Discover global hiring strategies from leading recruitment platforms

Learn more

Speed up your global expansion! Expand smartly in 150+ countries with the #1 rated EOR globally.

Explore Multiplier EOR

Book a demo

loading-animtion.gif

Expand your global workforce in Germany

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Germany.

Capital

Berlin

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Languages

Germany and English

GDP per Capita

$54,200

Employer Tax

20.015%

Payroll Frequency

Monthly

Talent overview

Germany has the largest economy in the whole of Europe. Also, Germany holds the position of the 4th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 5th-largest by PPP. The country holds the best and growing industries within years, having the largest domestic market in the EU.

Major economic hubs:

Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt am Main

Skills in demand:

Software developers, architects, programmers; Electrical engineers, Nursing professionals, IT Consultants, and analysts.

Top local universities in Germany

Uni1 22

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Ranking

Local: 1

World: 88

Uni2 21

Freie Universität Berlin

Ranking

Local: 2

World: 115

Uni3 22

Technische Universität München

Ranking

Local: 3

World: 130

Uni4 21

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Ranking

Local: 4

World: 136

Uni5 20

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Ranking

Local: 5

World: 151

Top Local Job Boards

Indeed, StepStone, Arbeitsagentur

Number of LinkedIn users

15,910,000

Multiplier Recruitment Partner

iXceed

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Number of LinkedIn users:

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

The table below provides the average salary data for Germany:

Job Title Average Monthly Salary (EUR) Average Monthly Salary (USD)
Business Development Manager 5,880 6,541
Accounting Manager 5,670 6,307
Human Resources Manager 5,400 6,007
Financial Analyst 4,690 5,217
Project Manager 4,630 5,150
Business Analyst 4,390 5,432

Employ in Germany

Employing in Germany

Onboarding employees in Germany will require employers to have knowledge of employment laws, statutory regulations, benefits, leaves, and allowances. This section will have the necessary information on the items previously mentioned.

Employee Contract

According to the German statutory laws, employment contracts are mandatory and to be provided by the employer with one month of employment. This contract will include all the information about the terms and conditions along with the benefit details to the employee. Employment contracts may be in any language but a German translation must always be provided and readily available.

Public and Provincial Holidays

DAY DATE HOLIDAY
Monday Jan 01, 2024 New Year’s Day
Saturday Jan 06, 2024 Epiphany (BW, BY, ST)
Friday Mar 29, 2024 Good Friday
Sunday Mar 31, 2024 Easter Sunday (BB)
Monday Apr 01, 2024 Easter Monday
Wednesday May 01, 2024 Labor Day
Thursday May 09, 2024 Ascension Day
Monday May 20, 2024 Whit Monday
Thursday May 30, 2024 Corpus Christi (BW, BY, HE, NW, RP, SL, SN, TH)
Thursday Aug 15, 2024 Assumption Day (BY, SL)
Thursday Oct 03, 2024 Unity Day (National)
Thursday Oct 31, 2024 Reformation Day (BB, HH, MV, NI, SH, SN, ST, TH)
Friday Nov 01, 2024 All Saints Day (BW, BY, NW, RP, SL)
Wednesday Dec 25, 2024 Christmas Day
Thursday Dec 26, 2024 Christmas Holiday

Employee Leaves:

Type of Leave Duration Mandatory
Annual Leave 20 to 24 days Yes
Sick Leave 11 days Yes
Maternity Leave 14 weeks Yes

Leave Compliance

Payroll in Germany

Tw Payroll Img1

Payroll cycle

According to Germany Statutory laws, the payroll cycle is Monthly.

Tw Payroll Img2

Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Germany is 12 EUR per hour.

Tw Payroll Img3

Overtime pay

The standard working hours in Germany are 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Overtime pay is to be determined by the employer.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Type of Contributions Contributions
Pension Insurance 9.3%
Unemployment Insurance 1.2%
Health Insurance 7.3%
Long term care insurance 1.525%
Insolvency Contribution 0.09%
Specific Supplementary Contribution 0.60%
Work Accident Scheme Depending on the type of industry, the employer has to contribute.

Employee Payroll Tax

Type of Contributions Contributions
Pension Insurance 9.3%
Unemployment Insurance 1.2%
Health Insurance 7.3%
Long term care insurance 1.525%
Specific Supplementary Contribution 0.60%
Church Tax 0% – 9%

Employee Income Tax

Annual income for Single Earning member (EUR) Annual income for Married Earning member (EUR) Tax Rate
0 – 10,347 0 – 21,264 0%
10,632 – 61,971 21,264 – 123,942 14%-42%*
61,971 – 277,825 123,942 – 555,650 42%
277,825 and above 555,560 and above 45%

*The taxable rate starts from 14% and progressively increases to 42%.

VAT

The Standard rate of Value Added Tax in Germany is 19%.

Bonus

13th Month Pay

There are no laws for 13th-month pay. The employer can determine to pay in mutual agreement.

Employee Benefits

  • Social Security
  • Healthcare and Insurance
  • Maternity and Paternity leave
  • Pension Scheme
  • Unemployment Insurance

Employee offboarding

The employer has to provide a valid reason for termination of the employment. Moreover, after 6 months of employment, the employee is protected by the German Termination Protection Act. According to this act, an employee can be terminated based on the following categories;

  1. Personal situation (e.g., Long term Sickness)
  2. The behavior of the individual (e.g., fraud, theft)
  3. Business of the employer (if the employer decides to decrease the number of employees)

The notice period in Germany depends on the years of service provided by the employee;

Length of Employment Length of Notice Period
Less than 2 years 4 weeks
2-4 years 1 month
5-7 years 2 months
8-9 years 3 months
10-11 years 4 months
12-14 years 5 months
15-19 years 6 months

There are no statutory laws for severance pay. However, the employer has to give severance pay if the employee was terminated without notice.

Tw Visa Img

Visa and
immigration

A Long term visa is mandatory for any individual. If the individual has an employment offer based in Germany, they can avail of a work permit and residence permit. However, the following countries can directly apply for residence permits in Germany;

  • EEA and EU Members
  • Canada
  • Israel
  • Australia
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • Korea
  • Switzerland

Expand into
150+ countries

Expand globally and hire talent in 150+ countries without having to set up an entity. Use Multiplier's Employer of Record to manage the complete employee experience while having the flexibility to enter new markets.

Expand into150+ countries