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Talent Wiki - Germany

Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Germany

Capital

Berlin

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Languages

Germany and English

Payroll Frequency

Monthly

GDP per Capita

$54,200

Employer Tax

20.015%

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.

Local Universities

Top Local universities in Germany are:

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Ranking

Local: 1

World: 88

Freie Universität Berlin

Ranking

Local: 2

World: 115

Technische Universität München

Ranking

Local: 3

World: 130

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Ranking

Local: 4

World: 136

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Ranking

Local: 5

World: 151

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

Talent Sourcing Tips

Top Local Job Boards

Indeed, StepStone, Arbeitsagentur

Number of LinkedIn users

15,910,000

Multiplier Recruitment Partner

iXceed

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

Date Name Type Details
1 Jan New Year’s Day National holiday  
6 Jan Epiphany Common local holiday BW, BY, ST
8 Mar International Women’s Day Common local holiday Berlin, MVP
29 Mar Good Friday National holiday, Christian  
1 Apr Easter Monday National holiday, Christian  
1 May May Day National holiday  
9 May Ascension Day National holiday, Christian  
19 May Whit Sunday Christian, Common local holiday Brandenburg
20 May Whit Monday National holiday, Christian  
30 May Corpus Christi Christian, Common local holiday BW, BY, HE, NRW, RLP, SL, SN*, TH*
8 Aug Peace Festival in Augsburg Local holiday Bavaria**
15 Aug Assumption of Mary Christian, Common local holiday Bavaria*, Saarland
20 Sep German World Children’s Day Common local holiday Thuringia
3 Oct Day of German Unity National holiday  
31 Oct Reformation Day Common local holiday BB, HB, HH, MVP, NDS, SH, SN, ST, TH
1 Nov All Saints’ Day Silent Day, public holiday BW, BY, NRW, RLP, SL
25 Dec Christmas Day National holiday, Christian  
26 Dec Boxing Day National holiday, Christian  
31 Dec New Year’s Eve Bank holiday  

Employee Leaves

Type of Leave Duration Mandatory
Annual Leave 24 to 30 days Yes
Sick Leave 11 days Yes
Maternity Leave 14 weeks Yes

Payroll

Payroll Cycle

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

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Germany is 12 EUR per hour.

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.

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

Taxes

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%.

Offboarding & Termination

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.

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

Streamline payroll and compliance for your international workforce

Payroll

Minimum Wage

Overtime Pay

Visa & Immigration