A job offer in Germany has to pay above a set line before it can lead to an EU Blue Card. In 2026 that line is €50,700 a year. For some jobs and some people it is lower.
The two salary lines in 2026
| Line | Gross salary a year |
|---|---|
| Standard | at least €50,700 about €4,225 a month |
| Lower | at least €45,934.20 about €3,828 a month |
The lower line applies to three groups: jobs in a shortage occupation, people who finished their last degree less than 3 years ago, and IT specialists without a degree. The standard line applies to everyone else. Monthly figures are the yearly line divided by 12.
Under the lower line, the Federal Employment Agency must also agree. It checks that the pay, hours and holidays match what German employees in the same kind of job get. Under the standard line, that check is generally not needed.
Check an offer
The shortage occupations
The lower line applies to jobs in these groups:
- Manufacturing, mining, construction and distribution managers
- Information and communications technology service managers
- Professional services managers
- Academic STEM professionals (science, technology, engineering, maths — including IT and engineering)
- Academic professionals in architecture, spatial planning and transport planning
- Medical doctors, veterinarians, dentists and pharmacists
- Academic and comparable nursing and midwifery professionals
- School and out-of-school teachers and educators
Whether a particular job counts is decided on the job itself, not its title. If you are not sure, the checker shows both answers.
The other conditions
- A degree. A German degree, or a foreign degree that is comparable to a German one — the recognition guide explains how to find out. The one exception is IT: at least three years of relevant IT experience at academic level within the last seven years can take the place of the degree.
- A real offer. A concrete job offer or contract from an employer in Germany, for at least 6 months.
- Recent graduates — your last degree less than 3 years ago — get the lower line whatever the job.
- Doctors and some other professions also need a licence to practise before they can start.
What this check does not do
- It is not a decision. The foreigners' office (Ausländerbehörde) or the German embassy decides, on the whole application. Passing the salary line here is one condition of several.
- It is not legal advice. For a real case, ask the authority or an immigration lawyer.
- It does not know which parts of a pay package count. Bonuses, a 13th month's salary and allowances are not always counted towards the line. If your offer is close, ask before relying on them.
Other routes — the Opportunity Card, the skilled-worker visa and more — are on visas and permits. What salaries look like, and how to read an offer, is on salaries and pay.
Where the figures come from
Checked on 22 September 2026 against:
The lines are set each year and change on 1 January.