The wage gap in Germany narrowed over the past year. According to the “Wage Monitor” run by the Nuremberg Institute for Employment and Occupational Research (IAB), information reported by “Der Spiegel”, gross hourly wages rose by an average of 3.9 % in the second half of 2025 to €25.88.
Wage growth was strongest in the middle‑income bracket, where it climbed 5.2 %, outpacing the 3.7 % rise among top earners. Workers without a secondary school qualification saw the most pronounced increase, reaching €18.05 per hour. IAB economist Enzo Weber told “Der Spiegel” that wages are now more evenly distributed than they were a decade ago, an improvement also visible in the low‑wage sector, which has shrunk considerably. These figures come from the IAB’s OPAL survey.
In contrast, hourly wages for university‑educated employees have barely changed over the past two years. Their average was €30.02 per hour at the end of 2023, rising only to €30.92 in the second half of 2025.
Weber cautions that the trend of relatively high pay in unskilled helper jobs could reduce the incentive for people to pursue formal training. Currently, 13 % of workers under 35 have no completed vocational education.
