What does a software engineer earn in Germany or Austria? This guide answers with two kinds of data:
- Official statistics from the German Federal Employment Agency, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) and Statistics Austria. They are based on what employers report for social insurance or in official surveys. They are not estimates.
- Salaries posted in the job ads on this board. This table is generated from our own job data and updated on every deploy.
All figures are gross, before tax and social contributions. To see what you would take home, read our tax basics guide.
Germany: software developer pay by city
The Federal Employment Agency’s Entgeltatlas publishes median pay for each occupation and region. The table below is for software developers doing highly complex work (occupation code KldB 43414, “expert” level), which is the level the Entgeltatlas uses for the job title “Softwareentwickler/in” (Entgeltatlas).
| Region | Median gross pay per month | Lower quartile (25%) | Upper quartile (75%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | €6,301 | €5,034 | €7,723 |
| Berlin | €6,913 | €5,540 | above €8,050 |
| Munich (city) | €7,284 | €5,924 | above €8,050 |
| Hamburg | €6,329 | €5,126 | €7,615 |
Source: Federal Employment Agency, Entgeltatlas, reference date 31 December 2025, all industries, all ages, all genders.
How to read these numbers (Entgeltatlas help):
- They cover full-time employees who pay social insurance. Part-time staff and freelancers are not included.
- The pay includes regular and one-off payments from the main job, such as bonuses.
- The median is the middle value: half of employees earn more, half earn less.
- Pay is only recorded up to the pension contribution ceiling, which was €8,050 a month in 2025. That is why the upper quartile in Berlin and Munich shows as “above €8,050”: the real figure is higher, but the data doesn’t show by how much.
Pay in the IT sector as a whole
Destatis publishes average earnings by industry. In 2025, full-time employees in the information and communication sector earned an average of €86,638 gross a year, including special payments. The average across all industries was €64,441 (Destatis). For comparison, the median full-time salary across all jobs in Germany was €54,066 in 2025 (Destatis).
This sector figure is an average (mean), not a median, and it includes every job in the sector, not only engineers. High earners pull an average up. Across all jobs, the 2025 average was €64,441 while the median was €54,066.
Austria: software developer pay
Minimum salaries in the IT collective agreement
The collective agreement for IT services (IT-KV) covers companies in that sector. It sets minimum gross monthly salaries, paid 14 times a year (including the 13th and 14th salary), for a 38.5-hour week (WKO, IT-KV 2026).
Software development falls under the job families ST1 and ST2. The minimums from 1 January 2026 are:
| Stage | ST1 (includes software development) | ST2 (includes software and systems development with special qualification or responsibility) |
|---|---|---|
| Career starter | €3,104 | – |
| Entry stage | €3,267 | €4,061 |
| Standard stage | €3,954 | €4,611 |
| Experienced stage | €4,476 | €5,444 |
Employees move from the entry stage to the standard stage after at most three years, and to the experienced stage after at most four more years. Staff with less than 36 months of relevant experience can be placed in ST1 (WKO, IT-KV 2026).
These are minimums, not typical salaries. Employers can pay more.
Austrian job ads show the minimum salary
In Austria, job ads must state the minimum pay under the applicable collective agreement or law, and say whether the employer is willing to pay more (§ 9 Equal Treatment Act, GlBG). So an Austrian ad may say something like “minimum €3,954 gross per month, with willingness to pay more depending on experience”. The number in the ad is the legal minimum, not necessarily the offer. Ask about the actual range early.
Pay in the IT sector as a whole
Statistics Austria’s most recent structure of earnings survey is for 2022. Full-time employees in the information and communication sector earned a median of €63,223 gross a year (€4,258 a month), including special payments. The median across all sectors was €44,992 (Statistics Austria, table). The survey covers private-sector companies with 10 or more employees. Pay has risen since 2022, so treat these figures as a lower bound.
We did not find official figures for software developers in Vienna specifically. Check the Vienna jobs page for current posted salaries.
Salaries posted on this board
Live data from the jobs and companies on this board, as of 27 September 2026.
Yearly salaries stated in active job ads on this board. The median uses the middle of each ad's range. Groups with fewer than 5 salaries are not shown.
By city
| City | Jobs with salary | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 73 | €115,000 | €20,000 – €400,000 |
| Vienna | 14 | €72,500 | €45,738 – €220,000 |
| Munich | 10 | €102,750 | €62,000 – €270,000 |
| Freiburg | 5 | €165,000 | €100,000 – €240,000 |
By role
| Role | Jobs with salary | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other tech | 38 | €115,000 | €20,000 – €240,000 |
| Product | 23 | €120,000 | €20,000 – €280,000 |
| Data science | 16 | €91,250 | €45,738 – €200,000 |
| Backend | 11 | €120,680 | €77,000 – €270,000 |
| DevOps & SRE | 9 | €115,000 | €75,000 – €400,000 |
| Engineering management | 9 | €123,000 | €60,000 – €160,000 |
| Design | 7 | €110,000 | €55,000 – €160,000 |
| Machine learning & AI | 7 | €75,000 | €55,000 – €160,000 |
| Full-stack | 5 | €105,000 | €20,000 – €171,700 |
The table only includes jobs where the employer published a salary. We show the exact range and period from the ad and never estimate a salary.
Salary and your visa
If you need a work permit, the salary also decides which permit you can get:
- Germany, EU Blue Card 2026: at least €45,934.20 a year for software engineers and other ICT professionals (with Federal Employment Agency approval), or €50,700 for the standard Blue Card (Federal Employment Agency).
- Austria, EU Blue Card 2026: at least €55,678 a year, including special payments (migration.gv.at).
The EU Blue Card guide explains the other conditions.
Tips for comparing offers
- Compare the same unit. Check whether a figure is per year or per month. If an Austrian salary is paid 14 times a year, multiply the monthly figure by 14, not 12.
- Ask what is included. Bonuses, equity, a pension plan and a public transport pass can make a real difference.
- Look at net pay. Tax and social contributions differ between Germany and Austria. Use the official calculators linked in our tax basics guide.
- Factor in living costs. Rents differ a lot between cities. See our Berlin cost of living guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good salary for a software engineer in Berlin?
The official benchmark is the Federal Employment Agency’s median: €6,913 gross a month for software developers doing highly complex work in Berlin, reference date 31 December 2025. A quarter earned less than €5,540. The top quarter earned above €8,050, but the data can’t show how much above, because pay is only recorded up to the pension ceiling.
Do software engineers earn more in Munich than in Berlin?
On paper, yes. The Entgeltatlas median for software developers doing highly complex work is €7,284 gross a month in the city of Munich, against €6,913 in Berlin. Rents differ a lot between cities, though, so compare net pay and living costs, not just the gross figure. Our Berlin cost of living guide helps.
Are salaries in Austria paid 14 times a year?
Under the IT collective agreement, yes: its minimum monthly salaries are paid 14 times a year, including the 13th and 14th salary. So when you compare an Austrian monthly figure with an annual German one, multiply it by 14, not 12. Check whether any annual figure you are given already includes these two extra payments.
Why do Austrian job ads show such low salaries?
Austrian job ads must state the minimum pay under the applicable collective agreement or law, and say whether the employer is willing to pay more. So a figure like “minimum €3,954 gross per month” is the legal minimum, not necessarily the offer. Ask about the actual salary range early in the process, before you invest in several interview rounds.
What salary do I need for an EU Blue Card?
In Germany in 2026, software engineers and other ICT professionals qualify from €45,934.20 a year with Federal Employment Agency approval, or from €50,700 for the standard Blue Card. Austria’s EU Blue Card needs at least €55,678 a year in 2026, including special payments. The EU Blue Card guide explains the other conditions.
Are these salary figures gross or net?
All figures in this guide are gross, before tax and social contributions. What you take home is lower, and tax and social contributions differ between Germany and Austria. To estimate net pay, use the official calculators linked in our tax basics guide, and compare offers on net pay rather than gross.