€5,393 a month: Indians out-earn Germans on median pay as MINT jobs drive wage surge

Indian professionals in Germany are emerging as the country’s highest-paid foreign workforce, out-earning not just other migrant groups but also the median German employee, according to a new study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW).  

The employer-linked think tank found that Indian workers earned a median gross monthly income of €5,393 in 2024 — more than €1,200 higher than the median wage of German workers, which stood at €4,177. The figures underline the growing economic importance of Indian talent in Europe’s largest economy, particularly in high-skill, technology-driven roles.  

Indians top the foreign wage rankings

The IW analysis, based on data from Germany’s Federal Employment Agency, covered nationalities with more than 5,000 full-time employees in the country. While foreign workers overall earned a median gross wage of €3,204 per month, Indians topped the chart.

They were followed by Austrians (€5,322), US nationals (€5,307), and Irish workers (€5,233). The institute noted that the relatively high wages of Austrians and Americans were partly linked to their concentration in economically strong urban regions where pay levels are generally higher.

In contrast, the strong earnings profile of Indian workers was driven less by geography and more by occupational structure.

MINT jobs drive higher pay

According to the study, Indian professionals are heavily concentrated in MINT professions — mathematics, IT, natural sciences, and technology, including engineering — sectors that command above-average wages in Germany.

The number of Indians working in MINT roles has surged nearly ninefold since 2012, reaching more than 32,800. Around one-third of full-time Indian workers aged between 25 and 44 are now employed in these high-demand occupations, a significantly higher share than many other migrant groups.

“These roles are central to Germany’s competitiveness and innovation capacity,” the institute said, explaining why Indian workers’ median earnings stand out in the data.

From classrooms to research labs

The wage trend has also been reinforced by a sharp rise in Indian students choosing Germany for higher education. Many of these students have stayed on after graduation, moving into research, academia, and advanced technical jobs.

Their impact is visible in innovation metrics as well. Patent applications involving inventors of Indian origin increased twelvefold between 2000 and 2022, highlighting the growing role of Indian professionals in Germany’s research and development ecosystem.

Policy push for skilled migration

Germany’s reliance on Indian talent has not been accidental. Since 2012, successive governments have stepped up efforts to recruit skilled workers from outside the European Union, with a clear focus on academic and technical professions.

In 2024, the government led by then Chancellor Olaf Scholz passed a series of measures aimed at easing immigration from India, as part of a broader strategy to address labour shortages caused by an ageing population.

The IW study suggests those policies are beginning to show results — not just in filling vacancies, but in attracting a highly paid, high-skilled workforce that is reshaping Germany’s labour market.