Software Engineer: salary 2026 at a glance
Salary at a glance: this is what Software Engineer earn in Germany – from 388 job ads with a stated salary and 52 salary data sets.
Median, gross
€63,543
€42,026 lower 10 %
€95,000 upper 10 %
How salaries are distributed
Each column = number of salary figures per €5,000 band · basis 440
You
- Between lower and upper 10 % (€42,026 – €95,000)
- Edges
Salary rises with experience
Median and middle 50 % per level · jobs + data sets
€48,500
Junior
42,000 – 59,500
26 values
€61,000
Mid-level
55,000 – 69,500
+26 % · 226 values
€70,500
Senior
60,500 – 78,000
+45 % · 170 values
€81,000
Lead/Principal
76,500 – 90,000
+67 % · 13 values
Salary by federal state
Median of the salary data sets for Software Engineer per federal state. The samples are small here – read the figures as a trend, not a guarantee.
- Hesse €72,000 n = 4
- Baden-Württemberg €70,500 n = 4
- Bavaria €69,500 n = 4
- Hamburg €67,000 n = 4
- Berlin €63,500 n = 4
- North Rhine-Westphalia €63,500 n = 4
- Lower Saxony €59,500 n = 4
- Rhineland-Palatinate €58,000 n = 4
- Schleswig-Holstein €58,000 n = 4
- Brandenburg €56,500 n = 4
- Saarland €55,500 n = 4
- Saxony €54,500 n = 4
- Thuringia €53,500 n = 4
What a skill is worth
Median of jobs with the technology compared with jobs without – both groups at least 20 jobs
- Hibernate +19 % €75,000 n = 25
- Spring Boot +18.5 % €73,500 n = 67
- JavaScript +12.8 % €70,500 n = 59
- TypeScript +11.9 % €70,500 n = 78
- Java +10.5 % €68,500 n = 147
- Docker +10.4 % €69,000 n = 103
- Angular +10.3 % €69,500 n = 60
- FastAPI +10.2 % €70,000 n = 20
- Kubernetes +9.6 % €68,500 n = 91
- React +9.5 % €69,000 n = 60
Centre = same salary as jobs without the technology · bars up to ±19 %
Open positions as Software Engineer
All in the job search
Software Engineer / Full Stack Developer (w/m/d)
€64,000 – €94,000
above median
Senior Software Engineer - Integration (m/w/d)
Salary not stated
Software Engineer (m/w/d)
€59,000 – €80,000
above median
Senior Cloud Software Engineer
€44,000 – €75,000
below median
Embedded Softwareingenieur (m/w/d)
€55,000 – €73,000
above median
Senior Software Engineer (m/w/d) Backend & Datenplattformen
Salary not stated
Software Engineer: job profile and outlook
Software engineers are among the most sought-after specialists on the German labour market. They design, develop and maintain software systems that are used in almost every sector of the economy. From web applications and mobile apps to embedded systems and cloud infrastructures - the range of fields of activity is enormous. Working as a software engineer requires in-depth knowledge of programming languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript, C++ or Go. In addition, experience with modern development methods such as Agile and DevOps, version control systems and CI/CD pipelines are important prerequisites. A degree in computer science or software engineering is often the starting point, but career changers with relevant practical experience and bootcamp qualifications are also becoming increasingly important. Salaries for software engineers in Germany are above average and reflect the high demand for qualified specialists. Junior positions already offer solid starting salaries, while experienced senior engineers and tech leads can earn significantly higher salaries. Specialisations in the areas of machine learning, backend architecture and cloud-native development are particularly lucrative, with career progression typically from junior developer through mid-level and senior positions to roles such as staff engineer, engineering manager or VP of engineering. Freelance and remote work offer additional flexibility and can further increase earning potential. The job market for software engineers remains positive in the long term as the digitalisation of all industries continues to progress.
Similarly paid roles
Same axis – directly comparable
- Software Engineer this role €63,543
- Data Engineer €63,398 Compare with Data Engineer
- IT Project Manager €64,113 Compare with IT Project Manager
- Agile Coach €64,507 Compare with Agile Coach
- Data Scientist €64,528 Compare with Data Scientist
- SAP Consultant €64,531 Compare with SAP Consultant
- Machine Learning Engineer €62,494 Compare with Machine Learning Engineer
€40,000 – €100,000 · bar = lower to upper 10 %, line = median
How we calculate
- Sources: job ads with a stated salary that are assigned to a role, plus recorded salary data sets. Currently 6,380 active IT jobs state their salary.
- Range: lower 10 % to upper 10 % (P10–P90), so that individual outliers do not shift the limits. The median splits the values into two equal halves.
- Plausible: only gross annual salaries between €15,000 and €250,000; placeholders and monthly values are excluded.
- Calculator: role median × experience factor × federal state factor. The factors come from 4,290 salary data sets – each as a ratio to the median of its role, so the mix of roles does not distort them.
- Minimum size: breakdowns by skill, city and work model only appear from 20 values; every figure states its basis.
Earning more starts with the right job.
Open positions as Software Engineer – with salary at a glance.