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Germany's Wage Gap Between Native and Foreign Workers Remains Wide
🇩🇪 Germany /Economy & Trade

Germany's Wage Gap Between Native and Foreign Workers Remains Wide

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • In late 2025, the earnings gap between German and foreign full-time employees in Germany stood at 23.6 percent, with median monthly gross incomes of 4,396 euros for Germans and 3,358 euros for foreigners.
  • This disparity has remained relatively stable since 2020, with a higher percentage of foreign workers (30.6%) earning low wages compared to German workers (12.3%).
  • Experts and government bodies attribute the wage gap primarily to differences in education, qualifications, and professional experience, rather than solely immigration policy.

The earnings gap between German and foreign full-time employees in Germany persisted in late 2025, with foreigners earning 23.6 percent less on average. German workers had a median monthly gross income of 4,396 euros, while foreign workers earned 3,358 euros. This significant difference has remained largely consistent over the past five years, fluctuating between 23.1 and 25.5 percent.

The earnings gap between German and foreign full-time employees in Germany was 23.6 percent at the end of 2025.

— Federal Ministry of LaborStating the median earnings difference based on a parliamentary inquiry.

Further analysis reveals that a substantially larger proportion of foreign workers are employed in low-wage sectors. In 2025, 30.6 percent of foreign full-time employees earned low wages, compared to 12.3 percent of their German counterparts. This data was compiled from a response by the Federal Ministry of Labor to an inquiry from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Bundestag.

While the AfD has linked the wage gap to the government's immigration policies, experts and official bodies emphasize that qualification, education level, and professional experience are the primary drivers of salary differences. Data from the Federal Employment Agency (BA) shows a clear correlation: individuals without vocational training earned a median of 3,133 euros, those with recognized vocational qualifications earned 4,069 euros, and academics received 6,146 euros.

The median earnings of German full-time employees were 4,396 euros and those of foreign full-time employees were 3,358 euros.

— Federal Ministry of LaborProviding specific figures for the median monthly gross income.

A separate study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) supports this, indicating that immigrants are less frequently employed in high-paying industries or positions. The BA and the federal government consistently point out that these factors, rather than nationality alone, explain the majority of wage disparities between native-born and immigrant workers. Both German and foreign workers have seen their median incomes rise, but the gap remains.

Immigrants are less frequently employed in high-paying industries or positions.

— Institute for Employment ResearchExplaining a key reason for the wage difference in a separate study.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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