Salary Guide
Gross annual base salary ranges for full-time roles at Munich startups and scale-ups. Pick a seniority level and a funding stage, then jump straight into the open jobs.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Experience level
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Company stage
Market average: The blended Munich market range across seed startups, funded scale-ups and established tech employers. Typical equity: 0.02–0.5% VSOP.
14 roles · Mid (2–5 yrs)
Munich's deep tech and AI startups pay a clear premium here.
€68k – €90k
median €79k€63k – €82k
median €73kBackend and full-stack roles sit at the upper end; frontend slightly below.
€62k – €80k
median €71k€60k – €80k
median €70kCommon in Munich's aerospace, robotics and deep tech startups.
€60k – €78k
median €69k€58k – €75k
median €67k€55k – €72k
median €64k€55k – €72k
median €64kBase salary only — on-target commission typically adds 30–60% on top.
€52k – €70k
median €61k€52k – €68k
median €60k€52k – €68k
median €60k€50k – €65k
median €58k€50k – €65k
median €58kBase salary only; variable pay usually adds 20–40%.
€46k – €58k
median €52kMost Munich startups offer virtual shares (VSOPs) rather than real shares. The earlier the stage, the larger the percentage, and the higher the risk it ends up worth nothing.
Pre-seed / Seed
0.1–1.0%
Highest upside, highest risk. Early hires and senior specialists.
Series A
0.05–0.5%
Options with a 4-year vest and 1-year cliff are standard.
Series B–C
0.02–0.2%
Lower percentage, but a much higher underlying valuation.
Growth / Pre-IPO
0.01–0.05%
Often RSUs or virtual shares (VSOPs) instead of real options.
With TUM and LMU on the doorstep, working student roles are the most common way into a Munich startup. Entry-level pay is quoted per hour or per month, not per year.
Working students pay no health, care or unemployment insurance, only 9.3% pension.
Capped at 20 hours. Above that during term you lose the working student status.
Net in your account
€1.414
Above the €12,096 annual allowance, so income tax applies. Most of it usually comes back with your tax return. Student health insurance of roughly €130 a month is paid separately.
Operations, marketing and support roles usually start at €15.
AI, data and software roles at funded startups reach €25.
Curricular internships are exempt from the minimum wage, so pay is lower.
Above three months the statutory minimum wage of €12.82/hour applies.
Engineering graduates usually start above €52,000.
The 20-hour rule
During term you may work up to 20 hours a week and keep the working student status, which means no health, care or unemployment insurance contributions. In semester breaks you can go up to 40 hours without losing it.
What actually gets deducted
Only 9.3% pension insurance comes off your gross pay. You stay in student health insurance (roughly €130 a month) and pay no income tax below the annual allowance of €12,096.
TUM, LMU and the CDTM pipeline
Many Munich startups recruit directly out of TUM Venture Labs, UnternehmerTUM, LMU Entrepreneurship Center and CDTM — working student roles there often turn into full-time offers.
Non-EU students
A German student visa allows 140 full or 280 half days of work per year. Mandatory internships tied to your degree usually do not count against that quota.
How to read these numbers
All figures are gross annual base salary in euros for full-time roles in Munich, before bonus, commission and equity. They are editorial estimates compiled from publicly advertised Munich startup roles and German tech salary reporting, not a statistical survey. Stage adjustments apply a typical market discount for seed companies and a premium for funded scale-ups. Actual offers depend on company size, your specific experience and how well you negotiate.
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