The average annual income of workers in Germany has for the first time surpassed €50,000. According to an analysis by the employer ranking portal Kununu, in 2024, the average salary reached €50,239 gross, which is a 2.1% increase compared to the previous year.
However, this income level is achieved by only 38.78% of workers, or about 17.89 million people out of 46.1 million employed, notes Kununu representative Dario Wilding.
Salaries vary significantly by region. The highest earnings are in Hesse (€54,322), Hamburg (€52,898), and Bavaria (€52,680). The lowest-paid workers remain in the eastern states, such as Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the average income is below €43,000.
The gap between the highest and lowest salaries is 30.1%. However, salary growth in eastern regions is faster — 3.97% compared to 2.1% in the western regions.
Among large cities, Munich leads with an income of €58,540, while Leipzig (with €44,359) and cities in the Ruhr region, such as Duisburg and Bochum, remain at the bottom. The difference between Munich and Leipzig is 32%.
Despite the income growth, job satisfaction with salaries has decreased, from 57.98% to 57.23%. The reason is rising prices, which, according to Kununu, cause dissatisfaction for 67% of workers.
