Nursing apprentices in Germany receive record wages

Nursing apprentices in Germany are now receiving record-high wages, according to a study by the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung. In the first year of training within the public service sector, apprentices earn 1,491 euros monthly, surpassing sectors such as insurance and private banking.

Earnings continue to rise through the third year of training, reaching 1,653 euros for those in the public service. This wage increase coincides with broader trends in the healthcare sector; full-time nursing employees earn approximately 1,200 euros more gross per month than they did ten years ago. Additionally, the minimum wage for nursing is projected to increase by 5.2 percent between July 2026 and September 2028.

To support the integration of international workers, such as nursing professionals from Vietnam, facilities like the Stiftung Haus Zuflucht in Soltau are implementing workplace-based German language courses. These programs, developed in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Heidekreis, focus on professional communication and technical terminology to help foreign staff navigate daily tasks and documentation more effectively.