One of the top questions job seekers ask when planning to move to Germany is, “Do you need to speak German to work in Germany?” They also similarly ask, “Are there English speaking jobs In Germany?“

If you read through various websites and/or listen to some influencers, they’ll tell you that opportunities abound and that finding a job without German language skills is easy. This is a commonly perpetuated misconception about working in Germany. I don’t know when and where this myth started, but unfortunately, this is not the reality.

Just after we discussed this topic in our recent newsletter, The Importance of Learning German, some data was finally published that confirmed what most of us already knew:

A recent study from Indeed Hiring Labs showed that from September 2023 through August 2024, only 2.7% of jobs available in Germany didn’t require German language skills. 

Important Note: The Indeed study has a limited data set and doesn’t account for all available jobs in Germany – the survey only factors in job postings on Indeed where employers indicated whether or not German skills were needed for the role. While not fully representative on a national scale, data was collected over one year and can be considered reliable enough to offer valuable insights into labor market trends. Until the Federal Employment Agency begins to collect and publish such data, this is the best we have to go on. 

What else did the Indeed study say? 

There are a few other interesting pieces of information from the study that stand out:

⭐ Nine of the top ten professions not requiring German are considered low-paying jobs, such as cleaners and caterers. Those seeking work in beauty and wellness, warehousing, manufacturing, and agriculture will likely also find less strict language requirements.

⭐ Software development is the only high-paying profession in the top ten that is more lax regarding German language skills. The good news is that this does not mean you need to be a software developer specifically—it also means you could find jobs in tech like product manager, engineering manager, and agile coach, where German is not essential.

⭐ For all other high-paying professions, German is a must-have. For anyone aspiring to reach the upper echelons of management (C-Level), your career prospects will be severely limited if you don’t speak German fluently. There are also specific jobs, like nurses or doctors, that absolutely require German, as well as other jobs where you interface with German customers and business partners. Last but not least, there are other jobs where, besides German language skills, knowledge of German laws is a must, such as lawyers, architects, and HR specialists. As such, it’s rare to find jobs that are purely English in these fields.

 What does this mean for you as a job seeker without German language skills? 

First, look at the numbers from an inverse perspective – a whopping 97.3% of jobs in the market require at least some German fluency. Even if these numbers are slightly off and that real picture is slightly more optimistic, there’s no arguing with the data and there is no room for creative interpretation. The number is so significantly high that you can only conclude that if you want to work in Germany, you need to know German.

Recommended reading: For those of you living in Berlin, consider these Top German Language Schools in Berlin.

It’s even more harsh when you think about it more deeply. Those few available jobs that don’t require German language skills will attract many more applicants, and that added competition will make it much more difficult for you to secure employment. And it won’t just be English speakers applying for those jobs but multilingual Germans too. In fact, we’re seeing an increase in job postings that demand both German and English fluency.

As we’ve pointed out before and will continue to repeat, learning German is essential to building a successful career in Germany. It will not only make the process of finding a job much easier but also make your life in Germany much more fulfilling.

Let’s Be Honest – Learning German Isn’t Easy

We acknowledge that becoming proficient enough to speak German at a C-Level or beyond is an arduous process, and the learning journey could take years – especially if you work full-time and/or have family responsibilities. On the other hand, there much that Germany could do to make the integration path much smoother for foreigners, like easing our initial tax burden, reducing bureaucracy to make it easier to establish a new business, and having various services and forms available in different languages.

That’s why we like the Indeed study so much. The detailed report uses the data to provide solid recommendations to German employers and the government about what they can do to better integrate foreign talent.

We also want you to know that this guide is not intended to deter you from moving to Germany for work. It’s indeed (pun intended) the opposite; we aim to share the reality and offer some success tips about finding a job in Germany. 

Read through our career guides to get started. Our community has found these to be particularly helpful:

⭐ The Reality Of Finding Work In Berlin In 2024

⭐ How To Find A Job In Berlin: An Honest & Detailed Guide

⭐ What Are The Most Highly Demanded Jobs In Germany?

What about the influencers and all the top-ranking articles in Google?

If anyone says you don’t need German language skills to work in Germany, you seriously need to question their qualifications, credibility, and/or motivations. 

There are a lot of well-meaning people and publications doling out advice on finding work in Germany. Some work as content writers and relocation experts, while others are just ordinary people who found work in Germany (like thousands of other foreigners) and somehow think they’re experts because they command large online followings. Unfortunately, most have never worked as career coaches, recruiters, or hiring managers.

With this in mind, be careful of the content you consume and always, always, always seek sources with data that back up their bold claims.

So there you have it, official ‘ish stats and not gut feelings that show you need to know German to work in Germany.