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Teach English in Germany: Salary

Germany speaks for itself: as an economic and cultural powerhouse with high rates of English proficiency, there’s plenty of reason to move there. What about teaching salaries?

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Germany is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for living and working, and it’s no mystery why. With an excellent standard of living, a robust economy, world-famous arts, rich cultural history and incredible natural beauty, Germany is one of Europe's - and the world’s - most famous nations. From modern, fashionable cities like Berlin to more traditional, eclectic settings like Munich, educational powerhouses like Leipzig or Dresden and the port cities of Hamburg and Frankfurt, there’s something for everyone in the heart of Europe.

For TEFL teachers, there are also excellent opportunities, with English proficiency being incredibly high, decent-paying jobs, a well-established culture of employee benefits and a much-envied and copied school system.

When you teach English in Germany, there's plenty to consider - especially when it comes to earning a salary. ESL teachers, for example, might want to think about their foreign language skills, as German proficiency can help an English teacher out significantly. Private tutoring can top up a salary, but how much time will English teachers really have? As for the type of school: can you earn the best salary in a private school, private language school, state school or elsewhere? Is English teaching in Germany financially viable for ESL teachers overall?

Well, let's take a look and tackle any questions you might have about English teaching salaries in Germany.

How much can you earn teaching in Germany?

If you’re able to land a full-time English teaching job in a school in Germany, the average salary is about €3,179 per month ($3,422/£2,692) per month.

That said, full-time positions aren’t very common. A lot of the time, teachers are freelance and are paid per lesson. As a teacher, you can expect to charge around €20-€25 ($22-$27/£17-£21) for a 45-minute lesson as an inexperienced teacher, and up to €30-€40+ ($32-$43/£25-£33) as an experienced teacher. This is in general terms, and it’s before we take into account some specific factors.

This is all before we get to international schools, universities, language schools and tutoring, all of which pay differently!

Types of English teaching positions, salary and benefits

Public Schools
Private Schools
International Schools
Universities
Private Tutoring

Public schools

When we talk about state school teaching jobs in Germany, it’s crucial to know how the school system works, because it’s quite different to how a lot of the world operates. Usually, kids start primary school at six years old, from Grade 1 to Grade 4 - apart from in Berlin and Brandenburg, where primary school doesn’t end until Grade 6. Then, depending on academic performance, young learners will go to either a Comprehensive (Gesamtschule) or a Grammar (Gymnasium) school. For foreign teachers, it can take some getting used to.

This matters, because - generally speaking - teachers working at Gesamtschules and Gymnasiums will earn more than grade school teachers. The difference at the regional level, in the case of Berlin and Brandenburg, is also crucial to understanding Germany’s school system. Pay grades for teachers in Germany differ by region, as well as your level of experience. Usually, when you start teaching in Germany, you’ll be paid at the A12 grade level and will advance through the grades as you build up years of experience.

So, an average salary for this kind of job is usually between €3,000-€3,800 ($3,250-$4,118/£2,537-£3,214), depending on teaching experience and where you're based.

Private language schools

Private language schools are extremely popular in Germany, especially in bigger cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. Full-time jobs in private language schools aren’t common, instead, you can expect to earn between €15-€30 ($16-$32/£12-£25) per hour working on a part-time or freelance basis, at first. Your working hours will usually incorporate evenings and weekends, and you won't typically be working with young learners, instead, you'll be teaching English to adults who want to explore more career options.

International schools

International schools in Germany typically pay English teachers extremely well and offer a range of excellent benefits. Salaries usually range between €3,500-€6,000 ($3,793-$6,500/£2,960-£5,075) per month (with more on offer after years of teaching in the same role), and a range of benefits.

These benefits include a travel allowance, relocation assistance (including help finding a new home) and child education benefits, allowing you to enrol your kids in high-quality institutions at a discount.

Universities

It’s far more common for university roles for English teachers/lecturers to be on a part-time or freelance basis, and so, a monthly average salary of about €1,500-€2,000 ($1,625-$2,167/£1,268-£1,692). Where there are full-time jobs, it’s not uncommon to see salaries listed as A13 or above, so the average salary will depend on region and your level of experience.

Private tutoring

As a private tutor, the amount you can charge through one-to-one or group lessons is largely up to you, unless you work for a tutoring company. If you are setting your rates, it’s worth noting that a pretty typical rate for private tutoring lessons is about €20-€25 ($22-$27/£17-£21) for a 45-minute lesson if you’re starting out, and up to €30-€40+ ($32-$43/£25-£33) as an experienced teacher. Of course, you can temper your fees to suit different budgets and circumstances, and it’s also worth considering the availability of corporate tutoring gigs, so brush up on your business English skills if you can!

Qualifications and requirements

TEFL certificate

Holding a TEFL certification will make it far easier to find work teaching English in Germany. While many employers will look for a bachelor’s degree and experience - more on this to come - competition of a TEFL course demonstrates an excellent grounding in the theory and methodologies of English teaching. You’ll need to have completed a TEFL certification course with 120 hours of training behind it - the industry standard - as a minimum.

Given the number of opportunities involving Business English and English for Academic Purposes, it might be prudent to consider advanced TEFL qualifications to stand out in the job market.

Degree/no-degree

German employers will usually ask for a bachelor’s degree or more. At public schools, a degree (preferably in education or English) and TEFL certificate are typically the minimum requirements, while at international schools and for certain university positions, you may require a master’s or above.

If you want to teach English abroad without a degree though, and your heart is set on teaching English in Germany, there are options. Summer schools are a great route for aspiring TEFL teachers who want to build up experience. Teaching English in language schools without a degree is possible with a TEFL certificate and plenty of experience. From a salary perspective, you’ll usually see higher salaries given to those who do have one or more degrees, as you’re more likely to secure a full-time salaried position in a high-quality school with a degree to your name.

Language proficiency

If you can speak German, it doesn't always translate to a higher salary and better teaching opportunities, but it helps!

Bilingual schools in Germany are relatively popular, and some English teaching jobs do, in fact, ask for some German proficiency. As a matter of course, it’s useful to be at least relatively proficient in the language of anywhere you want to live and work, but in Germany, it can prove especially prudent. It’s hard to say if there’s a direct correlation between German proficiency and higher English teaching salaries, but it’s bound to be useful in negotiating a higher salary if you can speak fluent German.

Non-native English speakers can teach English abroad in Germany, provided they have qualifications demonstrating fluency. IELTS and TOEFL are helpful in this regard, as are degrees from English-speaking countries. Bear in mind that English proficiency in Germany is high, and for TEFL teachers, much of your competition will be from within Germany.

Experience

To put it simply, the more experience you have, the more you’re likely to earn teaching English in Germany. If you’re moving to Germany as a well-tenured teacher, you’re more likely to command a higher starting wage, and if you teach English in Germany for long enough, you’ll see your salary grow.

This isn’t to say that brand-new teachers can’t earn an impressive salary from the start, but experience certainly pays if you're an English teacher in Germany - in a very literal sense.

Visa

The type of visa you’re on only really affects your salary in the sense that it changes the type of work you’re able to get. If you have an employment residence permit for Germany, then you can work in full-time roles without any issue. If you’re using a student visa or any kind of time-limited visa, it’ll mean you’re less likely to be able to accept permanent, full-time roles.

Download our teaching English in Europe guide

Factors influencing salary

What kinds of factors can influence your teaching salary while teaching English in Germany? Let’s take a look.

Qualifications and experience

As a rule, the more qualifications you have on your CV and the more experience you have as a teacher, the better starting wage you’re likely to command from German schools. At the state level, qualifications and experience can move your pay grade up from the average (A12 or A13), leading to a comparatively excellent teaching salary.

Of course, high levels of qualifications and plenty of experience can also lead to positions at international schools, private schools and bilingual schools, all of which tend to pay more lucrative salaries.

Location

In Germany, where you are matters. Places with higher cost of living tend to pay bigger salaries - expect to be paid more in Berlin than, for example, Hesse. Each region has its own pay scale.

FAQs

Q. Are English teachers in demand in Germany?

If you’re an ESL teacher looking to find a teaching job in Europe, Germany is a fantastic option. There is significant demand for English in Germany, a country with excellent proficiency in the language.

Q. What qualifications do I need to teach English in Germany?

There are lots of different job types for those interested in teaching English in Germany, all with different requirements. In general, German employers usually want a university degree, TEFL certification and some previous teaching experience from candidates, though some international companies running language teaching schools in big cities usually have more lenient requirements.

Q. Do English teachers get paid well in Germany?

Most teachers in Germany would probably argue they get paid well to teach English, especially if they have plenty of experience.

Q. How much is a teacher paid in Germany?

English teachers in Germany - on a full-time salary - are usually paid about €3,179 per month ($3,422/$2,692) per month, depending on experience and region.