Salary in the field of Software Engineering in Germany

What does one earn in the field of Software Engineering?

Employees in the field of Software Engineering earn an average of 55.000€ per year in Germany. This corresponds to a gross monthly salary of 4.583€. The salary for professionals in the field of Software Engineering ranges between 46.386€ and 67.000€.

Nationwide, there are

39 Software Engineering jobs on jobvector.de.

Average Salary

55.000 € 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. 46.386 €

Gross salary/Year

max. 67.000 €

Gross salary/Year

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

Starting salary in the field of Software Engineering

The starting salary in the field of Software Engineering is on average 50.000 € gross per year. This corresponds to a monthly salary of 4.167 € 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 Software Engineering, your average salary is 55.000 € gross per year.

Starting Salary

⌀ 50.000 €

With
Experience

⌀ 55.000 €

Similar Interesting Fields

As a professional in the field of Software Engineering, you have numerous specialization opportunities and related fields, such as

Software developement , Software Engineer , Engineering ,

for which you could also be qualified with your knowledge.

Salary in the field of Software Engineering
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 Software Engineering 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 Software Engineering. While your salary as a specialist in the field of Software Engineering averages 53.355€, as a manager it can be up to 78.500€.

Specialist

ø 53.355 €

Manager

ø 78.500 €

Salary in the field of Software Engineering
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 44.750€ in the field of Software Engineering. If you have an academic degree in the field of Software Engineering, your average salary is 57.102€.

Academic degree

ø 57.102 €

Study vs. Training

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

ø 44.750 €

Skills in the field of Software Engineering

In addition to soft skills such as communication, flexibility, and teamwork, employers expect a variety of relevant hard skills and abilities for the field of Software Engineering. The most important skills include: Software , Software development , Software Design , Software-Security , Embedded Software , Software Architecture .

Salary in the field of Software Engineering
by City

Where do you earn the most in the field of Software Engineering? Currently, you earn the most in the field of Software Engineering in Lüneburg with an average salary of 72.468€ per year.

In general, the salary in the field of Software Engineering 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 Software Engineering, you will find out in this table:

Ø Gehalt Gehaltsspanne
Berlin 57,000€ 51,000 € - 71,857€
Hamburg 55,516€ 45,500 € - 70,000€
München 67,122€ 52,000 € - 85,000€
Köln 60,000€ 46,547 € - 68,970€
Frankfurt am Main 51,600€ 50,000 € - 70,000€
Stuttgart 60,000€ 53,500 € - 70,872€
Düsseldorf 60,000€ 47,700 € - 67,492€
Dortmund 48,750€ 40,800 € - 55,500€
Essen 53,000€ 48,000 € - 64,000€
Dresden 47,500€ 45,000 € - 60,000€
Nürnberg 57,000€ 50,000 € - 62,156€
Duisburg 53,000€ 48,500 € - 64,500€
Bochum 49,680€ 48,000 € - 54,240€
Wuppertal 54,620€ 46,200 € - 67,000€
Bielefeld 52,500€ 44,750 € - 55,000€
Bonn 56,500€ 45,000 € - 70,250€
Karlsruhe 66,080€ 56,500 € - 80,000€
Mannheim 57,000€ 48,000 € - 73,500€
Wiesbaden 57,205€ 50,000 € - 69,000€
Mönchengladbach 58,400€ 49,920 € - 66,118€
Gelsenkirchen 49,680€ 48,000 € - 54,240€
Braunschweig 61,908€ 40,300 € - 62,000€
Aachen 53,800€ 41,600 € - 62,025€
Krefeld 60,000€ 50,000 € - 67,000€
Mainz 54,791€ 50,000 € - 70,000€
Oberhausen 53,000€ 48,500 € - 64,500€
Hagen 48,750€ 40,800 € - 55,500€
Saarbrücken 44,000€ 40,000 € - 57,200€
Potsdam 57,427€ 52,000 € - 63,954€
Hamm 49,000€ 36,000 € - 55,176€
Show more cities

Salary in the field of Software Engineering
by Federal State

In which region do you earn the most in the field of Software Engineering? Currently, you earn the most in the field of Software Engineering in Thuringia with an average salary of 66.000€ per year.

In Germany, there are still sometimes differences in salaries between western and eastern federal states.

We provide you with an overview of the salaries you can expect in the field of Software Engineering in different federal states.

Ø Gehalt Gehaltsspanne
Lower Saxony 51,000€ 40,000 € - 64,843€
North Rhine-Westphalia 53,000€ 46,333 € - 64,750€
Bavaria 60,000€ 48,000 € - 78,000€
Rhineland-Palatinate 53,145€ 45,750 € - 59,000€
Hesse 51,700€ 49,300 € - 65,906€
Thuringia 66,000€ 51,000 € - 85,000€
Saxony 45,000€ 43,625 € - 60,000€
Show more states

What factors influence your salary in the field of Software Engineering?

There are several career factors that influence your salary in the field of Software Engineering. 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 Software Engineering 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.

Corporate Benefits in the field of Software Engineering

In addition to the salary, in the field of Software Engineering, you often benefit from benefits provided by the employer. These advantages can offer financial relief or improve working conditions. Depending on the industry, company size, and position, the offered benefits vary and can range from tax-free allowances to in-kind benefits. These may include Jobrad , Corporate Benefits oder D-Ticket .

Corporate benefits are a supplement to salary and can make a significant difference in the long term. They are often an important factor when choosing a job and can significantly enhance overall remuneration.

Use this table to find out which jobs offer corporate benefits:

Jobs
Jobrad Current jobs
Corporate Benefits Current jobs
D-Ticket Current jobs

Software Engineering - Latest salary data 2025

How up-to-date is the salary data in the Software Engineering area?

At jobvector, we attach great importance to always providing you with up-to-date and accurate salary information. Salaries in the Software Engineering 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 Software Engineering sector, and effectively supports you in preparing for your salary negotiations.

Further job vacancies in the Software Engineering field

You will work on developing and applying innovative, primarily non-destructive methods of material and part characterization to identify and classify incoming first-life components. The data you generate will be critical for process planning and manufacturing, and you will work c...
You will work on the media optimization and process understanding for our moss upstream technology. You will exploit the full potential of the expression system and support the team in developing a robust and scalable upstream technology. Your tasks will include experimental ...
Currently, we are looking for a PhD student. The tasks for the position in the project include: performing flights with the UAS of type multi-rotary on meteorological field campaigns development and maintenance of the UAS (with focus on autopilot system, data acquisition, fas...
In this role, you will have the opportunity to: Create the online help. Preparation of data (text/graphics) and implementation in the online help. Testing of the created online help on demo devices/prototypes to verify quality and usability. Provision of the final localized on...
All Software Engineering Jobs

Frequently asked questions about Software Engineering salaries

How much do you earn in the area of Software Engineering?
What is the starting salary in the area of Software Engineering?
How much do you earn as a manager in the area of Software Engineering?
In which city do you earn in the area of Software Engineering the most?
In which state do you earn in the area of Software Engineering the most?
How much do you earn in Software Engineering after graduation?
How much do you earn in Software Engineering 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.