Short answer: Software engineers in Germany earn a median gross salary of €65,250 a year, the figure Stepstone's Gehaltsreport 2026 gives for software developers, just below the €66,750 median for the IT field. Stepstone puts juniors at a median €39,200 (€41,400 in Berlin), and freelancermap's Freelancer-Kompass 2026 gives a median €90 per hour for software and web development in the DACH region.
The salary of a software engineer in Germany can vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including the engineer's level of experience, the size and type of company they work for, and the location of the company. Stepstone's Gehaltsreport 2026 puts the median gross salary for a Software-Entwickler at €65,250 a year, and the median for the IT field at €66,750. The PDF is the Stepstone Gehaltsreport 2026.
However, salaries for more experienced software engineers can be significantly higher, with some reaching six figures. It's also important to note that salaries in Germany are typically higher in the western part of the country, compared to the eastern part. Additionally, salaries in larger cities like Berlin and Munich tend to be higher than in smaller cities or rural areas. To know more about the salary of a Software Engineer in Germany I invite you to read the next blog post.
Software Engineer Salary in Germany
In the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness Report, Germany ranks first as the world’s most innovative economy, with a score of 87.5 out of 100 in the ranking.
The Innovation Capability column — one of the 12 drivers of a country’s productivity tells Germany is home to some of the most distinguished researchers in various fields of science, including physics, mathematics, chemistry and engineering.
The country has one of the largest ICT markets in the world and the largest software market in Europe with 95,808 IT companies (software and hardware, in 2019, source: Statista) and estimates has 1.12 million employees in 2022.
The most popular jobs in Germany are:
- Software developer and programmer.
- Electronics engineer, electrician.
- Healthcare worker and nurse.
- IT consultant, IT analyst.
- Software developer salary
A person working as a developer/programmer in Germany usually earns around 3,480 EUR per month. Salary ranges from 1,600 EUR (lowest) to 5,530 EUR (highest). This is the average monthly salary, including rent, transportation and other benefits.
Experience level is the most important factor in determining salary. Of course, the more years of experience, the higher the salary. Employees with two to five years of experience earn an average of 32% more than entry-level and junior employees across all industries and sectors.
Professionals with more than 5 years of work experience tend to earn an average of 36% more than those with 5 years or less of work experience. IT professionals in Germany earn a median of 66,750 euros gross per year, according to salary analysts at online employment platform Stepstone in their 2026 salary report, with men earning an average of 67,500 euros per year compared to 62,250 euros for women.
Small startups offer many perks, but big salaries are not one of them. In general, companies with 1 to 10 employees tend to offer the lowest salaries (€60,000 on average) while those with 10,000 employees offer the highest salaries (€68,000). However, there is not much variation in developer salaries for companies with 11–10,000 employees.
Freelance vs. Full-time job
freelancermap's Freelancer-Kompass 2026 puts the median hourly rate for IT freelancers in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) at €95. Within IT, software and web development is €90, IT infrastructure is €95, and SAP and ERP is €120. The survey ran from 17 November 2025 to 8 February 2026. Source: freelancermap press release, 23 July 2026.
A higher hourly rate is not a salary. Freelancers pay their own social insurance and have unpaid time between projects.
What is the salary of a Junior Software Engineer in Germany
Stepstone's page for Junior-Softwareentwickler puts the median gross salary in Germany at €39,200 a year, with a range of €34,700 to €46,600. On that same page, a junior in Berlin is at €41,400 (€35,400 to €48,300) and a junior in Munich is at €39,200 (€34,700 to €46,600). Source: Junior-Softwareentwickler, Stepstone.
Pay still depends on the employer. A junior at a large company can earn more than one at a small start-up, and the cost of living is higher in the big cities.
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