a separate analysis.
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As jobs and skills continue to evolve, the highest-paying roles are expected to shift as well.
'We anticipate that AI/GenAI, green energy, cybersecurity, and biotechnology will produce new top-earning job titles over the next 5–10 years,' Pawel Adrjan, Director of Economic Research at Indeed, told Euronews Business.
He noted that roles like AI ethicist, GenAI engineers, climate data analysts and key sustainability roles are gaining momentum and are likely to enter the upper salary tiers as demand for specialised expertise in these fields increases.
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