The median remuneration for all full-time employees subject to social security contributions was 3,646 euros last year. Compared to 2021, wages and salaries thus rose by 130 euros, or 3.7%. In addition to increases in pay rates, the rise is also due to the high take-up of short-time work allowances during the two years of the pandemic. During this period, many employees received lower remuneration due to the use of short-time allowances.
Remuneration by gender
While men's median remuneration is 3,779 euros, women earn 3,413 euros. The difference is therefore 365 euros and has fallen by only eight euros compared to 2021. In 2017, wages and salaries still differed by 452 euros.
States: highest remuneration in Hamburg, lowest in MV
The highest median wages are earned by full-time employees in Hamburg at 4,127 euros, Baden-Wuerttemberg at 3,977 euros and Hesse at 3,938 euros. The median is lowest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2,935 euros), Thuringia (2,945 euros) and Saxony-Anhalt (2,993 euros).
Pay atlas with results by profession
At the same time, the BA’s pay atlas (available only in German) was updated. The remunerations for all occupations can be accessed there.
Wichtig:Methodological notes
The BA’s statistics show median pay and not “average salaries” in the strict sense. In addition, only full-time employees are taken into account. The data is based on employers' notification of social security. Since wages and salaries are reported only up to the contribution assessment ceiling for pension insurance, which last year was 7,050 euros in western Germany and 6,750 euros in eastern Germany, it is not known for all employees how high the actual salary was. The BA’s statistics therefore show median pay, i.e. half of the employees earn less than this median pay, the other half more. The BA always compiles the remuneration for all full-time employees on the cut-off date of 31 December.