Indian professionals working full-time in Germany earn the highest median monthly salary among all major national groups in the country, as per the study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW). The study highlights that full-time Indian workers in Germany earned a median gross monthly income of 5,393 euros in 2024. This figure is higher than the earnings of workers from Austria (5,322 euros), the United States (5,307 euros), and Germany itself. In comparison, the overall median income of German workers is 4,177 euros.
Which jobs are driving higher salaries in Germany?
Researchers asserted that Indian professionals’ higher pay levels primarily stem from the types of jobs they hold, not just their nationality. A large chunk of the share of Indians in Germany works in STEM fields like science, engineering, mathematics, IT, and related technical jobs, which usually offer higher wages because of shortages and strong labour demand.
As per a report by DW, the number of Indians employed in STEM professions has nearly ninefold since 2012; it has crossed 32, 800 workers. As per a report by India Today, one-third of full-time Indian workers who are aged between 25 and 44 are employed in these high-skill sectors, making them a crucial part of Germany’s productive workforce.
The trend has also been supported by the sharp surge in Indian students studying in Germany over the past decade. Many of them continue to stay back after doing graduation and join the research sector or industry and contribute to innovation and technology development.
Indians make a growing contribution to innovation
The study also underlines that the contribution of Indians to research and innovation in Germany has increased significantly.
Patent filings involving inventors of Indian origin have surged twelve-fold between 2000 and 2022, as per DW.
IW economist Axel Plunnecke stated that skilled immigration from India has become essential for Germany’s economy.
“Without skilled immigration, growth in the German economy would hardly be possible today, especially in the STEM professions and in terms of innovative strength,” he mentioned, as quoted by DW.
Germany has been active since 2012 in encouraging skilled immigration from non-EU countries, especially in the fields of academic and technical sectors. Recent reforms, including those passed in 2024, aim to make it easier for Indian professionals and graduates to get entry into the workforce and settle in Germany. The IW study covered nationalities with more than 5,000 full-time employees in Germany and used labor data from the Federal Employment Agency.
When Germany made call for skilled Indians
Last year, in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), German Ambassador to India Dr. Philipp Ackermann had urged the professionals to consider building their careers in Germany. He outlined that Indians are now among the top earners in the German job market and stated, “the average Indian working in Germany earns more than the average German working in Germany.”