The vessel boasts a golden wage compensation
News Article: Competitive Wages in Germany's Trades Sector
In Germany, the trades sector is seeing competitive wages, particularly among master craftsmen (Meister). Despite this, earnings in the trades sector often lag behind those in many industrial sectors.
According to a recent survey by the Ludwig-Fröler Institute for Trade Sciences, master craftsmen in traditional trades like plumbing, electrical, and carpentry can earn more than standard skilled tradespeople but less than many industrial sector professionals.
The study, which evaluated over 8,000 data sets from over 2,800 trade businesses, found that masters who pass the master craftsman exam can compete with technicians in industry or engineers with a bachelor's degree in terms of salary. The average wages for master craftsmen were consistently above 4,000 euros gross per month, with top wages reaching up to 8,000 euros for electricians and 7,500 euros for masons and concrete builders.
Interestingly, many construction and renovation professions already pay over 1,000 euros gross per month in the first year of training, with wages for tilers, masons, chimney sweeps, and plumbers ranging between 21 and 23 euros per hour.
Peter Haas, CEO of Handwerk BW, stated that trades pay competitive wages from the start compared to other sectors, and there are no significant differences in training wages compared to other sectors. However, there are large differences in wages, especially among master craftsmen.
Recent wage growth in Germany has been moderate, with nominal wages increasing about 2.7% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025, and real wages growing marginally by 0.4% after inflation adjustment. Despite the increase in labour costs, which have reached record highs, productivity gains tend to be higher in industry, maintaining competitive net earnings relative to trades.
However, the growing shadow economy in Germany, which accounts for more than 11% of GDP, suggests that some trades may be under-reporting earnings or operating largely "unofficially," which affects actual income distribution and wage comparisons between trades and industry.
For further information, Jürgen Schmidt can be contacted at 0711 66601-147 or j.schmidt@our website. The authors of the survey conclude that "general statements about low trade wages are not valid."
Given the competitive wages in the trades sector, especially for master craftsmen, it's clear that pursuing a career as a master craftsman could provide a financially rewarding path, especially in traditions trades like plumbing, electrical, and carpentry. However, it's important to note that education and self-development, such as obtaining a master craftsman title, play significant roles in fostering higher wages in the trades sector, often placing them on par with careers in the industrial sector, notably technicians and engineers.
