The standard of living in Germany is quite high. Thanks to the strong economy, salaries in the country are higher than the EU average. Social policy in Germany is also at a high level. This is one of the reasons that currently the largest number of Ukrainian refugees (over a million) live in Germany.
The other day, the country’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, called on Ukrainians to integrate and get a job as soon as possible. What vacancies to look for, and representatives of which professions earn the most?
Germans are not satisfied with the level of salaries
Despite the fact that wages in Germany are higher than, say, in Poland or the Czech Republic, 64.1% of workers in the country are dissatisfied with their wages. According to the results of the labor market research Stepstone Salary Report, this is almost seven percentage points more than in the previous year.
The mood of those who work was affected, in particular, by the rise in the inflation rate.
Ukrainians in Germany are often dissatisfied with the salary level, which can be expected without knowing the language. You have to wait for a free German course, so most refugees are still recipients of social benefits. Of the 1.1 million who received asylum in Germany, only about 150,000 have currently found official work. 36,000 citizens of Ukraine work part-time.
Who earns the most?
According to Stepstone, the average salary in Germany in 2023 was €43,750 per year, after taxes. Doctors receive the most. Their typical salary (€94,750) is more than twice the national average.
However, in order to work in Germany, Ukrainian doctors must go through the diploma verification procedure and pass an exam that confirms their qualifications. This procedure can last about two years and cost several thousand euros. Although qualification confirmation procedures are constantly being simplified in Germany, since there is a great shortage of specialists in the field of medicine (especially junior medical personnel), education (teachers and educators in kindergartens), logistics (truck drivers).
In second place in terms of salary in Germany are workers in the financial sector: bankers, financiers, employees of insurance companies, etc. The average salary in the industry ranges from 52,000 to 65,500 euros per year.
Engineers and IT specialists also earn well – on average from 50,000 to 63,000 euros.
