Painter and decorator in Germany: salary, recognition

What you do in this job

The pay figures apply to the specialisation in design and maintenance (Gestaltung und Instandhaltung). You repair plaster damage, create finishes with painting techniques or decorative plasters, fit insulation materials and external thermal insulation systems and protect timber components. You work on building sites and inside buildings, mostly for businesses in the painting and decorating trade.

Painter and decorator pay – by federal state

The figures come from the Entgeltatlas (pay atlas) of the Federal Employment Agency: median gross monthly pay of employees in full-time work, reference date 31.12.2025, across all age groups and industries. Half earn more than the median, half earn less. Your pay depends on the employer, collective agreement, experience and region; after tax and social insurance, less is left as net pay.

Federal state	Median gross/month
Germany overall	€3,327
Baden-Württemberg	€3,470
Bremen	€3,458
Bayern	€3,449
Nordrhein-Westfalen	€3,429
Hamburg	€3,422
Niedersachsen	€3,381
Schleswig-Holstein	€3,365
Rheinland-Pfalz	€3,364
Hessen	€3,329
Saarland	€3,220
Berlin	€3,074
Thüringen	€2,923
Brandenburg	€2,922
Sachsen-Anhalt	€2,918
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	€2,893
Sachsen	€2,893

Work out your net pay: income tax calculator of the Federal Ministry of Finance (in German)

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Recognition of your qualification

Working as a painter and decorator is not regulated in Germany. With a qualification from abroad you do not need professional recognition in order to work. A formal finding of equivalence does help employers assess your qualification, though – and for entry from a country outside the EU as a skilled worker with vocational training it is a requirement. Equivalence is assessed by the local Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammern). The Recognition Finder on anerkennung-in-deutschland.de shows which body applies to you.

Your route to Germany – depending on where you come from

From the EU or the EEA You do not need a visa or a residence permit and may work as an employee in Germany. If you live here, you still register your address.
From Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia Under the Western Balkans rule, any employment is possible with the approval of the Federal Employment Agency, even without a skilled-worker qualification. The approval is given with a priority check (whether Germans or foreigners with priority are available for the job). The number of approvals per year is limited, and the first approval is only given if you apply at the German mission abroad in your country.
From Andorra, Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, the United Kingdom or the USA The Federal Employment Agency can approve any employment – regardless of where the employer is based – with a priority check.
From other countries: as a skilled worker with vocational training You need a concrete job offer and a formal finding that your qualification is equivalent to German vocational training. The body responsible for this finding is the local Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer). With the residence permit you may take any qualified job, not only in the occupation you trained for.
From other countries: with work experience, without recognition Possible if, within the last five years, you have gained at least two years of work experience and hold a vocational qualification recognised by the state in your country that took at least two years of training. You also need pay at the statutory minimum level or pay under a collective agreement, and the approval of the Federal Employment Agency.
From other countries: recognition partnership You enter with a job offer and complete the recognition process in Germany alongside your work. Requirements include a qualification from your country that is recognised by the state and took at least two years of training, an agreement with the employer, at least adequate German (A2) and the approval of the Federal Employment Agency.
Who applies? You apply for the visa yourself at the German mission abroad. There is no visa application run by the employer, as in some other countries: the company provides the job offer or employment contract and fills in the “Declaration of employment relationship” (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis).

Which German do you need?

For skilled workers with vocational training, the law sets no fixed language level. The German mission abroad checks whether your knowledge fits the job and describes this in different ways – ask there. For the recognition partnership, at least adequate German (A2) is required. Which German an employer expects in daily work is stated in the job ad or settled in the interview.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a painter and decorator earn in Germany?

According to the Entgeltatlas of the Federal Employment Agency, the median gross monthly pay for full-time work is €3,327 (reference date 31.12.2025). The middle half earns between €2,958 and €3,676. Values differ by federal state – the table above shows them.

Who checks my foreign qualification as a painter and decorator?

A Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) is responsible for the finding of equivalence – which one depends on where you will work. You do not need it to work, because the occupation is not regulated; for entry as a skilled worker with vocational training from a country outside the EU it is a requirement.

Can I work as a painter and decorator in Germany without German?

For skilled workers with vocational training or a degree, the law sets no fixed language level; the German mission abroad checks case by case whether your knowledge fits the job. Whether an employer hires you without German is the employer's own decision.

Related occupations

Sources

Last checked: 9 October 2026

Painter and decorator in Germany: salary, recognition and route

At a glance