Salary in the field of R&D in Germany

What does one earn in the field of R&D?

Employees in the field of R&D earn an average of 52.762€ per year in Germany. This corresponds to a gross monthly salary of 4.397€. The salary for professionals in the field of R&D ranges between 41.399€ and 62.053€.

Nationwide, there are

121 R&D jobs on jobvector.de.

Average Salary

52.762 € gross/Year
To give you a realistic assessment of your potential income, we use the 25th and 75th percentiles of our salary data for salary values (min, max). This improves the quality of our salary information by excluding distorting (extremely high and low) salaries.
min. 41.399 €

Gross salary/Year

max. 62.053 €

Gross salary/Year

Year Month
Demand in the job market for positions in the field of R&D is currently high, and many companies are looking for suitable professionals. Among the employers currently seeking applicants in the field of R&D are:

Starting salary in the field of R&D

The starting salary in the field of R&D is on average 45.051 € gross per year. This corresponds to a monthly salary of 3.754 € gross.

Your chances of a higher salary increase with your work experience, as you can often take on more responsibility.

With several years of work experience in the field of R&D, your average salary is 67.355 € gross per year.

Starting Salary

⌀ 45.051 €

With
Experience

⌀ 67.355 €

Similar Interesting Fields

As a professional in the field of R&D, you have numerous specialization opportunities and related fields, such as

Research and development , Research and , research projects ,

for which you could also be qualified with your knowledge.

Salary in the field of R&D
Specialist vs. Manager

Are you aiming for a career as a manager or do you prefer to specialize as a specialist? The salary for specialists and managers in the field of R&D can serve as your first decision-making aid in choosing your career path.

Taking on personnel responsibility as a manager pays off in the field of R&D. While your salary as a specialist in the field of R&D averages 52.211€, as a manager it can be up to 70.603€.

Specialist

ø 52.211 €

Manager

ø 70.603 €

Salary in the field of R&D
Degree vs. Apprenticeship

Whether you pursue a degree or an apprenticeship not only determines the positions you may qualify for in a company but also significantly impacts your salary. Typically, with an academic degree, your starting salary is higher than with a vocational training. However, your salary is not set in stone - through work experience and additional qualifications, you always have the opportunity to advance and increase your salary further.

The type of degree you obtain can also affect your salary. The average salary for master's graduates is higher than for bachelor's graduates, and with a master's degree, you have better chances of quickly attaining a position with personnel responsibility. However, salary alone should never be your sole decision criterion: choose the qualification that best fits your interests and carefully consider whether you prefer to earn money sooner or continue studying a bit longer.

With a completed apprenticeship, you can expect an average annual salary of 54.951€ in the field of R&D. If you have an academic degree in the field of R&D, your average salary is 37.773€.

Non-Academic degree (Apprenticeship, Vocational Education, Technician, ...)

ø 37.773 €

Study vs. Training

Academic degree

ø 54.951 €

Salary in the field of R&D
by City

Where do you earn the most in the field of R&D? Currently, you earn the most in the field of R&D in Sinsheim (Elsenz) with an average salary of 60.082€ per year.

In general, the salary in the field of R&D is usually higher in large cities than in small towns. Large cities and metropolises often offer higher salaries, although the cost of living is also higher.

In which city you can earn particularly high salaries in the field of R&D, you will find out in this table:

Ø Gehalt Gehaltsspanne
Berlin 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Stuttgart 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Wiesbaden 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Mainz 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Potsdam 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Darmstadt 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Pforzheim 53,129€ 52,762 € - 55,558€
Reutlingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Ludwigsburg 54,011€ 52,945 € - 63,818€
Tübingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Sindelfingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Rüsselsheim am Main 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Böblingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Bad Kreuznach 45,760€ 36,586 € - 60,231€
Nürtingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Leinfelden-Echterdingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Langen (Hessen) 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Sinsheim (Elsenz) 60,082€ 43,671 € - 71,046€
Bernau bei Berlin 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Strausberg 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Hennigsdorf 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Ingelheim am Rhein 52,910€ 36,597 € - 60,403€
Hohen Neuendorf 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Eschborn, Taunus 47,854€ 36,608 € - 60,403€
Wandlitz 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Renningen 54,011€ 52,945 € - 58,138€
Plochingen 54,011€ 53,129 € - 55,558€
Stahnsdorf 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Schönefeld bei Berlin 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Großbeeren 52,762€ 46,194 € - 63,290€
Show more cities

What factors influence your salary in the field of R&D?

There are several career factors that influence your salary in the field of R&D. Average salary tends to increase with the size of the company you work for. In large corporations, salaries are often higher compared to start-ups and small companies. However, in smaller companies, you may have the opportunity to advance more quickly on the career ladder.

One of the key factors affecting your salary in the field of R&D is your work experience. With each year on the job, you gain valuable knowledge and experience that become increasingly better compensated over time. In just a few years, you transition from a beginner to a young professional. After more than 10 years of experience, you can then be considered a professional. With increasing experience, you also have the opportunity to move into positions with personnel responsibility. A position with personnel responsibility is generally paid significantly better, and there are further factors influencing your salary here as well. For example, a department head with personnel responsibility for over 20 employees earns more than a group leader responsible for 5 employees.

Your educational qualification, the city, and the federal state where you work are also factors that influence your salary.

R&D - Latest salary data 2025

How up-to-date is the salary data in the R&D area?

At jobvector, we attach great importance to always providing you with up-to-date and accurate salary information. Salaries in the R&D sector have changed significantly over the last few years due to factors such as rising wage levels, inflation, new legal regulations, bonus payments and tax adjustments. It is therefore particularly important to us to present up-to-date data that gives you as an applicant a good and realistic basis for the next salary negotiation.

The salary information on jobvector is consistently kept up to date and is never more than three years old. This up-to-dateness guarantees you a precise and clearly structured overview of the salary structures in the R&D sector, and effectively supports you in preparing for your salary negotiations.

Further job vacancies in the R&D field

The team is actively seeking a dynamic and science-driven postdoc with a passion for hands-on experimental work. The successful candidate will be an important reference point for the work in our laboratory, as they will conduct experiments to finalize ongoing projects and will de...
The postdoctoral project will focus on the study of inorganic or organic transition 2D materials, their lateral and van der Waals heterostructures. Depending on your academic background, the project focus can be placed to one or more of the following research areas: Tailored...
Career Day
Lead and facilitate requirements gathering sessions with business stakeholders to define detailed business requirements. Analyze current business processes, identify gaps, and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency. Develop functional specifications, use cases, and proc...
We are open to applicants coming from other fields of solid tumor research, with the precondition to align their strategy complementary to the Division of Translational Oncology. Competitive applicants are expected to establish innovative analytical pipelines for high-dimensional...
All R&D Jobs

Frequently asked questions about R&D salaries

How much do you earn in the area of R&D?
What is the starting salary in the area of R&D?
How much do you earn as a manager in the area of R&D?
In which city do you earn in the area of R&D the most?
In which state do you earn in the area of R&D the most?
How much do you earn in R&D after graduation?
How much do you earn in R&D after training?

The salary data presented here is based on salary information provided by employers in job advertisements as well as salary information from over 10,000 professionals and managers from surveys conducted by jobvector.

These professionals bring a variety of experience and expertise from different companies and positions, making the salary data a comprehensive and meaningful source of average salaries.

It is important to emphasize that this salary data represents averages and cannot be directly attributed to individual job postings. However, they do provide valuable guidance and insight into the salary structures of the field being sought for both job seekers and employers.