Pay transparency (talking about salaries)

Pay transparency (Lohntransparenz) means openness about salaries – a topic traditionally avoided in Germany, but one that is changing fundamentally.

The problem with the taboo:

• If you don't know what others earn, you negotiate worse
• The gender pay gap (16%) persists partly because women negotiate their salary less often
• Employers benefit from their information advantage – they know ALL salaries, you only know yours

Salary portals – your information weapon:

• Glassdoor: anonymous salary reports from employees
• Kununu: employer reviews with salary information
• Gehalt.de / StepStone salary report: industry comparisons by position, region, experience
• Entgeltatlas of the Federal Employment Agency: official data, free of charge

What's changing (EU directive by June 2026):

• Salary MUST be stated in job adverts
• Right to information for ALL employees (not just from 200 employees)
• Reversal of the burden of proof in cases of pay discrimination
• Fines and compensation for violations

Tips for YOU:

• BEFORE the job interview: research your market value on salary portals
• Talk to colleagues: there is NO legal ban on discussing your salary (despite clauses in contracts saying otherwise – they're invalid!)
• Use the Pay Transparency Act (Entgelttransparenzgesetz): from 200 employees: right to information on the median salary for comparable work