For the third year in a row, 2014 saw a strong increase in training allowances based on collective wage agreements.

The average gross amount earned by trainees in west Germany was EUR 802 per month. This represents a rise of 4.6% over the previous year and is also higher than 2013 growth of 4.1%. In east Germany, training allowances based on collective wage agreements rose by 4.1% to reach an average of EUR 737 per month. As in previous years, remuneration in east Germany stood at 92% of the western rate. The average training allowance for Germany in 2014 was EUR 795 per month, an increase of 4.5% over the previous year.

These are results of the 2014 evaluation of training allowances based on collective wage agreements from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). Average remunerations were calculated for 179 occupations in west Germany and 156 occupations in east Germany. Some 88% of trainees are trained in these occupations. BIBB has been carrying out this evaluation annually since 1976.

Once again, there were considerable differences in amounts of remuneration between training occupations.

Training allowances were particularly high in main construction trades, such as:

  • bricklayer (west: EUR 1 030, east: EUR 834);
  • mechatronics fitter (west: EUR 964, east: EUR 943);
  • insurance and financial services broker (west and east: EUR 961);
  • print media technologist (west and east: EUR 933).

Training allowances tended to be low in occupations such as:

  • hairdresser (west: EUR 474, east: EUR 269);
  • baker (west and east: EUR 570);
  • florist (west: EUR 572, east: EUR 312);
  • painter and varnisher (west and east: EUR 583).

Increasing problems in filling training vacancies have led to a rise in training allowances since 2012. Over the past three years, average rates of increase in west and east Germany have been between 4% and 5%. However, in occupations with greatest shortages of applicants, such as craft trade occupations in the food industry, hotel and restaurant trade, and cleaning sector, only isolated cases of above-average increases in training allowances can be observed in 2014. In west Germany, this applied, for example, to restaurant specialist and cook occupations, which both saw rises of 4.9%. In east Germany, remuneration for industrial cleaners went up by 8.2%.

There were also once again clear differences between training sectors in levels of remuneration in west and east Germany in 2014. Above-average training allowances were achieved in trade and industry (west: EUR 871, east: EUR 797) and in the public sector (west and east: EUR 860). Training allowances were below average in agriculture (west: EUR 710, east: EUR 601), liberal professions (west: EUR 697, east: EUR 699) and the craft trades sector (west: EUR 669, east: EUR 572).

More information:

Training allowances based on collective wage agreements 2014: significant increases in west and east Germany (German only)