{"version":1,"asset_type":"statistical_series","data_type":"time_series","slug":"de-average-salary","url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/de-average-salary","html_url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/de-average-salary/","title":"Average Annual Salary in Germany (2025)","description":"Average annual wages in Germany from 1991 to 2025, expressed in constant 2025 USD at purchasing power parity. At $76,285 in 2025, Germany sits approximately 17.7% above the OECD average of $64,809. Source: OECD Average Annual Wages dataset.","domain":"labor","category":"Labour & Employment","keywords":["Labour & Employment","Wages & Earnings","Germany","Macroeconomics","Purchasing Power Parity"],"publisher":"OECD — Centre for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs","frequency":"Annual","geography":"Germany","temporal_coverage":"1991/2025","unit":"Avg. Annual Wage (USD PPP)","last_updated":"2026-07-01","last_updated_text":"July 2026","data_as_of":"2025","variable_measured":"Mean gross annual wage of full-time full-year employees in Germany","measurement_technique":"National accounts and labour force surveys, converted to constant 2025 USD at purchasing power parity","license":"https://apiardata.com/data-license","is_accessible_for_free":true,"sources":[{"name":"OECD Average Annual Wages — SDMX REST API endpoint","url":"https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/data/OECD.ELS.SAE,DSD_EARNINGS@AV_AN_WAGE,1.0?format=csv"},{"name":"OECD — Average Wages indicator page","url":"https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-wages.html"}],"meta":[{"label":"Frequency","value":"Annual"},{"label":"Coverage","value":"1991–2025"},{"label":"Observations","value":"35"},{"label":"Geography","value":"Germany"},{"label":"Base period","value":"Constant 2025 USD at PPP"},{"label":"Last updated","value":"July 2026"}],"kpis":[{"label":"Germany Avg. Wage (2025)","value":"$76,285","unit":"Constant 2025 USD, PPP","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"+1.9% vs. 2024"}},{"label":"vs. OECD Average","value":"+17.7%","unit":"Above OECD avg. of $64,809","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"Germany above OECD average"}},{"label":"10-Year Real Growth","value":"+7.1%","unit":"2015 to 2025","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"From $71,244 in 2015"}},{"label":"2022 Inflation Dip","value":"$73,054","unit":"Constant 2025 USD, PPP","trend":{"direction":"down","value":"-2.1% vs. 2021"}}],"series":[{"key":"value","label":"Germany Average Annual Wage (USD PPP, constant 2025)"}],"observation_count":35,"observations":[{"period":"1991","value":56518},{"period":"1992","value":59843},{"period":"1993","value":60277},{"period":"1994","value":60431},{"period":"1995","value":61682},{"period":"1996","value":62377},{"period":"1997","value":62135},{"period":"1998","value":62829},{"period":"1999","value":63666},{"period":"2000","value":64046},{"period":"2001","value":64480},{"period":"2002","value":64713},{"period":"2003","value":64930},{"period":"2004","value":64917},{"period":"2005","value":64992},{"period":"2006","value":65127},{"period":"2007","value":64872},{"period":"2008","value":65150},{"period":"2009","value":65320},{"period":"2010","value":65869},{"period":"2011","value":67017},{"period":"2012","value":67819},{"period":"2013","value":68440},{"period":"2014","value":69546},{"period":"2015","value":71244},{"period":"2016","value":72398},{"period":"2017","value":73177},{"period":"2018","value":74156},{"period":"2019","value":75376},{"period":"2020","value":74807},{"period":"2021","value":74657},{"period":"2022","value":73054},{"period":"2023","value":72953},{"period":"2024","value":74854},{"period":"2025","value":76285}],"table":{"columns":[{"key":"year","label":"Year"},{"key":"value","label":"Avg. Annual Wage (USD PPP)"},{"key":"yoyChange","label":"YoY Change"}],"rows":[{"year":"1991","value":"56518","yoyChange":"n/a"},{"year":"1992","value":"59843","yoyChange":"+5.9%"},{"year":"1993","value":"60277","yoyChange":"+0.7%"},{"year":"1994","value":"60431","yoyChange":"+0.3%"},{"year":"1995","value":"61682","yoyChange":"+2.1%"},{"year":"1996","value":"62377","yoyChange":"+1.1%"},{"year":"1997","value":"62135","yoyChange":"-0.4%"},{"year":"1998","value":"62829","yoyChange":"+1.1%"},{"year":"1999","value":"63666","yoyChange":"+1.3%"},{"year":"2000","value":"64046","yoyChange":"+0.6%"},{"year":"2001","value":"64480","yoyChange":"+0.7%"},{"year":"2002","value":"64713","yoyChange":"+0.4%"},{"year":"2003","value":"64930","yoyChange":"+0.3%"},{"year":"2004","value":"64917","yoyChange":"0.0%"},{"year":"2005","value":"64992","yoyChange":"+0.1%"},{"year":"2006","value":"65127","yoyChange":"+0.2%"},{"year":"2007","value":"64872","yoyChange":"-0.4%"},{"year":"2008","value":"65150","yoyChange":"+0.4%"},{"year":"2009","value":"65320","yoyChange":"+0.3%"},{"year":"2010","value":"65869","yoyChange":"+0.8%"},{"year":"2011","value":"67017","yoyChange":"+1.7%"},{"year":"2012","value":"67819","yoyChange":"+1.2%"},{"year":"2013","value":"68440","yoyChange":"+0.9%"},{"year":"2014","value":"69546","yoyChange":"+1.6%"},{"year":"2015","value":"71244","yoyChange":"+2.4%"},{"year":"2016","value":"72398","yoyChange":"+1.6%"},{"year":"2017","value":"73177","yoyChange":"+1.1%"},{"year":"2018","value":"74156","yoyChange":"+1.3%"},{"year":"2019","value":"75376","yoyChange":"+1.6%"},{"year":"2020","value":"74807","yoyChange":"-0.8%"},{"year":"2021","value":"74657","yoyChange":"-0.2%"},{"year":"2022","value":"73054","yoyChange":"-2.1%"},{"year":"2023","value":"72953","yoyChange":"-0.1%"},{"year":"2024","value":"74854","yoyChange":"+2.6%"},{"year":"2025","value":"76285","yoyChange":"+1.9%"}]},"qa":[{"question":"What is the average annual salary in Germany?","answer":"In 2025, the average annual salary in Germany was $76,285 in constant 2025 USD, adjusted for purchasing power parity. The figure covers mean gross wages for a full-time, full-year equivalent employee across the total economy, compiled by the OECD from national accounts and labour force surveys (series AV_AN_WAGE, measure WG, unit USD_PPP). The 2025 reading is up 1.9% from $74,854 in 2024, and marks a new series high, finally surpassing the pre-inflation-shock 2019 peak."},{"question":"How does Germany's average wage compare to the OECD average?","answer":"Germany's 2025 average of $76,285 is approximately 17.7% above the OECD-wide average of $64,809. Within the EU, Germany typically ranks in the upper tier of OECD economies, behind Luxembourg and Iceland but ahead of France, the UK, and all Central and Eastern European peers. The gap with the OECD average has generally widened since 2010 as German wages grew faster than the OECD median during the tight pre-pandemic labour market."},{"question":"Why did German wages stagnate through the early 2000s?","answer":"Between 2000 and 2009, Germany's average annual wage in constant 2025 PPP terms rose only about 2.0% cumulatively, from $64,046 to $65,320. This reflected the Hartz labour market reforms of 2003–2005, which expanded the pool of part-time and fixed-term workers and moderated collective bargaining outcomes. The reforms improved Germany's export competitiveness and pushed unemployment from above 11% in 2005 toward lower levels by the end of the decade, but the tradeoff was a decade of wage restraint unusual among peer OECD economies. Real wage growth only resumed durably from 2011 onward as labour market slack was absorbed."},{"question":"How did the 2022 inflation surge affect German wages?","answer":"Germany's average wage fell 2.1% in real terms in 2022, dropping from $74,657 to $73,054. This was the largest single-year decline in the 35-year dataset. Nominal wages rose that year, but consumer prices in Germany increased faster — driven by energy costs following the Russia-Ukraine war and supply-chain disruptions — eroding purchasing power. A further marginal decline of 0.1% followed in 2023 ($72,953). The 2024 recovery to $74,854 (+2.6%) and the further 2025 gain to $76,285 (+1.9%) reflect catch-up wage rounds negotiated across 2023–2025, particularly in manufacturing, public services, and retail."},{"question":"How has Germany's statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) affected average wages?","answer":"Germany introduced its first statutory national minimum wage in January 2015 at €8.50 per hour, after decades without one. The year 2015 shows a 2.4% jump in the OECD series to $71,244, the sharpest single-year gain between 2010 and 2019. The minimum wage has been raised repeatedly since: to €9.82 in 2022, €12.00 in October 2022 (a 22% step increase), and €12.41 in January 2024. Each upward step likely contributes to lifting the lower tail of the wage distribution, though isolating the Mindestlohn effect on the full-time equivalent mean from broader labour market tightening is difficult in this aggregate series alone."}]}