What is the Germany tech job market like in 2026? In short: still large, but tougher than during the hiring boom. In 2025, about 1.15 million IT specialists in Germany had jobs with social insurance, 2% more than a year earlier. At the same time, IT unemployment rose to 4.5%, reported vacancies for IT workers fell by 22%, and the Federal Employment Agency no longer counts software development as a shortage occupation. Experienced engineers, especially in AI, cloud and embedded systems, still find plenty of openings; junior candidates and people who need a visa have to work harder.
This guide brings together the official statistics and the live job data from Germany Dev Jobs. We say which is which: official figures describe the whole market, our figures describe the English-speaking tech jobs on our board.
The German IT job market in official numbers
The Federal Employment Agency (BA) publishes an annual overview of IT occupations. Its 2025 figures (BA Statistics, IT occupations):
| Indicator (2025) | Figure | Change on 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| IT specialists working in Germany (Mikrozensus) | about 1.6 million | almost 700,000 more than in 2015 |
| IT specialists in jobs with social insurance | about 1.15 million | +28,000 (+2%) |
| Of these, in highly complex IT roles | +10,000 (+2%) | |
| Unemployed IT specialists (annual average) | about 54,000 | +12,000 (+27%) |
| Unemployment rate in IT occupations | 4.5% | +0.8 percentage points |
| Vacancies for IT workers held by the BA (annual average) | about 13,000 | -22% |
| New IT vacancies reported to the BA during the year | about 39,000 | -11% |
The BA’s own summary: reported demand “has fallen markedly in recent years”, rising unemployment reflects weak economic growth, and hiring difficulties “have noticeably declined” (BA Statistics).
Two things are worth keeping in mind. First, employment still grew: there were more IT jobs in 2025 than in 2024, not fewer. Second, vacancies reported to the BA are only part of the market, because many tech employers hire without registering their jobs with the agency. The trend is still a useful signal.
Software development is no longer a shortage occupation
Each year the BA rates about 1,200 occupations for skilled-worker shortages. In its analysis for 2025, published on 2 September 2026, it counted 157 shortage occupations, down from 163. Software development, IT sales and metal machining dropped off the list. Shortages remained strongest in nursing and health, construction and skilled trades (Federal Employment Agency, press release 32/2026).
The BA notes that shortages in software development had been a regular finding in earlier years and were “no longer visible” in 2025, while some IT specialist roles still show hiring difficulties and others are under observation (BA Statistics). The full list is in the shortage analysis.
Does this matter for your visa? Not directly. The lower EU Blue Card salary threshold for IT professionals comes from the Residence Act, which lists ICT professionals (ISCO-08 group 25) by law, not from the BA’s annual analysis (§ 18g Residence Act). Our EU Blue Card guide has the 2026 thresholds.
Employment in the IT sector in 2026
The latest national figures show the slowdown continuing into 2026. In the second quarter of 2026, employment in the information and communication sector was 24,000 lower (-1.5%) than a year earlier, while total employment in Germany fell 0.5% (Destatis). This sector includes publishing, telecoms and media as well as software companies, so it is a broad measure.
Is Germany good for IT jobs in 2026?
For experienced engineers, yes. The market is large: the BA counted 1.15 million IT specialists in jobs with social insurance. Pay is solid: the median for software developers doing highly complex work was €6,301 gross a month at the end of 2025, and higher in Munich (€7,284), Stuttgart (€6,926), Berlin (€6,913) and Frankfurt (€6,822) (Entgeltatlas).
For junior developers and career changers, it is harder than it was. More IT specialists are looking for work, and employers have more choice. Expect longer searches, and plan your finances accordingly.
English-speaking IT jobs in Germany: what our board shows
Germany Dev Jobs lists tech jobs at companies where English is the working language, in Germany and Austria. Our October 2026 report, published on 15 October 2026, counted 3,583 live jobs at 662 companies. These are the ads on our board, not the whole market, and the totals grow when we add companies.
Where the jobs are
| City | Live jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 1,129 | 32% |
| Munich | 777 | 22% |
| Hamburg | 170 | 5% |
| Vienna | 132 | 4% |
| Düsseldorf | 65 | 2% |
| Frankfurt | 64 | 2% |
| Cologne | 59 | 2% |
| Stuttgart | 51 | 1% |
More than half of all English-speaking jobs on the board are in Berlin and Munich. Our guides to Berlin vs Munich and the best German cities for tech jobs compare the cities in detail.
Which roles and skills are in demand
| Role | Live jobs |
|---|---|
| Machine learning and AI | 380 |
| DevOps and SRE | 325 |
| Product | 261 |
| Backend | 249 |
| Embedded | 165 |
| Engineering management | 153 |
| Data science | 146 |
| Technology | Live jobs (share) |
|---|---|
| Python | 1,361 (38%) |
| AWS | 734 (20%) |
| Kubernetes | 577 (16%) |
| LLMs | 504 (14%) |
| TypeScript | 472 (13%) |
| SQL | 453 (13%) |
| C++ | 432 (12%) |
A further 1,194 jobs fell into other tech roles. An ad can name several technologies, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Python leads by a wide margin, and AI shows up twice: as the largest named role and as LLMs in the stack.
Seniority: the junior gap
Of the 3,583 live jobs, 1,206 (34%) were marked senior, 179 staff, 130 principal and 197 lead. Only 87 (2%) were marked junior and 152 were internships; 1,397 did not say. This matches the official picture: employers are hiring, but mostly for experience.
Salaries, remote work and visas
- Salaries: only 10% of ads (376) stated a salary. Among the 369 yearly salaries in euros, the median was €85,000, with Berlin at €97,500 and Munich at €95,568. Ads that state pay lean towards senior roles, so this is not a market average.
- Remote: 23% (841 jobs) were fully remote.
- Visa sponsorship: 3% (117 jobs) mentioned visa sponsorship and 13% (468) relocation support. 16% (559) said you could apply from abroad.
The companies with the most open jobs on 15 October 2026 were Nebius (75), Huawei (72), Redcare Pharmacy (66), Scalable Capital (65) and Helsing (57).
IT jobs in Germany for English speakers and foreigners
Can you get an IT job in Germany without German? Yes: we list only companies where English is the working language, and 99% of the jobs in our October report did not ask for German. But the share of ads that explicitly offer visa sponsorship is small, so if you need a work permit:
- Target companies that sponsor. Our list of companies that sponsor visas shows employers with public evidence of sponsorship.
- Check the salary threshold. Use the visa salary check before you apply.
- Consider coming to search. The Opportunity Card lets you live in Germany for up to a year while you look.
- Get your degree checked early. Recognition takes time; see how to get a tech job in Germany without speaking German.
What this means for your job search
- Lead with experience and specialisation. Senior, AI, cloud, platform and embedded profiles match what is being advertised.
- Apply where the jobs are. Berlin and Munich have most of the openings for English speakers; Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt are smaller but active.
- Know your numbers. Compare offers with the salary guide and see what you would keep with the take-home pay guide.
- Use alerts. New jobs appear every day; job alerts help you apply early.
Official statistics are published once a year and our board changes daily. We link every source so you can check the latest figures.
Frequently asked questions
Is the German tech job market bad in 2026?
It is weaker than in the boom years, not collapsed. IT employment with social insurance grew 2% in 2025 to about 1.15 million, but IT unemployment rose to 4.5% and reported IT vacancies fell 22%. In the second quarter of 2026, employment in the information and communication sector was 1.5% lower than a year earlier.
Is software development still a shortage occupation in Germany?
Not in the Federal Employment Agency’s 2025 shortage analysis, published in September 2026. Software development, IT sales and metal machining dropped off the list. The EU Blue Card’s lower salary threshold for IT professionals is set in law and still applies.
How many IT jobs are there in Germany?
About 1.6 million people worked as IT specialists in 2025, and about 1.15 million of them in jobs with social insurance. On the vacancy side, the Federal Employment Agency held about 13,000 IT job offers on average in 2025, though many employers do not register their jobs with it. On our board, we listed 3,583 English-speaking tech jobs on 15 October 2026.
Which IT skills are most in demand in Germany?
On our board in October 2026, Python appeared in 38% of jobs, followed by AWS (20%), Kubernetes (16%), LLMs (14%) and TypeScript (13%). Machine learning and AI was the largest named role with 380 jobs, followed by DevOps and SRE with 325.
Are there junior software developer jobs in Germany?
Fewer than senior ones. Only 87 of the 3,583 jobs in our October 2026 report were marked junior, plus 152 internships. Working student roles and internships are a common way in for students and graduates.
What do IT jobs in Germany pay?
Software developers doing highly complex work earned a median of €6,301 gross a month at the end of 2025, according to the Federal Employment Agency. Ads on our board that stated a salary had a median of €85,000 a year. See the salary guide for more.
Next steps
- Read the full October 2026 report and download the data.
- Browse all tech jobs in Germany and Austria.
- See jobs with visa sponsorship.