There’s no shortage of “top 15 highest paying Ausbildung” lists online, and most of them don’t say where their numbers come from. BIBB — Germany’s federal vocational training institute — actually publishes the real figures: an official, tariff-based database covering roughly 500 collective-bargaining areas, refreshed every October. Here is what it actually shows.
The real ranking, sourced to BIBB’s 2025 data
These are average monthly gross training wages across the full apprenticeship, from BIBB’s official “Gesamtübersicht der tariflichen Ausbildungsvergütungen 2025” (as of 1 October 2025). The national average across every tracked trade is €1,209/month.
| Rank | Profession | Duration | Avg. monthly pay (full training) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milchtechnologe/-technologin (Dairy Technologist) | 36 months | €1,463 |
| 2 | Kaufmann/-frau für Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen (Insurance & Financial Investments Clerk) | 36 months | €1,404 |
| 3 | Milchwirtschaftliche/-r Laborant/-in (Dairy Laboratory Technician) | 36 months | €1,403 |
| 4 | Bankkaufmann/-frau (Bank Clerk) | 36 months | €1,388 |
| 5 | Anlagenmechaniker/-in (Industrial Plant Mechanic, Industrie und Handel) | 42 months | €1,381 |
| 6 | Rohrleitungsbauer/-in (Pipeline Construction Worker) | 36 months | €1,362 |
| 7 | Zimmerer/Zimmerin (Carpenter) | 36 months | €1,343 |
| 8 | Umwelttechnologe/-technologin für Abwasserbewirtschaftung (Environmental Technologist, Wastewater) | 36 months | €1,339 |
| 9 | Sozialversicherungsfachangestellte/-r (Social Insurance Clerk) | 36 months | €1,338 |
| 10 | Verwaltungsfachangestellte/-r / Wasserbauer/-in (Public Administration Clerk / Hydraulic Engineering Worker) | 36 months | €1,333 |
| 11 | Maurer/-in (Bricklayer) | 36 months | €1,332 |
| 12 | Eisenbahner/-in in der Zugverkehrssteuerung (Rail Traffic Controller) | 36 months | €1,327 |
| 13 | Konstruktionsmechaniker/-in (Structural Mechanic) | 42 months | €1,326 |
| 14 | Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaikleger/-in (Tile & Mosaic Layer) | 36 months | €1,325 |
| 15 | Mechatroniker/-in (Mechatronics Technician) | 42 months | €1,324 |
What jumps out
Three patterns are worth naming, because they cut against the usual assumption that “highest paying” means office or finance work exclusively. Construction trades — Zimmerer, Maurer, Fliesen-/Platten-/Mosaikleger, Rohrleitungsbauer — take four of the top 15 spots, largely because construction pay scales rise sharply in the third year (several jump from roughly €1,080 in year one to over €1,500 by year three). Dairy and food-technology roles top the entire list, which surprises most people. And public-sector clerical roles (Sozialversicherungs-, Verwaltungsfachangestellte/-r) cluster tightly in the €1,330–1,340 range, ahead of several better-known industrial trades.
Banking and insurance are the strongest showing from the commercial/office side — both feature at #2 and #4, and both are covered in more depth in our piece on Ausbildung in banking and insurance.
The caveat that matters more than the ranking
Every figure above is a tariflich average — the pay set by collective agreement (Tarifvertrag) between employer associations and unions for a given branche and region. Two things follow from that. First, pay is set by industry sector and region, not nationally by occupation — a Maurer at one company can legally be paid differently from a Maurer at another, depending on which regional tariff applies. Second, and more importantly: this table only covers companies bound by a collective agreement. Employers outside one can legally pay less — down to the 2026 statutory floor of €724/month — so a real job offer at any of these trades is worth checking against the actual employer’s tariff status, not just this table.
It’s also worth noting BIBB’s database only covers dual apprenticeships regulated under the Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG) or Handwerksordnung (HwO). Some well-paid, high-demand professions — nursing (Pflegefachmann/-frau), for instance, which runs on its own centrally financed pay system — sit outside this particular ranking entirely, not because they pay badly, but because they’re governed by different law. See our piece on Altenpflege and generalist nursing care Ausbildung for how that pay system works.
How this compares to job security
Pay isn’t the only number worth checking before choosing a trade. See our companion piece on which Ausbildung fields have the best Übernahme (permanent hiring) rate — insurance and banking, for instance, rank near the top of both lists.
Explore sector-specific programmes on our Ausbildung programmes hub, or get in touch to talk through which trade fits your background and goals.
Where this comes from
BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung), 2025 Gesamtübersicht der tariflichen Ausbildungsvergütungen, Stand 1. Oktober 2025 (bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/2025_Dav-Gesamtübersicht_Ausbildungsvergütungen_Bundesgebiet.pdf) · BIBB press release on the 2026 statutory minimum training wage (bibb.de/de/pressemitteilung_212952.php).
