Use the form at the top of the page to enter your gross salary (Bruttogehalt), expand More Options to add extras, then click Calculate.
The panel below the form shows an estimate of your net pay (Nettogehalt) in Germany.
Swipe right to reveal the full tax breakdown, and use the pay-frequency dropdown to select how you are getting paid (Monthly, Weekly, etc.).
Scroll down to find out how you net salary would look like in other eurozone countries and see how you stack up against the German average salary and minimum wage.
Use the panel on the left to enter your gross salary (Bruttogehalt), expand More Options to add extras, then click Calculate.
The table below will show an estimate of your net pay (Nettogehalt) in Germany, alongside a full tax breakdown.
Use the pay-frequency dropdown to select how you are getting paid (Monthly, Weekly, etc.), and check the Adjust slider to preview how a salary increase or decrease would affect your pay.
The following chart outlines your before-tax earnings relative to the national average salary and minimum wage in Germany.
Your Salary
€53,748€4,479€2,067€1,034€207€25.84
Average Salary
€53,748€4,479€2,067€1,034€207€25.84
Minimum Wage
€26,666€2,222€1,026€513€103€12.82
Please note that the national figures assume full-time employment for the entire year, while your salary is calculated based on the
settings you selected.
Average Salary in Germany
The average salary for full-time workers in Germany is €53,748 per year, or
€4,479 per month (source:
Federal Statistical Office).
This equates to €2,854 monthly after taxes and contributions, assuming you are not
married and have no dependents.
Note that the average gets distorted by high earners, which explains why it is higher than the German median salary (50th
percentile) of €45,800 annually, or €3,817 per month.
To give a better insight into earnings across Germany, we've compiled each state's median gross salary alongside the monthly net
salary estimated by our calculator in the table below.
State
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
€39,500
€2,212
Saxony-Anhalt
€39,750
€2,223
Thuringia
€40,250
€2,247
Saxony
€40,750
€2,258
Brandenburg
€41,000
€2,281
Schleswig-Holstein
€43,750
€2,407
Saarland
€44,500
€2,441
Lower Saxony
€44,750
€2,453
Rhineland-Palatinate
€45,250
€2,475
North Rhine-Westphalia
€47,250
€2,566
Bremen
€47,750
€2,588
Berlin
€48,250
€2,610
Bavaria
€50,000
€2,688
Baden-Württemberg
€50,250
€2,700
Hessen
€50,250
€2,700
Hamburg
€52,000
€2,777
Germany has the second-highest average salary in the European Union!
Minimum Wage in Germany
The national minimum wage in Germany is €12.82 per hour, which works out to a gross salary of
€2,222 a month or €26,666 a year,
if we consider the typical full-time work week of 40 hours.
Exceptions include certain internships, mandatory traineeships, and anyone under age 18 who has not completed vocational training.
Although this is one of the highest rates in the EU, a monthly gross wage of €2,222
translates to a take-home pay of €1,601 if we run the numbers in Berlin using our net salary calculator.
In other words, a full-time minimum wage earner in Germany should expect to part with almost
€7,452 in taxes and contributions per year.
The minimum wage also affects marginal employment — so-called
"mini-jobs" that are
generally exempt from income tax and social security contributions.
The monthly pay for these part-time jobs is capped at €538, which translates to an annual mini-job salary limit of
€6,456 including any bonuses.
Germany has the second-highest minimum wage in the European Union!
How Is Net Salary Calculated and Paid in Germany?
In Germany, taxes are levied at the federal, state, and sometimes even municipal levels.
These include Income Tax, Solidarity Surcharge, and several types of Social Insurance.
If you are employed, then all taxes and contributions are automatically deducted from you gross salary by your employer each month,
so your paycheck is generally net of tax.
If you run your own business, have multiple professions, or are self-employed, then you have to calculate your own taxes and send in
an annual tax return.
Taxes Included in This German Tax Calculator
Income Tax (Lohnsteuer):
Germany uses a progressive tax rate, which means your rate increases as your income grows.
The 2025 rates range from 0% for incomes below €12,096 up to 45% for the highest salaries.
Solidarity Surcharge (Solidaritätszuschlag):
The Solidarity Surcharge is an additional charge, capped at 5.5% of your income, that goes toward improving infrastructure and the
economic situation nationwide.
Social Insurance:
You also must make contributions to various social insurance plans, such as pension (Rentenversicherung), health insurance
(Krankenversicherung), unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung), and long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung).
Church Tax (Kirchensteuer): This tax is applicable to members of registered religious communities, with rates
varying by state.
If you are affiliated with a German church, please click on More OptionsMore Options in our calculator to enable this tax.
The information provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified specialist such as an accountant or tax advisor for any major financial decisions.