You can earn significantly more in nursing today than in the past. Trained specialists do not have to shy away from comparisons with other professions. Nursing facilities are not only obliged to pay the industry minimum wage, but also the regional salary level.
Nursing care insurance is in extreme financial distress and is one of the federal government's major reform projects. The umbrella association of health insurance companies (GKV) recently pointed out that higher wages for nursing staff also have an impact on the personal contributions of those in need of care. Nursing staff in long-term care have been able to enjoy significant salary increases in recent years. However, that didn't change the fact that not enough people in Germany are enthusiastic about the profession.
Both skilled workers and assistants in nursing are among the so-called bottleneck professions, meaning there are not enough workers available. Almost one in four of the 840,000 nursing staff in outpatient and inpatient care now comes from abroad. In hospitals and clinics the proportion is 17 percent.
The need for nursing staff is increasing and so is their number. The number of employees in nursing professions subject to social insurance contributions has increased by more than a fifth in the past ten years. Around 80 percent of them are women. The job is demanding, around half work part-time - including almost one in three male nurses.
According to the Federal Employment Agency, nursing specialists in geriatric care currently receive an average of almost 4,440 euros gross per month for a full-time position; in nursing it is almost 4,600 euros - half earn more, the other half less. The range is large: a quarter of skilled workers in geriatric care earn a maximum of just under 4,000 euros, a quarter earn almost 4,900 euros or more.
Specialists in nursing and geriatric care have been trained together for several years. In the third year of training, you can specialize in one area, but you don't have to. The minimum wage for skilled workers in geriatric care is currently 21.03 euros per hour and for nursing assistants 16.52 euros. They are also entitled to at least 29 vacation days per year. However, these legal lower limits do not apply everywhere: private households as employers do not have to pay the minimum wage for care.
Noticeable salary increases
On average, employees in long-term care earn 24.50 euros per hour, according to the GKV. This year, hourly wages rose by 3.4 percent, after 4.9 and 8.8 percent in previous years. Skilled workers now earn an average of around 28 euros per hour, assistants with at least one year of training earn almost 23.40 euros and assistants without training earn an average of almost 21 euros. Nursing assistants earn around 3,300 euros. While the lowest-paid quarter of helpers earn a maximum of just under 3,000 euros, according to the employment agency, the top quarter earns a good 3,700 euros or more.
State care facilities are usually bound by collective agreements, church facilities are based on them, and private ones usually set their own salaries, as the Medi-Career portal explains. Care companies without a collective agreement must adapt the amount of their remuneration to the respective regional level. In addition to regional differences, professional experience and activity, as usual, affect the salary level.
According to the employment agency, the highest average wages for skilled workers in geriatric care are in Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg at around 4,600 euros per month, and the lowest are in Saxony at just under 4,200 euros. Munich takes the top spot among the largest cities with almost 4,800 euros, while the average value in Dresden is a good 4,100 euros.
For comparison with other professions: The average gross annual salary across all sectors last year was just under 54,100 euros including special payments. According to the Federal Statistical Office, half of the employees in Germany earned more and half earned less. Converted to twelve months, that’s around 4,500 euros.
