A study by the German Economic Institute reveals the vocational training programs that yield the highest salaries, sometimes surpassing those of university graduates. Interestingly, these professions are currently facing a shortage of skilled workers.
Skills shortage affects high-paying vocational jobs
According to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW), the skills shortage is also impacting vocational careers with above-average wages. “Some employees with vocational training earn more than those with university degrees,” states the IW study published at the start of the training year. The study lists the twenty most lucrative occupational categories for 20- to 39-year-olds.
The study authors also draw conclusions about the skills shortage. They note that in some areas, such as electrical operations technology, there’s a search for qualified staff despite above-average compensation. “Therefore, a wage increase alone is not a simple solution to the skills shortage,” argue the researchers from the employer-affiliated institute. Instead, they suggest better promotion of vocational training programs and recruitment of foreign skilled workers.
Salaries up to 5,670 euros without a university degree
According to the analysis, among the highest-paid skilled workers are those in technical research and development – often employed in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. The median gross income for full-time employees in this field is 5,670 euros. Workers in this sector have completed various training programs but are particularly specialized, working as test field mechanics, for example.
Workers in the aerospace industry – such as trained aircraft mechanics – follow in second place in the ranking. They earn a median of around 5,100 euros. Behind them are employees in insurance and financial services with a median salary of just over 5,000 euros.
Top 10 highest-paying vocational jobs:
- Technical research and development (specialized) (e.g., mechatronics technician in the automotive industry) – 5,670 euros
- Aerospace technology (e.g., aircraft mechanic) – 5,108 euros
- Insurance and financial services (specialized) (e.g., vault manager) – 5,021 euros
- Energy and power plant technology (e.g., power plant mechanic) – 4,945 euros
- Technical production planning and control (e.g., production technologist) – 4,940 euros
- Technical informatics (e.g., CAD analyst) – 4,628 euros
- Shipping clerks (e.g., shipping clerk) – 4,603 euros
- Fire protection (e.g., company firefighter) – 4,557 euros
- Banking clerks (e.g., bank clerk) – 4,544 euros
- Construction planning and supervision (e.g., technical assistant in construction technology) – 4,517 euros
According to the study, most well-paid vocational jobs have a technical focus or come from the construction industry. More than half of the 20 most lucrative professions are in the metal and electrical sectors. Across all occupational categories, the median income for employees with completed vocational training in 2023 was just over 3,500 euros.
The “median” divides the examined values into two equal groups and is less susceptible to individual particularly high values than the average. This means that the income of 50 percent of employees is below the median, while that of the other half is above it. This middle value doesn’t consider outliers in salaries.
