What can I expect for a starting salary in Germany after graduating with an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree and 2 years of work experience, and what type of visa would I need to work there?

With 2 years of experience, StepStone's current German salary data puts an Electrical Engineer's pay for roughly 1 to 2 years of experience at around 52,000 euros, rising toward 55,000 euros at 3 to 5 years, so your realistic starting band sits close to the middle of that range.

What You Can Expect to Earn

• Typical range: roughly 50,000 to 60,000 euros gross a year, or about 4,170 to 5,000 euros a month, depending heavily on industry and location.
• Industry effect: automotive, e-mobility, automation, and power systems roles tend to pay toward the higher end of this band given current demand in those areas.
• Experience effect: your 2 years already pushes you past entry-level scales, and StepStone data shows a further step up again once you pass the 3 to 5 year mark.

The Visa Route That Matches Your Profile

The EU Blue Card is the standard route for a qualified professional like you, and for 2026 the general salary threshold is 50,700 euros, but it drops to 45,934.20 euros if you are a recent graduate with a degree obtained within the last 3 years or you are working in a recognised shortage occupation, which engineering roles commonly qualify as. If your offer sits below that threshold, Germany's skilled-worker residence permit under paragraph 18b is the alternative route, available with a recognised or comparable university degree and a qualified job offer, without the Blue Card's specific salary floor.

This Information Is Also Available On

Make it in Germany, EU Blue Card and skilled-worker visa pages, official federal portal for skilled professionals.

My Advice

In my experience, engineers with 2 years of experience sometimes assume they need the full 50,700 euro Blue Card threshold and turn down offers that would actually still qualify them under the shortage occupation exception. Before you decline any German offer on salary grounds, check whether your specific role, electrical engineering, sits on the current shortage occupation list, since that single fact can lower your qualifying salary by nearly 5,000 euros.