Where in Germany do people make the most (and least) money?
Where in Germany do people make the most (and least) money?
Highest and lowest salaries According to new data acquired by Zeit Online from the Federal Employment Agency, the earnings of full-time, socially insured workers in around 4,200 municipalities across Germany have been analyzed. The data reveals that on average, these employees receive a median gross monthly salary of €3,657. However, there is significant variation in wages across different regions.
Highest and lowest salaries in the outer reaches of Bavaria
Bavarian municipalities, namely Icking (€5,463), Pullach (€5,754), and Baierbrunn (€5,785) boast the highest earners in Germany. Remarkably, 48 out of the top 50 highest-earning municipalities in the country are situated on the outskirts of major cities. Residents in these areas often commute to prominent urban centers like Frankfurt’s banking district or Wolfsburg for the automotive industry.
Conversely, the lowest-earning regions can be found in the Erzgebirge region near the Czech border, specifically in the Saxon municipalities of Seiffen, Deutschneudorf, and Heidersdorf. In these locations, the median monthly salary stands at just €2,421. A similar pattern emerges in popular resorts like Seiffen and tourist hotspots like the Baltic Sea resort of Heringsdorf. Here, employees in clinics, hotels, and gastronomy earn comparably lower salaries, with an average of €2,514 per month.
Actual pay differences
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- Real wages in Germany had been consistently rising before the pandemic, but the trend changed in 2020 and worsened with the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, leading to declining real wages.
- In 2021, Germany experienced a record-breaking inflation rate of 7.9 percent, resulting in a sharper decline in real wages than at any time since 2008.
- Recent data from the Federal Employment Agency reveals that almost all municipalities in Germany saw a decrease in real wages since 2020.
- Cities like Cologne, Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin witnessed significant declines in real wages, with percentages ranging from 1.1 to 4 percent.
- The municipality of Boldecker Land in Lower Saxony experienced the most substantial drop, with residents earning 9.7 percent less than in the first year of the pandemic.
- Only every twelfth municipality in Germany saw an increase in wages, mostly located in the eastern part of the country, with minimal changes.
- Notably, eastern Germany experienced lower wage decreases compared to the West, with a 15.8 percent increase in wages over the past 21 years in the East, and only 2.3 percent in the West.
- Despite the progress since reunification, people in the east (excluding Berlin) still earn significantly less (€3,088) than their counterparts in the west (€3,756).
Where do incomes and rents diverge?
While lower salaries may not always indicate financial struggles, the comparison with rents highlights the impact on household expenses. In some areas, low salaries align with relatively affordable average rents. Conversely, certain regions demand high housing costs despite lower incomes. For instance, on Norderney and Sylt islands, where residents earn €2,763 and €2,997 monthly, cold rents reach €16.67 and €18.19 per square meter, respectively. In contrast, in Lehre, Lower Saxony, with workers earning €4,663, the offered rent is a more reasonable €7.92 per square meter.
In conclusion, the analysis of earnings in various German municipalities reveals a wide disparity in salaries across regions. Moreover, the connection between incomes and rents highlights the financial implications for households in different regions. Overall, the data underscores the importance of considering both salaries and living expenses when assessing the financial well-being of individuals and families in various parts of Germany.
Read more at How To Abroad:
Navigating ETIAS and its impact on Americans visiting Germany
Income Disparities Across Germany: Exploring Regional Earnings Extremes
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