Average Life Scientist Salary in Germany for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Life Scientist salary for 2024 in Germany and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Euro. To keep things simple, we are using the EUR currency code instead of the currency symbol โ‚ฌ.

How Much Does a Life Scientist Make in Germany?

A Life Scientist working in Germany will typically earn around 73,820 EUR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 34,980 EUR to the highest average salary of 116,180 EUR.

Average Annual Salary
73,820 EUR
Average Monthly Salary
6,151 EUR

Lowest Annual Salary
34,980 EUR
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,915 EUR

Highest Annual Salary
116,180 EUR
Highest Monthly Salary
9,681 EUR

These are average salaries for a Life Scientist in Germany and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Life Scientist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Life Scientist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Life Scientist Salaries in Germany

So we've looked at the average salaries a Life Scientist will earn in Germany. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Life Scientist can earn between 34,980 EUR and 116,180 EUR on average in Germany. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Life Scientist in Germany is 77,100 EUR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 77,100 EUR, and 50% of the population earn more than 77,100 EUR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Life Scientist salary in Germany, 25% of the population are earning less than 49,200 EUR while 75% of the population earn more than 49,200 EUR.

75% of the population earn less than 105,880 EUR, and 25% of the population earn more than 105,880 EUR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Life Scientist Salary by Experience Level in Germany

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average life scientist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Life Scientist in Germany that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 39,640 EUR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Life Scientist salary would increase to 52,460 EUR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Life Scientist, the average salary would be 75,500 EUR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 92,240 EUR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Life Scientist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 97,900 EUR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Life Scientist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 107,580 EUR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
39,640 EUR
2-5 Years +34%
52,460 EUR
5-10 Years +48%
75,500 EUR
10-15 Years +22%
92,240 EUR
15-20 Years +9%
97,900 EUR
20+ Years +8%
107,580 EUR

Life Scientist Salary by Education Level in Germany

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Life Scientist in Germany based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Life Scientist in Germany with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 41,820 EUR.

  • Master's Degree. A Life Scientist in Germany with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 69,240 EUR.

  • PhD. A Life Scientist in Germany with a phd education can earn an average salary of 114,900 EUR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
41,820 EUR
Master's Degree +57%
69,240 EUR
PhD +68%
114,900 EUR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Germany is around 19,100 to 57,200 EUR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Life Scientist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Germany, a male life scientist will earn an average of 73,980 EUR, while a female life scientist will earn around 69,260 EUR.

This means that a male life scientist earns approximately 7% more than a female life scientist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Germany

Male
73,980 EUR
Female -7%
69,260 EUR

Life Scientist Average Pay Raise in Germany

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Life Scientist in Germany is around 12% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Germany is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Life Scientist in Germany can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Germany for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Germany.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
9%
Energy
9%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
9%
Travel
9%
Construction
9%
Education
9%

Life Scientist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Germany

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Life Scientist is a moderate bonus based job, with 63% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

37% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.

Received Bonus
63%
No Bonus
37%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Germany earn approximately 8% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
48,200 EUR
Private Sector -8%
44,540 EUR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Life Scientist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Life Scientist in Germany.

Job Title Category Salary
3D Lab Technologist Science and Technical Services 41,180 EUR
Algorithm Developer Science and Technical Services 54,560 EUR
Analytical Chemist Science and Technical Services 80,340 EUR
Anthropologist Science and Technical Services 58,520 EUR
Archeologist Science and Technical Services 53,660 EUR
Assistant Breeder Science and Technical Services 28,820 EUR
Astronomer Science and Technical Services 102,020 EUR
Atmospheric and Space Scientist Science and Technical Services 80,800 EUR
Behavior Analyst Science and Technical Services 50,180 EUR
Behavior Intervention Specialist Science and Technical Services 61,780 EUR
Behavior Specialist Science and Technical Services 56,460 EUR
Biochemist Science and Technical Services 93,120 EUR
Biofuels Processing Technician Science and Technical Services 36,700 EUR
Biofuels Production Manager Science and Technical Services 66,480 EUR
Biologist Science and Technical Services 92,400 EUR
Biomedical Laboratory Officer Science and Technical Services 34,380 EUR
Biomedical Scientist Science and Technical Services 91,520 EUR
Biophysicist Science and Technical Services 88,300 EUR
Chemical Engineer Science and Technical Services 43,800 EUR
Chemical Technologist Science and Technical Services 42,320 EUR
Chemist Science and Technical Services 83,300 EUR
Chief Technologist Science and Technical Services 78,940 EUR
Climate Change Analyst Science and Technical Services 57,800 EUR
Clinical Laboratory Scientist Science and Technical Services 92,720 EUR
Computer Scientist Science and Technical Services 68,900 EUR
Conservation Scientist Science and Technical Services 77,400 EUR
Data Science Specialist Science and Technical Services 58,860 EUR
Data Scientist Science and Technical Services 72,120 EUR
DNA Analyst Science and Technical Services 93,340 EUR
Ecologist Science and Technical Services 67,120 EUR
Economic Development Specialist Science and Technical Services 67,300 EUR
Flavourist Science and Technical Services 31,960 EUR
Food Scientist Science and Technical Services 58,720 EUR
Forensic Scientist Science and Technical Services 72,700 EUR
Formulation Technologist Science and Technical Services 38,260 EUR
Fraud Investigator Science and Technical Services 45,620 EUR
Genomics Scientist Science and Technical Services 96,340 EUR
Geographer Science and Technical Services 50,580 EUR
Geographic Information Systems Technician Science and Technical Services 31,940 EUR
Geological Data Technician Science and Technical Services 30,700 EUR
Geological Technician Science and Technical Services 40,140 EUR
Geologist Science and Technical Services 80,480 EUR
Geomatics Scientist Science and Technical Services 79,360 EUR
Geophysical Data Technician Science and Technical Services 31,540 EUR
Geospatial Information Scientist and Technologist Science and Technical Services 64,620 EUR
Global Technical Lead Science and Technical Services 97,260 EUR
Hydrologist Science and Technical Services 59,480 EUR
Industrial Ecologist Science and Technical Services 64,560 EUR
Intelligence Analyst Science and Technical Services 54,280 EUR
Knowledge Management Specialist Science and Technical Services 45,560 EUR
Lab Analyst Science and Technical Services 40,140 EUR
Lab Manager Science and Technical Services 61,780 EUR
Lab Technician Science and Technical Services 27,480 EUR
Laboratory Manager Science and Technical Services 61,680 EUR
Laboratory Researcher Science and Technical Services 45,560 EUR
Laboratory Technician Science and Technical Services 29,540 EUR
Life Sciences Analyst Science and Technical Services 61,760 EUR
Marine Architect Science and Technical Services 54,560 EUR
Marine Biologist Science and Technical Services 66,260 EUR
Marine Superintendent Science and Technical Services 37,800 EUR
Materials Analyst Science and Technical Services 41,180 EUR
Materials Scientist Science and Technical Services 69,240 EUR
Mathematician Science and Technical Services 72,180 EUR
Medical Scientist Science and Technical Services 90,620 EUR
Metallurgist Science and Technical Services 68,580 EUR
Meteorologist Science and Technical Services 66,680 EUR
Microbiologist Science and Technical Services 95,720 EUR
Natural Language Processing Researcher Science and Technical Services 54,500 EUR
Natural Resource Specialist Science and Technical Services 56,060 EUR
Natural Resources Analyst Science and Technical Services 58,240 EUR
Natural Sciences Manager Science and Technical Services 88,600 EUR
Nuclear Engineer Science and Technical Services 98,140 EUR
Physical Scientist Science and Technical Services 74,300 EUR
Physicist Science and Technical Services 85,700 EUR
Political Scientist Science and Technical Services 66,960 EUR
Polygraph Examiner Science and Technical Services 25,160 EUR
Polysomnographic Technologist Science and Technical Services 43,340 EUR
Product Development Scientist Science and Technical Services 73,980 EUR
Quantitative Research Analyst Science and Technical Services 58,440 EUR
Quantitative Researcher Science and Technical Services 66,580 EUR
Radiation Protection Specialist Science and Technical Services 50,560 EUR
Refrigeration Technician Science and Technical Services 20,940 EUR
Research Scientist Science and Technical Services 61,680 EUR
Risk Safety Engineer Science and Technical Services 43,480 EUR
Scientific Photographer Science and Technical Services 43,480 EUR
Scientific Programmer Science and Technical Services 57,620 EUR
Scientist Science and Technical Services 64,560 EUR
Service Engineer Science and Technical Services 38,340 EUR
Service Technician Science and Technical Services 26,860 EUR
Social Science Research Assistant Science and Technical Services 36,580 EUR
Social Scientist Science and Technical Services 73,800 EUR
Sociologist Science and Technical Services 71,020 EUR
Soil Scientist Science and Technical Services 59,480 EUR
Statistical Analyst Science and Technical Services 39,080 EUR
Statistical Assistant Science and Technical Services 30,220 EUR
Statistician Science and Technical Services 66,100 EUR
Survey Analyst Science and Technical Services 42,040 EUR
Survey Researcher Science and Technical Services 38,260 EUR
Surveying and Mapping Technician Science and Technical Services 24,800 EUR
Team Leader Science and Technical Services 56,140 EUR
Technical Manager Science and Technical Services 65,800 EUR
Technical Officer Science and Technical Services 29,840 EUR
Technical Service Director Science and Technical Services 80,840 EUR
Technical Services Regulatory Affairs Specialist Science and Technical Services 44,800 EUR
Technical Services Research and Development Manager Science and Technical Services 96,220 EUR
Technical Services Research Associate Science and Technical Services 45,600 EUR
Technical Services Research Coordinator Science and Technical Services 45,260 EUR
Technician Science and Technical Services 27,620 EUR
Water Ecologist Science and Technical Services 78,160 EUR
Wildlife Biologist Science and Technical Services 62,860 EUR

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Germany, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Berlin 85,880 EUR
Bremen 67,360 EUR
Dortmund 71,700 EUR
Dresden 68,060 EUR
Dusseldorf 71,400 EUR
Essen 71,660 EUR
Frankfurt 73,820 EUR
Hamburg 81,880 EUR
Hannover 65,920 EUR
Koln 77,400 EUR
Leipzig 68,400 EUR
Munchen 80,180 EUR
Nurnberg 61,780 EUR
Stuttgart 74,560 EUR

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