In Germany’s public sector, which employs around 5.5 million people, salaries — depending on position, qualifications and experience — can range from €3 400 to almost €7 000 per month.
Examples of roles and salary ranges
For example, bus drivers in Berlin can earn over €3 400 per month, while technical project managers can earn up to €6 900. Pay levels are largely determined by collective pay scales rather than individual agreements with employers.
In public and municipal institutions, pay is determined by the pay group and pay step. In addition to the base rate, employees may receive various supplements depending on working conditions and schedules.
Terms and allowances at Berlin’s BVG
At Berlin’s transport company BVG, the basic salary for a bus driver is €3 236,79 per month, to which a monthly allowance of €225 for vehicle operation is added. Employees may also receive supplements for night work — 25%, for weekends — up to 25%, and for public holidays — 135%.
In addition, BVG offers a Christmas bonus of €2 100, an annual holiday payment of €500 and 30 days’ annual leave, as stated on the company’s website. Such allowances and bonuses supplement the base tariff rate.
Pay scales, pay steps and special legal status
The public sector uses a system of collective agreements, the most common of which is TVöD. Salary depends on three factors: the collective agreement (Tarifvertrag), the pay group (Entgeltgruppe) and the pay step (Stufe).
Under the TVöD-VKA pay scale, from May 2026 employees in pay group 12 receive from €4 415,70 at step one to €6 900,18 at step six. Practices for recognising previous work experience when determining the step can vary, and the salaries of civil servants with special legal status (Beamte) are set by separate laws.
