The top five STEM sectors to work in across Germany

Boasting the world’s third largest economy, it’s no surprise that innovation and technology are in high demand in Germany’s job sector. Job roles within the STEM (science, technology, Engineering, and mathematics) sector are booming, with more and more companies requiring these skills every year.

However, while there is a high demand for STEM specialists, there is also a shortage of skilled workers in Germany. In fact, The German Economic Institute reported in 2022 that there was a shortage of 320,000 STEM specialists in Germany.

Companies are therefore looking abroad for skilled employees to fill the roles. This is greatly helped by government initiatives aimed at attracting foreign talent, such as the Settlement Permit and the EU Blue Card.

Here we look at the top STEM jobs in Germany to help you see if your skillset fits the bill.

Engineering Germany is the birthplace of some of today’s engineering giants, including Mercedes Benz, BMW, Siemens, and Bosch. And so, it’s not surprising that the engineering sector continues to be a lucrative part of the German job market. Focused on innovation and technology, its estimated that 15,000 new engineering jobs come up every year in Germany – many of which need to be filled with foreign workers. Adding to the attraction, salaries within engineering sector are high and average EUR80,000-120,000/year.

Biotechnology Pharmaceuticals are a lucrative market in Germany and so when they’re teamed with the country’s focus on innovation, the sky is the limit for the biotech sector. In 2023, it was reported that the biotech market gained an impressive EUR1.08 billion in capital and venture capital, showing the sector’s striking influence on the country’s GDP. What’s even more appealing is that employees within biotech can expect salaries in the range of EUR70,000-110,000.

Information Technology IT is a big focus for Germany and the country even ranked first in software development revenue in 2022 for the whole of the European Union. With companies like SAP and Lufthansa Systems leading the way, most large IT organizations have a presence in Germany. In terms of salaries, while an IT technician may be looking at around EUR57,000/year, Computer Programmers and Web Developers would be looking at an annual salary closer to EUR90,000.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation Just like other major hubs around the world, Germany is seeing a solid demand for robotics, AI, and automation. German companies Siemens and Bosch Rexroth take the lead and have pathed the way for a long list of new companies focusing on this sector. Salaries, while lower than other STEM roles, are still strong, averaging around EUR75,000 a year.

Data Science With a super modern business landscape, data science is an integral part of many large organizations in Germany. In fact, it was found that in between 2019 and 2023 a fifth of all newly employed workers here needed to have data skills as part of their offering. Again, salaries within the sector are high, with the average salary of a Data Scientist in Germany being around EUR115,000/year.

If you’re an employee in the STEM sector considering a move to Germany, or a company needing these specific skillsets for your next hire, reach out to our team to discuss your options.