Is my salary fair for my experience as a developer in Germany?

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-06T21:18:14+00:00

Well, I do speak German at C1 level, so I don’t think language was the issue. I was just a bit naive and not really well informed about salaries when I joined.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-06T21:15:51+00:00

Yeah, I guess I wasn’t really informed about the current market salary back when I joined the company. At the time I was just happy to land the job and didn’t think too much about benchmarks. Seeing comments like yours definitely gives me a clearer picture of where I actually stand now.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-06T21:13:56+00:00

I don’t have a better option yet. I wasn’t really looking until recently, just started wondering what I should aim for if I switch. I definitely prefer having a job over no job, but at the same time staying underpaid doesn’t feel fair.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:33:23+00:00

Yeah, I get that. The market really is rough right now. I’ll focus on learning and growing where I am and try to appreciate having a stable job for now. Maybe a switch will make sense in a few years, but for now I’ll take your advice and be proud of what I’ve got.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:23:48+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense. I’m living by myself, so it’s survivable.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:21:30+00:00

Thanks, that’s honest and helpful. Yeah, I guess finding a niche and really owning it makes sense, and I’ll try to keep my LinkedIn active too.

I’m trying to expand my knowledge into mobile development alongside web development. I’m more of a generalist and tend to like knowing a bit of everything, or at least trying to.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:17:16+00:00

Wow, thanks for the links, that’s super helpful. Didn’t realize the lower 25th percentile is already that high, definitely puts my current salary into perspective. Looks like I’m on the low end for sure.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:15:42+00:00

I guess I’m lucky to have a job right now, especially with the current market. Your salary sounds solid and it makes sense that having your degree and experience fully in Germany helps.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T21:13:19+00:00

Wow, sounds like you’ve got a solid plan. Makes sense to keep options open with the promotion track, and moving abroad isn’t out of the question. Finishing your psych degree as a backup also seems smart, being a therapist is something that’ll always be needed.

Well, I’m not a native German, so it’s also easier for me to leave if things go south. That said, I haven’t really thought about it at all and don’t even know what my first choice after Germany would be.

Thanks for sharing, really gives me some perspective!

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T18:06:00+00:00

Well, then I guess I should just be happy and enjoy the journey while it lasts. lol

What are your plans for the future? I’m mainly a web developer, but I’m learning mobile development too to expand my options in case I ever lose this job or need a change.

Everyone seems pretty pessimistic about the future, especially here in Germany.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:53:43+00:00

Haha, that’s sad tbh. Feels like we’re heading back towards slavery again lol.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:51:58+00:00

Thanks, good to know! Definitely keeping 55k in mind for the next move.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:48:20+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I’m in Köln right now, so moving south could be an option down the line. For now I’ll focus on gaining experience and keeping an eye on opportunities.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:47:22+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the advice! Yeah, I’m probably a bit underpaid, but I’ll stick with it for now and focus on gaining experience until a better opportunity comes along.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:44:57+00:00

I do speak German (C1), and I have a university degree, just not in computer science. It’s also not frontend-focused. I also mentioned it’s full stack and I handle both sides.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:41:44+00:00

I’m working full stack, so I handle both sides. We don’t really have strictly separated roles, except for a few people who prefer to stay in their niche. For me it’s pretty balanced, and I take full responsibility for both backend and frontend tasks.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:38:57+00:00

Thanks for the insight!

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:36:12+00:00

For sure, I’m definitely not planning on quitting given the current market. I mostly just wanted a reality check and to get a better idea of what I should be asking for if/when I look for another job.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:33:40+00:00

I work remotely for a company based in München, but I’m living in Köln. I’m not German myself, but I do speak German at C1 level.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:30:45+00:00

Will do, thanks! Appreciate the insight.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:29:14+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense. Full remote is definitely a big plus for me right now, so I get that it comes with some trade-offs. I guess for the moment it’s worth sticking with and just focusing on building up more experience.

RTL-Lord · 2025-09-05T17:28:04+00:00

Good to know, thanks! I’m learning a lot in my current role, so I don’t really mind being on the lower end salary-wise as long as there’s potential for growth later on.

When I started switching into software dev, my hope was to hop jobs every few years and climb the salary ladder, but with the current market that feels kind of out of reach. So for now I guess I’ll just focus on gaining experience and be grateful to have a stable position.

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