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StepStone 2026 Salary Report Shows IT Pay Lead as East–West Gap Narrows

An analysis of over one million salaries sets the national median at €53,900.

Overview

  • IT workers post a €66,750 median, with engineers at €75,000 and project leaders at €74,250, while developers and system administrators earn lower medians.
  • Regional differences persist, with Hamburg leading overall at €60,000 and IT medians peaking at €70,000 in Baden‑Württemberg and Hesse.
  • The unadjusted gender pay gap in IT stands at 7.8% with women at €62,250 and men at €67,500, and the adjusted gap is 5.0%.
  • Employer size and tenure strongly influence earnings, from €58,750 in firms with up to 50 staff to €76,750 in companies with over 5,000, and from €53,000 at entry level to €83,250 after 25 years.
  • Across professions, pay varies widely, with physicians at a €105,500 median and finance at €70,250, underscoring occupation and industry as key determinants.