While betting on the next crypto surge is one way to do it, ensuring that you’re being paid in line with industry standards in your current role is probably the most realistic place to start.
And while the tech industry has experienced a tumultuous couple of years — according to layoffs trackers Layoffs.fyi, just over 264,000 tech employees were made redundant in 2023, followed by nearly 150,000 to date this year.
There is a persistent talent shortage in certain sectors meaning employers are prepared to pay for the skills they need to help their business grow.
5 jobs hiring across Germany
- Carrier Relationship Manager, Amazon TA, Munich
- Senior Verification Architect (m/f/d), Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Munich
- Kreditanalyst – Real Estate Finance (m/w/d), DZ HYP AG, Berlin
- (Key) Account Manager (m/w/d), Arrow Electronics, Inc., Dortmund
- HR Manager Commercial DACH, Service EMEA, Leica Microsystems, Heuchelheim
These include cybersecurity, generative AI and machine learning amongst others, and according to a recent report by Indeed, job postings mentioning generative AI have increased by 3.9x in 2024 compared to 2023 figures.
So, how does this translate in terms of salary? According to recent market insights, many salaries are predicted to remain unchanged for German tech workers.
However, those who do have some of the aforementioned in-demand skills, can expect to command larger salaries in 2025, and 75% of German businesses are planning on giving a pay rise in 2025.
These job titles include data engineers who are expected to earn €1,100 to €1,300 per day in 2025, up from €900 to €1,200 in 2024. Similarly, data scientists are predicted to earn €1,000 to €1,250 per day, compared to €900 to €1,200 per day in 2024.
Other job tiles that are on the up in 2025 include DevOps Engineer (€1,000 to €1,200 per day, up from €950 to €1,100 in 2024), solution architect (€1,200 per day in 2025, up from €1,000 in 2024), systems engineer (€1,000 to €1,200), and IT project manager (€1,000 to €1,200).
Similarly, chief information security officers can expect to command salaries of €140,000 per year, up from €130,000 in 2024.
Paving the way for a more financially secure future
For savvy tech professionals who are hoping to capitalise on growth areas, diversifying your skillset is the most obvious move, but are certain skills more valuable than others?
Separate data from software outsourcing company BairesDev shows that core tech skills are increasingly sought after—machine learning was the fastest-growing skill, with a 383% growth rate, followed by Angular, Flutter, Kotlin, and Terraform.
The study also found that there is a 77% rise in demand for data infrastructure skills.
In terms of AI, skills that are essential for building AI platforms and applications include React, .NET, Python, Node, and Java.
“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a steady and sometimes steep increase in demand for developers who specialise in tools like Snowflake, MongoDB, and Databricks, amongst others,” says BairesDev’s CTO, Justice Erolin.
“If AI is a gold rush and you’re a developer, you might want to be selling the pickaxes. In this case, the pickaxes are skills related to data because a well-maintained data infrastructure is the engine that drives a successful AI product.”
Whether you’re looking for a higher salary in your existing field or are considering pivoting to a more lucrative area of tech, browse thousands of job openings at the Dataconomy Job Board.
