IT / Computer science salaries
How much do computer scientists earn?
© Aja Koska / iStock.com
In the era of digitalization, computer scientists are in high demand and well paid. In the following, we take a look at the factors that affect salaries and what jobs are at the top of the list.
Updated: 2025-03-10
Average salaries for computer scientists
Computer scientists have a vast array of sectors available to them – from software engineering to game development, from media technology to IT management. And candidates for positions in these sectors are in high demand. According to Germany’s digital association Bitcom, there were fully 149,000 job openings for IT experts across all branches in Germany at the end of 2023. There was a particular need for software specialists and software architects, with every second company reporting IT job openings needing someone from those two specialties.
Unsurprisingly, that demand has had a positive effect on salaries. Across all sectors and professions, IT experts earn an average gross salary of 65,280 euros per year (source: Hans Böckler Foundation Salary Atlas).
Salary by IT profession
The professional field for computer scientists is broadly diversified. As such, there are salary differences between the various job titles. The following table, which shows average salaries after 10 years of work, provides a useful overview. Because the information provided here is divided up according to specific professions, a university degree is not necessarily a pre-requisite in all jobs listed, but according to the Hans Böckler Foundation, it is the rule.
Average IT salaries by profession
| Profession | Average yearly salary |
|---|---|
|
Software engineer |
70,800 euros |
|
Software developer |
63,120 euros |
|
IT project leader |
72,240 euros |
|
IT consultant |
72,120 euros |
|
Programmer |
57,960 euros |
|
Data scientist |
73,560 euros |
Computer science – entry-level salary by degree
More and more students are matriculating in the computer sciences. That can be seen the statistics pertaining to degrees earned. In 2023, the subject of computer science in Germany saw:
- 20,946 bachelor’s degrees awarded
- 12,346 master’s degrees, and
- 1,004 doctorates
In total, including teacher’s colleges and universities of applied sciences, 34,641 degrees were awarded in computer science. By comparison, the total was 32,125 in 2021 and just 9,445 in 2010.
The level of academic degree plays an influential role in the ultimate salary earned, with holders of bachelor's degrees earning more than those who just complete a training course, and those with a master’s degree earn even more than that – several thousand euros more per year in many cases. But the field is changing rapidly, which is why practical experience is often more important than theory and holders of bachelor's degrees can often catch up to master’s graduates over time.
A doctorate can also be worth it, at least when it comes to entry-level salaries. But here too, practical experience is valued above theoretical knowledge. Bachelor’s and master’s degree holders can also climb the ladder into leadership positions.
Entry-level salaries for computer scientists by degree level
| Degree | Entry-level salary (annual gross) |
|---|---|
|
Bachelor’s degree |
46,300 euros |
|
Master's degree |
51,500 euros |
|
Doctorate degree |
60,700 euros |
Source: Get in IT
Just to be clear: The salary differences are not necessarily dependent on the specific profession. It is, for example, more likely that a doctorate holder will ultimately become a department head than a computer scientist with a master’s degree, and such a position is generally better paid than a project staffer who has no management responsibilities.
Doctor, postdoc, professor: Computer science salaries in academia
Academics who pursue computer science research and university teaching are paid according to the position they hold:
- Doctoral candidates are generally paid according to the E13 level of state (TV-L) or federal (TVöD) collective bargaining agreements, which equates to monthly gross salaries of between ca. 4,600 and 5,800 euros.
- Postdocs are paid according to the E13 or E14 level of those same collective bargaining agreements, and earn between ca. 5,000 and 6,500 euros per month
- Professors are paid according to the W salary schedule (W1, W2, W3 – depending on the type of professorship they hold), with gross salaries ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 euros per month.
More precise payment schedules can be found in our article “Professor salaries in Germany.”
IT salaries in the public sector
Whether in city administrations, at public hospitals, with the police or in federal institutions, computer scientists are needed in the public sector – as IT system administrators, IT project managers, IT security consultants and much more.
Salaries in the public sector, however, are non-negotiable and are determined by the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Permanently employed computer scientists generally fall into the E10 to E15 salary levels according either to the TV-L (the collective bargaining agreement for German states) or the TVöD (federal and local governments). Salaries rise along with experience.
IT experts who are granted civil servant status are generally paid according to the A salary schedule and – depending on degree and position held – fall into the A10 to A15 categories.
Entry-level IT salaries in the private sector
Entry-level salaries for computer scientists depend on a number of different factors, including the degree held, the industry in question and the region of the country.
Entry-level salaries by industry
The specific industry in which IT specialists begin their careers plays a relevant role in their starting salary. While IT specialists in the automotive industry earn an average of 53,000 euros per year, their counterparts in retail can only expect to earn 44,000 euros when they start their careers.
Entry-level salaries for IT experts by industry
| Industry | Entry-level salary (annual gross) |
|---|---|
|
Retail |
46,300 euros |
|
Transportation/logistics |
48,900 euros |
|
Construction and real estate |
55,100 euros |
|
Media/internet |
51,500 euros |
|
Telecommunications |
52,500 euros |
|
Science/research |
52,500 euros |
|
Information and communications technology |
48,900 euros |
|
Insurance |
53,500 euros |
|
Banking |
54,000 euros |
|
Consulting |
56,100 euros |
|
Heavy industry |
53,500 euros |
|
Energy |
55,600 euros |
|
Medicine/life sciences |
55,600 euros |
|
Automotive |
57,600 euros |
Source: Get in IT
Salary by German state
The location of the employer is also a decisive factor for the salary of IT specialists. On average, around 13 percent more can be earned in the states of former West Germany than in eastern Germany (including Berlin).
Entry-level salaries for IT experts by state
| State | Entry-level salary (annual gross) |
|---|---|
|
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania |
44,800 euros |
|
Saxony-Anhalt |
44,800 euros |
|
Thuringia |
45,300 euros |
|
Saxony |
46,300 euros |
|
Brandenburg |
46,300 euros |
|
Saarland |
48,900 euros |
|
Schleswig-Holstein |
49,400 euros |
|
Lower Saxony |
49,900 euros |
|
Rhineland-Palatinate |
51,500 euros |
|
Bremen |
52,000 euros |
|
North Rhine-Westphalia |
54,000 euros |
|
Bavaria |
57,100 euros |
|
Berlin |
57,100 euros |
|
Baden-Wuerttemberg |
57,700 euros |
|
Hesse |
58,200 euros |
|
Hamburg |
60,700 euros |
Source: Get in IT
