German wages experienced sustained growth in the second quarter of 2025, according to data released Friday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Nominal wages rose by 4.1 percent year-on-year, while consumer prices increased by 2.1 percent over the same period. This resulted in a real wage increase of 1.9 percent, continuing a positive trend observed in recent quarters.
Notable above-average nominal wage gains were recorded in the financial and insurance services sector (+7.6 percent), professional, scientific and technical activities (+7.6 percent) and other business services (+5.5 percent).
Conversely, sectors including trade, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (+2.7 percent), arts, entertainment and recreation (+2.7 percent) and transport and storage (+1.7 percent) experienced comparatively modest nominal wage increases. The energy sector saw a slight decrease in nominal wages, registering a decline of -0.2 percent.
Analyzing full-time employees by income quintile, the lowest income fifth (the first quintile) recorded the strongest nominal wage growth at 6.5 percent, continuing a pattern of stronger gains for lower earners.
Overall, earnings for all full-time employees increased by 4.3 percent. The highest income fifth of full-time employees (the fifth quintile), however, saw a nominal wage increase of +2.5 percent, falling slightly below the overall economic trend.
Apprentices experienced a disproportionately high nominal wage increase of +5.5 percent year-on-year. Marginal employment, however, saw a more limited increase of just 0.6 percent, according to the federal office.