Overview

• The median gross monthly wage for social-insurance full-time employees climbed to €4,013 in 2024, marking a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year.
• Nominal wages grew by 5.4 percent while consumer prices rose 2.2 percent in 2024, delivering a real-term wage gain of 3.1 percent—the strongest since 2008.
• One in five full-time workers earns under €2,750 per month and two in five fall below €3,500, levels often associated with middle-class living standards.
• The unadjusted gender pay gap narrowed slightly as men’s median earnings exceeded women’s by €345 in 2024, down €21 from 2023.
• Regional and sectoral disparities remain stark, with median pay ranging from €4,527 in Hamburg to €3,294 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and top IT roles at €5,907 versus care and hospitality jobs below €4,000.