Software Engineering Salaries in Berlin (2025)
This is the second deep dive into the Salary Trends 2025. I have decided to let the data speak for itself, so the commentary is limited.
This sub-report includes only the “General Software Engineering” job group and only individual contributors (!). “Engineering leadership”, “SRE & Infra”, “Cloud & DevOps” and others are not included.
The analysis excludes interns/working students. Based on 285 respondents, this deep dive reveals several unexpected patterns in software engineering compensation, including early-career gender pay reversals and counterintuitive language proficiency impacts that mirror findings from the Product Management analysis. Access the full report here.
I’ve added brief interpretations to highlight these findings.
If you are interested in more deep dives and more granular data, do approach me.
For understanding the limitations of this data and report, go here.
What is the median and average salary for Software Engineers in Berlin?
In 2025, the median salary for SWE - General Software Engineering roles in Berlin is €84,000 (n=285). The average salary is €88,307.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median Salary | €84,000 |
| Average Salary | €88,307 |
| Respondents | 285 |
What is the gender gap for this role?
Gender pay gap for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Gender | Count | Count % | Average Salary (€) | Median Salary (€) | Median Gap (€) | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 236 | 82.8% | €91,335 | €85,000 | ||
| Female | 42 | 14.7% | €72,440 | €74,000 | €11,000 | 12.9% |
Gender pay gap by role level for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin (Engineering leadership is a separate job group):
| Level | Male | Female | Median Male Salary (€) | Median Female Salary (€) | Gap (€) | Gap (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | 212 | 39 | €85,000 | €73,500 | €11,500 | 13.5% |
What is the gender gap when controlling for experience level and role/seniority level?
Subset: Full-time male and female employees only, top roles/seniority levels with the most data in mid-career experience brackets and at least 5 respondents in each category
The gender pay gap data reveals an interesting early-career pattern: women in software engineering actually out-earn their male counterparts in the 3-5 years experience bracket, with female engineers earning €71,250 compared to €69,000 for males—a reverse gap of 3.3%. (note the number of respondents!)
However, this advantage disappears by the 6-10 year mark, where a traditional €9,000 gap emerges favoring men. This suggests that while women may enter the field on equal or better footing, systemic barriers likely emerge in mid-career progression, potentially related to promotion opportunities or salary negotiation dynamics as engineers advance to senior roles.
Gender pay gap by seniority level for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Seniority level | Male | Female | Median Male Salary (€) | Median Female Salary (€) | Gap (€) | Gap (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor / Employee (no direct reports) | 207 | 35 | €85,000 | €75,000 | €10,000 | 11.8% |
Gender pay gap by years of experience for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Years of Experience | Male | Female | Median Male Salary (€) | Median Female Salary (€) | Gap (€) | Gap (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 | 34 | 12 | €69,000 | €71,250 | €-2,250 | -3.3% |
| 6-10 | 90 | 17 | €86,000 | €77,000 | €9,000 | 10.5% |
| 11-15 | 66 | 7 | €95,500 | €85,000 | €10,500 | 11.0% |
Gender pay gap by seniority level and experience for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Seniority level | Experience | Male | Female | Median Male Salary (€) | Median Female Salary (€) | Gap (€) | Gap (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor / Employee (no direct reports) | 3-5 | 32 | 12 | €69,000 | €71,250 | €-2,250 | -3.3% |
| Individual Contributor / Employee (no direct reports) | 6-10 | 83 | 14 | €86,000 | €76,000 | €10,000 | 11.6% |
| Individual Contributor / Employee (no direct reports) | 11-15 | 58 | 7 | €95,000 | €85,000 | €10,000 | 10.5% |
How much does experience increase salaries?
Salary progression by years of experience for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Years of total work experience | Resp. | % | Median (€) | Average (€) | Median Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 12 | 4.2% | €67,500 | €67,250 | N/A |
| 3-5 | 53 | 18.6% | €68,000 | €70,642 | +0.7% |
| 6-10 | 110 | 38.6% | €85,000 | €87,150 | +25.0% |
| 11-15 | 77 | 27.0% | €95,000 | €102,526 | +11.8% |
| 16-20 | 22 | 7.7% | €85,000 | €91,205 | -10.5% |
| 21-30 | 7 | 2.5% | €95,000 | €104,143 | +11.8% |
Average median salary increase between experience brackets: 7.8% If this average increase rate were consistent across all career stages, it would suggest a theoretical career salary growth of 56.6%. (Note: The actual observed growth from entry level to peak salary is 40.7%)
How does company size impact salaries?
Salary comparison by company size for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Company size | Resp. | % | Median (€) | Average (€) | Median Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 12 | 4.2% | €72,500 | €97,958 | N/A |
| 11-50 | 31 | 10.9% | €72,000 | €74,129 | -0.7% |
| 51-200 | 49 | 17.2% | €84,000 | €85,827 | +16.7% |
| 201-500 | 41 | 14.4% | €87,000 | €91,122 | +3.6% |
| 501-1000 | 37 | 13.0% | €83,000 | €86,054 | -4.6% |
| 1000+ | 109 | 38.2% | €88,000 | €92,225 | +6.0% |
How does industry impact salaries?
Subset: 5 or more respondents per industry.
Industry impact on salaries for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Industry | Median (€) | Average (€) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Insurance | €90,500 | €96,062 | 32 |
| Information & Communication | €87,000 | €92,500 | 23 |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | €86,000 | €84,800 | 15 |
| Technology/Software Development | €85,000 | €91,927 | 143 |
| Transportation & Storage | €85,000 | €79,273 | 11 |
| Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals | €83,000 | €81,643 | 7 |
| Education | €80,000 | €81,000 | 5 |
| Other Services | €80,000 | €77,038 | 13 |
| Media/Culture | €70,000 | €71,900 | 5 |
| Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Steam, Air Conditioning Supply) | €65,750 | €86,083 | 6 |
| Professional Services (e.g., consulting, engineering, and legal services) | €60,000 | €66,864 | 11 |
Is there a salary difference between startups and non-startups?
Contrary to conventional wisdom about startup compensation trade-offs, startups actually pay higher median salaries than established companies (€86,000 vs €83,000). This challenges the typical narrative that startups compensate lower cash salaries with equity upside. Instead, Berlin’s competitive tech market appears to force startups to match or exceed traditional company salaries to attract talent, suggesting that equity alone is insufficient to offset cash compensation.
Salary comparison by company type for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Company type | Median (€) | Average (€) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | €86,000 | €92,196 | 84 |
| Non-startup | €83,000 | €85,755 | 190 |
What is the salary satisfaction level?
Subset: 5 or more respondents per seniority level or gender.
Salary satisfaction by seniority level for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Seniority level | Average Satisfaction (1-5) | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance / Contractor | 4.20 | 5 |
| Individual Contributor / Employee (no direct reports) | 3.12 | 256 |
| Team Lead (manages small team) | 2.90 | 20 |
Salary satisfaction by gender for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Gender | Average Satisfaction (1-5) | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 2.69 | 42 |
| Male | 3.22 | 236 |
How common are bonuses, paid overtime and equity compensation?
Salary raises for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| Percentage Raise | Median Salary (€) | Average Salary (€) | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5% | €85,000 | €87,612 | 112 | 39.3% |
| 11-15% | €90,000 | €99,433 | 15 | 5.3% |
| 16-20% | €75,000 | €84,500 | 3 | 1.1% |
| 20%+ | €130,000 | €138,400 | 5 | 1.8% |
| 6-10% | €85,000 | €90,418 | 55 | 19.3% |
| No raise | €80,000 | €83,602 | 83 | 29.1% |
| Prefer not to say | €85,000 | €83,833 | 12 | 4.2% |
Bonus and Equity Summary for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
- 159 respondents received neither Bonus nor Equity (55.79%).
- 49 respondents received Bonus (17.19%).
- 50 respondents received Equity (17.54%).
- 27 respondents both Bonus and Equity (9.47%).
The average 2025 Bonus for SWE - General Software Engineering roles was 7550.68€ (Median 1500.0€)
The average 2025 Equity for SWE - General Software Engineering roles was 20775.00€ (Median 4000.0€).
How does German language proficiency affect salaries?
Software engineers with minimal German proficiency are paid the best, with A1-level speakers earning €85,000 median compared to just €74,750 for native German speakers. This counterintuitive pattern suggests that international hires with limited German are brought in for specialized technical skills that local talent pools cannot fill, allowing them to negotiate premium compensation.
Impact of German language proficiency on salaries for SWE - General Software Engineering in Berlin:
| German Level | Count | Percentage | Average Salary (€) | Median Salary (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-A1 or none | 49 | 17.2% | €85,602 | €84,000 |
| A1 | 47 | 16.5% | €90,872 | €85,000 |
| A2 | 47 | 16.5% | €91,894 | €87,000 |
| B1 | 63 | 22.1% | €95,024 | €88,000 |
| B2 | 18 | 6.3% | €83,139 | €81,000 |
| C1 | 20 | 7.0% | €85,275 | €81,500 |
| C2 or Native | 40 | 14.0% | €78,112 | €74,750 |
How does citizenship/nationality impact earnings?
Non-EU software engineers earn a significant citizenship premium, with median salaries of €85,000 compared to €75,000 for German citizens—a €10,000 gap. Combined with the language proficiency findings, this suggests companies pay premiums for specialized international talent regardless of local language skills, viewing visa sponsorship costs as worthwhile investments in scarce technical expertise.
Citizenship impact on SWE - General Software Engineering salaries in Berlin:
| Citizenship | Count | Percentage | Average Salary (€) | Median Salary (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-EU | 165 | 57.9% | €89,506 | €85,000 |
| EU | 53 | 18.6% | €90,264 | €84,000 |
| German | 42 | 14.7% | €77,679 | €75,000 |
| Dual w. EU | 23 | 8.1% | €95,543 | €88,000 |
| Prefer not to say | 2 | 0.7% | €77,500 | €77,500 |
How do salaries compare to other roles?
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average Software Engineer salary in Berlin in 2025?
The median salary for General Software Engineering individual contributors in Berlin is €84,000, with an average of €88,307. This represents the compensation for non-leadership engineering roles, excluding specialized positions like SRE, DevOps, or engineering management.
Is there a gender pay gap for Software Engineers in Berlin?
Yes, there’s a 12.9% gender pay gap overall, with female engineers earning a median of €74,000 compared to €85,000 for males. However, interestingly, women actually out-earn men in the early career stage (3-5 years experience), but this advantage disappears in mid-career as traditional pay gaps emerge.
Do I need to speak German to work as a Software Engineer in Berlin?
No, German language skills are not essential and may even be counterproductive for salary negotiation. Engineers with minimal German (A1 level) earn the highest median salaries at €85,000, while native German speakers earn among the lowest at €74,750. This suggests international talent with specialized skills commands premium compensation regardless of language proficiency.
Do startups or traditional companies pay Software Engineers more in Berlin?
Contrary to conventional wisdom, startups actually pay higher median salaries than established companies (€86,000 vs €83,000). This challenges the typical narrative that startups offer lower cash compensation in exchange for equity, suggesting Berlin’s competitive market forces startups to match or exceed traditional company salaries.
