Germany was always been known as a great place to work. Yet, not all people have the same chances of getting a job in this country. We know, that being a foreign national can make our life harder, especially when it comes to getting a job and building a career. However, the German economy is one of the strongest in the world, and there is always a need for qualified labor.
In-Demand jobs in Germany in 2022-2023:
- IT Specialists
- IT Consultants/Analysts
- Data Scientists/Analysts
- Software Developers
- Doctors
- Engineers
- Mechanical and Vehicle Engineers
- Electrical Engineers
- Civil Engineers
- Scientists
- Mathematicians
- Nurses and Senior Care Workers
- Metal Workers
- Electronics Technicians or Electricians
- Mechatronics
- Sellers in Retail
Currently, Germany has more than 470,000 open vacancies in 30 professional groups alone. In this post, we analyze jobs with high demand in Germany. These occupations give great career opportunities not only to locals but also to foreigners and expats.
What non-degree jobs pay the most in Germany?
What jobs are in-demand in Germany right now?
Germany has a big gap of specialists in STEM professions (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
The demand has increased to 338,000 specialists, 42,000 more than a year ago. Only 15% of all STEM experts in Germany are women.
These experts are especially important for the German economy since they work in leading and innovative German industries and, therefore, generate a lot of added value.
That’s why Germany actively welcomes foreigners to work in STEM fields, the government has even lowered the minimum required salary for EU Blue Card to 44,304 EUR annually.
And what is really good to know, is that every 5th employee in the STEM field comes from abroad, so ex-pats and foreigners have high chances of hiring. The German labor market doesn’t have enough local people to fulfill the demand.
Also read: 12 Most Common Jobs in Germany 2022.
In-demand jobs with a university degree
The German job market is divided into qualified labor and highly qualified labor, which means people with vocational training and people with a university degree.
There are some academic occupations with a particularly high demand amount companies. However, the biggest part of free job positions on the market is reserved for skilled trade professionals (around 70%).
Below you can see the most demanded specialists with a high degree in Germany.
IT Specialists
Specialists in the IT sector have been in demand for a long time. Accordingly to the survey, there are around 124,000 open jobs for IT professionals in Germany. In 2018 alone, around 42,000 new jobs were created in the IT sector.
The country has seen a 50% increase compared to the previous year. The shortage of IT experts has more than doubled in the past 3 years.
The demand also reflected can be seen in the salaries: IT consultants earn, according to Gehalt.de, on average, 75,200 EUR, and software developers get around 61,200 EUR.
Berlin, as a tech start-up hub, has the most offerings, where young professionals can find exciting and perspective jobs. Getting a job in a tech company in Germany is also quite easy without speaking German.
This demand is relevant not only for programmers or software developers but also for computer science experts. All industries and businesses, whether automotive manufacturers or law firms, need at least one tech-savvy person.
The job prospects for computer scientists could not be better: the career opportunities in this sector are growing year by year.
According to Career Builder, the professions currently demand software developers, network administrators, and IT managers.
IT Consultants/Analysts
IT consultants and analysts also belong to the IT specialists, which are in high demand in Germany. The biggest advantage for expats in this category is the opportunity to get a job without any German skills.
Because this job doesn’t require a large amount of communication, you can start your career just with knowledge of English. This relates to many IT jobs in Germany.
Nonetheless, IT consultants with experience can earn between 60,000 EUR and 98,000 EUR.
Data Scientists/Analysts
It’s clear that our future is in the data. Currently, cybersecurity and data analytics are especially needed in the German economy.
Almost every large company collects large amounts of data – whether it’s customer behavior, flows of goods, employee databases, and so on.
Data scientists analyze this data to identify patterns that help to optimize processes, attract new customers, or do similar things.
Knowledge of statistics and some programming skills are required for such positions. German universities even have a special major for everyone willing to master data – Data Science.
In Germany, data scientists earn, on average, 58,600 EUR gross.
Which university course is the best for getting a job after the university in Germany? Read in this article!
Software Developers
Computer scientists, IT specialists, software developers, and data scientists are all part of IT professionals, but they do completely different jobs. Software developers possess several programming languages and can build new computer programs and software.
They also test existing software for errors and find solutions. By now, Germany has more than 13,000 open vacancies for this position, almost a third more than a year ago.
Software developers earn more than 50,000 EUR per year, which is considered a good salary in Germany.
Read more about the salary for software developers/engineers in Germany in this post.
Moreover, don’t miss the post about how to get a job as a software engineer in Germany.
Doctors
Despite the many medical students in Germany, the country sees staff shortages among doctors, which automatically makes them one of the most sought-after professions ever.
Doctors are in short supply in Germany; they are officially part of the shortage list. Currently, over 2,000 positions for doctors couldn’t be covered.
Many small clinics and small cities/villages are struggling to attract new employees.
Shortages exist in general practitioners, specialists, and in-hospital doctors. The prerequisite for this profession is usually a six-year medical degree which is recognized in Germany.
Doctors are one of the highest-paid positions in Germany, with an average salary between 65,000 EUR – 85,000 EUR depending on the specialization and experience.
Engineers
Germany is a paradise for engineers, with extensive numbers of production companies, I feel like every second person is an engineer. Despite that, engineers fall into a list of shortage professions, which makes job search uncomplicated for foreigners.
Almost all majors of engineering are in high demand in Germany, particularly mechanical, automotive, and electrical.
The following fields in engineering are expected to have a high number of vacancies:
- Structural engineering
- Computer science engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Automotive engineering
- Telecommunications
Have we motivated you to move to Germany and get a job? Great! Don’t forget to refresh your German skills tho! Candidates who speak German to some extent always have better chances of getting a job! Start learning German today with the biggest online platform for languages – Lingoda.
Mechanical and Vehicle Engineers
Due to the focus of the German industry, there is a big demand for mechanical engineers in the country. They can work in different areas where construction of technic is needed, for example, automotive, shipbuilding, and manufacturing industries.
Currently, Germany lacks around 5,000 skilled workers in this area and around the same number of engineers. A completed degree in mechanical engineering is a prerequisite for this job.
At the beginning of their career, mechanical engineers earn about 40,000 to 45,000 EUR gross.
Also read: Average salary of the mechanical engineer in Germany.
Electrical Engineers
Today in the smartphone and laptop world, electrical engineers are needed everywhere where civilization is.
Electrical engineering involves the development and manufacture of electrical, electronic, and energy-related equipment.
If you have studied electrical engineering, you are in great demand in the German labor market. Students can assume that demand will continue to increase steadily.
Potential employers for engineers in Germany can be BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler, Samsung, Siemens, and Sony. They are all big German corporations with many thousands of employees and in constant demand for talent.
The average salary of an electrical engineer in Germany comes to around 60,000 EUR.
Civil Engineers
Civil engineers are also in demand at the moment: such professionals always have to exist because we will never stop building buildings.
Civil engineers can also specialize in a particular area of expertise by taking a master’s program.
Click on the picture to learn more about the salary for civil engineers in Germany, but on average, it’s about 62,000 EUR.
Scientists
Specialists in natural science are on the shortage list in Germany. They are needed at universities, research institutions, and many other businesses.
These include subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Ecology, Geology, Astronomy, Meteorology, etc.
Germany has an especially high demand for Chemistry and Biology experts.
Want to get a job in Germany? Start learning German today with the biggest online platform for languages – Lingoda.
Mathematicians
Mathematicians are specialists in algebra or geometry. Depending on if it’s theoretical or applicable math, they work in many different areas. The subject isn’t very popular to study in Germany; more and more experts are missing in the country.
Mathematicians are needed in many areas: software and telecommunications, research, science and development, banks and insurance companies, and teaching at schools and universities.
As you can see, a person with knowledge of mathematics won’t struggle to find a job in Germany.
Good mathematicians earn really good money in Germany, 64,000 EUR on average, but earning up to 75,000 EUR isn’t an uncommon practice.
Read the article about Jobs in Germany for foreigners in 2022!
Jobs in-demand with vocational training
In Germany, if you have successfully completed vocational training, you will be very unlikely to be unemployed.
A lot of German companies across all industries are currently looking for trade professionals; the shortage and demand are very big.
Almost 70% of the free job position in Germany belongs to non-degree occupations with vocational training.
The shortage is growing every year, and local companies experience various complications because of this.
Another factor is that nowadays, more and more people prefer to study an academic profession instead of learning some trade.
Therefore, this trend naturally reduces the number of available workers every year.
Read the article about salaries in Germany.
Nurses and Senior Care Workers
Nurses have been in high demand in Germany already for many years, and senior care workers are even in greater demand. The German population is rapidly aging, and the country needs more and more workers from abroad to take care of the elderly.
Germany is expecting job growth from 50,000 to 60,000 open positions in the nearest future. The shortage of skilled workers in the care sector is growing rapidly.
Many hospitals and care facilities are already understaffed. Due to demographic change, the shortage will become even worse with the German aging society: according to the forecasts, around 500,000 full-time employees will be retired by 2030.
How to work as a nurse in Germany? Read in this article!
Nurses and caregivers aren’t the easiest jobs in the world, but you will have a good average income of 37,900 EUR as a nurse and 32,400 EUR as an elderly caregiver.
By 2025 country prognoses a shortage of 150,000 nurses and senior care workers. This promises you excellent career chances.
Nursing in Germany is mainly studied at vocational schools; universities only started offering this major in the last 10 years. Vocational training lasts 3 years, and foreigners are welcome to attend it.
Read more about working in Germany as a nurse and its benefits here.
Metal Workers
Metalworkers always had been in-demand in Germany; it’s the traditional trade profession with different variations and focuses.
Electronics Technicians or Electricians
Electricians are the classical profession that is always in demand everywhere in the world.
In Germany, you can choose between many fields, such as equipment and systems, automation technology, operation technology, energy and building technology, buildings and infrastructure systems, information and system technology, and others.
Read about the best-paid vocational professions in Germany.
You can earn around 40,000 EUR as an electrician in Germany, which even doesn’t require a high education.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is a very sought-after category of professionals in Germany. Nothing works without them.
Almost every new technology product which is created today is connected with various components from electronics, mechanics, and computer science. Especially these areas are combined in the profession of mechatronic engineering.
As a specialist in these areas of expertise, you can work in many different fields in Germany. The prerequisite for this job is an apprenticeship/vocational or even a degree as a mechatronics engineer.
Mechatronics engineers with an academic degree can expect starting salary between 40,000 to 45,000 EUR per year, with vocational training a few thousand lower than that.
Sellers in Retail, Sales staff, Sales Assistants
In small shops, in big shops, supermarkets, everywhere, salespeople are in demand.
Consumers buy food, technical equipment, furniture, and other items all the time. Logically, retail will continue to exist in the coming years.
For this position, you will be required to know German at a good level, but often no qualifications are needed, and sometimes you can receive training from the employer.
Unfortunately, salespeople in shops are one of the underpaid professions in Germany, with an average income of between 1,500 – 2,200 EUR per month, or 18,000 and 26,400 EUR annually.
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