Salary Comparison Calculator
Your salary compared with the official average of your economic sector
Calculated in your browser – your inputs are not transmitted and are kept on this device only if you choose
Full-time, including special payments (holiday and Christmas bonus, bonuses)
Your salary is below the average
The comparison is with the average of all full-time employees in the sector “Whole economy” (Germany) – regardless of occupation, position and experience. A few high salaries pull an average up.
Gap to the average
−14.7%
−14.7%You earn €9,441 (−14.7%) less than the average of €64,441 in the sector “Whole economy”.
Your salary
- Per year
- €55,000
- Per month
- €4,583
- Gap
- −€9,441 (−14.7%)
Average 2025
- Per year
- €64,441
- Per month
- €5,370
RZ-26 · headon.pro
| Economic sector | Annual gross | per month |
|---|---|---|
| Financial and insurance services | €91,678 | €7,640 |
| Information and communication (IT, media) | €86,638 | €7,220 |
| Energy supply | €84,487 | €7,041 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services (e.g. consulting, legal, advertising) | €83,847 | €6,987 |
| Manufacturing (industry) | €67,520 | €5,627 |
| Education | €66,297 | €5,525 |
| Mining and quarrying | €66,127 | €5,511 |
| Real estate | €64,667 | €5,389 |
| Whole economy | €64,441 | €5,370 |
| Health and social work | €62,503 | €5,209 |
| Trade, motor vehicle repair | €59,558 | €4,963 |
| Public administration, defence, social security | €59,350 | €4,946 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | €58,693 | €4,891 |
| Other services | €57,713 | €4,809 |
| Water supply, sewerage, waste | €56,640 | €4,720 |
| Construction | €54,358 | €4,530 |
| Transport and storage | €51,843 | €4,320 |
| Other business services (e.g. temporary work, facility services) | €50,706 | €4,226 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | €40,425 | €3,369 |
| Accommodation and food services | €39,749 | €3,312 |
How this was calculated
Gap = your annual gross − average; as a percentage of the average. The Federal Statistical Office table contains averages (arithmetic mean) for full-time employees including special payments – no values by occupation, position or experience.
Data: © Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Earnings Survey – average gross annual earnings 2025 of full-time employees by economic sector (as of 1 April 2026), Data licence Germany – attribution – version 2.0.
How does the salary comparison work?
The calculator compares your annual gross salary with the official average of the Federal Statistical Office: average gross annual earnings 2025 of full-time employees including special payments, by economic sector and for Germany, western Germany incl. Berlin and eastern Germany excl. Berlin (Earnings Survey, as of 1 April 2026).
The table contains averages, not values by occupation, position or work experience. A few high salaries pull an average up – a salary below the average is therefore not automatically low. What counts is your employer's economic sector, not your occupation: an IT specialist at a bank belongs to financial services.
Average by economic sector 2025
Gross annual earnings, full-time, Germany (Destatis)
- Whole economy: €64,441
- Western Germany incl. Berlin €66,171, eastern Germany excl. Berlin €52,926
- Financial and insurance services: €91,678
- Highest average of all economic sectors
- Information and communication: €86,638
- IT, telecommunications, publishing and media
- Accommodation and food services: €39,749
- Lowest average of all economic sectors
Tips for salary negotiations
How to prepare optimally
- 1Document your achievementsGather concrete examples of your value: revenue growth, cost savings, successful projects
- 2Research market salariesUse this calculator and other sources to make a realistic request
- 3Choose the right momentAfter successful projects or before the annual budget process is ideal
- 4Stay factual and professionalArgue with facts and performance, not personal needs
- 5Have a plan BConsider alternatives: more vacation days, remote work, further training
Frequently asked questions about the salary comparison
Everything important about salary data and negotiations
Where does the salary data come from?
From the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis): average gross annual earnings 2025 of full-time employees including special payments by economic sector from the Earnings Survey (as of 1 April 2026), © Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 2026, Data licence Germany – attribution – version 2.0.
Why is there no comparison by occupation or position?
The official table used by the calculator only contains averages by economic sector and region. The calculator does not estimate values by occupation, position, experience or company size because it has no official basis for them.
Is the average the same as the median?
No. The average is the sum of all salaries divided by the number of employees. A few high salaries pull it up. The median splits employees into two halves of equal size; it is not included in this table.
When is the best time for a salary negotiation?
Ideal times are: after successful projects, when taking on new responsibility, before the annual budget process, or when changing positions. Avoid times of company crisis.
How do I prepare for a salary negotiation?
Document your achievements and value to the company, research comparison values (for example with this calculator), practice your arguments, and stay factual and professional.