Cloud Engineer Salary in Germany
What is a cloud engineer?
Cloud engineers hold the responsibility of provisioning and maintaining resources in the cloud. Coming from an administrative or infrastructure background, they bring a unique set of skills that differ significantly from those of web developers. Their primary role involves implementing and integrating cloud-based solutions to meet the organisation's needs. A key aspect of their job is to ensure that the organisation's cloud infrastructure is not only scalable and reliable but also secure.
The average salary for a cloud engineer in Germany is €72,600
Cloud engineers in Germany earn an average salary of €70,350 per year or around €6,050 per month. Salary ranges from €59K on the low end to €84K on the higher end.
Cloud engineers are some of the highest-paid professionals in the software space, they sit in a bracket right below engineering managers and executives. The average salary for a cloud engineer, according to StackOverflow, is $105,000, which is about $30K more than a backend developer.
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Salary by experience
Cloud engineers starting out in the role are entering at a relatively high salary since the role is highly technical and deals with sensitive company data. In Germany, you might be offered around €60K starting salary, which gradually increases with experience and skill. Senior cloud engineers are earning around €80K on average, but can be pushed a lot higher depending on the company you work for.
Taxes in Germany
A cloud engineer earning the average salary can expect to lose 39% to taxes. Yes, Germany burdens its workforce with super high taxes. For those trying to avoid these costs, there are some other countries in Europe that have more competitive tax rates. Let’s have a look at the tax breakdown.
If you are living in Germany, and earning a gross annual salary of €80,000, or €6,667 per month, the total amount of taxes and contributions that will be deducted from your salary is €31,588. This means that your net income, or salary after tax, will be €48,412 per year, €4,034 per month, or €931 per week.
German tax brackets
Average salary by city
Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt take the lead in terms of offering the highest average salaries for cloud engineers. These cities also provide abundant job prospects, largely due to the concentration of multinational corporations and tech giants. If you're striving for top-notch compensation, it's advisable to focus your job search efforts on Berlin and Munich. On the other hand, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf have limited earning potential due to fewer available job opportunities and smaller tech scenes.
Median salary by country
You might be wondering how German cloud engineer salaries compare to the rest of the world. Well, unfortunately they are lower than other western countries like the UK, United States, and Canada. It’s even lower than the worldwide average (according to StackOverflow data) which is doubly disappointing when you consider the high tax rates.
Salary by Company
We’ve taken a snapshot of exact salaries reported at some of the established companies in Germany so that you can get a better gauge of your earning potential. As you can see, the majority of companies are paying between €50K - €70K for cloud engineers, there are not many that are paying over €80K, unfortunately.
Fair and transparent salaries
Openness about salaries during the job search process is beneficial for both job seekers and employers, as it sets clear expectations and simplifies job comparisons. It also aids in more effective salary negotiations. By sharing salary reviews, you contribute to a transparent and equitable job market for all. Whether you're a cloud engineer earning more or less than the average, your company review can offer crucial insights to your peers. Your contribution has the potential to significantly impact the professional community. 😊
