In Germany, published rates for start at €3,623 a month on staff.
On staff
€3,623 a month
Sources
6 documents
Pay rates for journalists in Germany, as published by unions, governments and surveys, each quoted as printed and turned into a day's pay to compare. How the pay guide works →
Each published rate as a day's pay
On staff · 10 figures
€70 a shift
€6,925 a month
Freelance · 4 figures
€144 a day
€320 a day
Trainees and interns · 1 figure
€2,464 a month
US$ a day at the ECB rate for the month. A month is 12 payments over 260 working days, or 13 or 14 where the agreement says so; a year is 260 days; a shift counts as a day.
| Type of work | What | As printed | US$ a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On staff | Camera equipment allowance per shift | €70 a shift | $78.45 | ver.di · Collective agreement · 1 Apr 2023 |
| On staff | Video-journalist camera supplement per shift | €71.96 a shift | $80.64 | ver.di · Collective agreement · 1 Apr 2023 |
| On staff | Group 2a without standard qualification, years 1-3 | €3,623 a month | $187.40 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
| On staff | Group 2b with standard qualification, years 1-4 | €3,894 a month | $201.42 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
| On staff | 43.10 Schichtansage (auch Nachrichten), bis 5 Stunden | €193.32 a shift | $216.66 | Collective agreement · 1 Jan 2023 |
| On staff | Group 3 special function, years 3-7 | €4,465 a month | $230.95 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
| On staff | Group 2b, from year 15 | €5,529 a month | $285.99 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
| On staff | Support work | €286.54 an 8-hour day | $321.13 | ver.di · Collective agreement · 1 Apr 2023 |
| On staff | Editorial desk service | €318.37 an 8-hour day | $356.80 | ver.di · Collective agreement · 1 Apr 2023 |
| On staff | Group 4 management function, from year 16 | €6,925 a month | $358.20 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
| Freelance | Average day rate, newspapers | €144 a day | $161.38 | Freischreiber · Survey |
| Freelance | Freelancers, daily newspapers, per day | €144.80 a day | $162.28 | Freischreiber · Survey |
| Freelance | Average earnings per hour, all media | €25 an hour | $224.14 | Freischreiber · Survey |
| Freelance | Average day rate, television | €320 a day | $358.63 | Freischreiber · Survey |
| Trainees and interns | Trainee (Volontariat), year 1 | €2,464 a month | $127.45 | DJV · Collective agreement · 1 Feb 2026 |
Advertised pay in Germany
Open marketWhat employers offered in public job ads over the last 12 months, from 136 job ads with pay. These figures come from the open job market, not from journalist.net, and we do not check them.
ReporterOn staff
€39,000 a year
Desk editorOn staff
€18 an hour
Desk editorOn staff
€3,415.01 a month
Journalism jobs in Germany →
The middle figure of the ads for each job, with the middle half of them. Shown only where at least 3 employers posted ads with pay and none posted more than half of them.
Journalism in Germany
Leading news outlets
T-online
Bild
N-tv
GMX
tagesschau.de
kicker
DIE WELT
Spiegel Online
Transfermarkt
Focus
Chip
ZEIT ONLINE
The highest-ranked news sites based in Germany in EventRegistry's news-source ranking, most important first. Updated monthly.
Press freedom
14
/ 180
Satisfactory
In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Germany ranks 14 of 180, with a score of 82.2 out of 100. Down 3 places on the year before.
RSF World Press Freedom Index ↗By job type
DJV · Nachrichten und Berichte, Erstdruckrecht, Auflage bis 10.000€0.69 Printed line (37-letter standard)
DJV · Nachrichten und Berichte, Erstdruckrecht, Auflage über 100.000€1.27 Printed line (37-letter standard)
DJV · Nachrichten und Berichte, Zweitdruckrecht, Auflage bis 10.000€0.59 Printed line (37-letter standard)
DJV · Group 2a without standard qualification, years 1-3€3,623 Month
Reporter in Germany, every figure →
DJV · Bildbeiträge, Erstdruckrecht, Auflage bis 10.000€49.20 Image
DJV · Photo smaller than one column, circulation up to 10,000, first print right€19.50 Image
DJV · Four-column photo, circulation over 200,000, first print right€75.50 Image
ver.di · Photo as a stand-alone contribution€51 Image
Photographer in Germany, every figure →
BDZV · Linear increase from 1 Feb 2026€3
DJV · Lowest of five fee levels, per 8-hour day€485 Day of 8 hours
Freischreiber · Freelancers, all media, per hour€25 Hour
Freischreiber · Freelancers, all media, per day€200 Day
Journalist in Germany, every figure →
DJV · Group 3 special function, years 3-7€4,465 Month
DJV · Group 4 management function, from year 16€6,925 Month
ver.di · Editorial desk service€318.37 Day of 8 hours
Desk editor in Germany, every figure →
Bundestag · Basic fee, text supplied in editable electronic form€1.95 Standard line (55 keystrokes)
Bundestag · Increased fee, text not editable€2.15 Standard line (55 keystrokes)
Bundestag · Especially difficult translation (jargon, urgency, rare language), non-editable text€2.30 Standard line (55 keystrokes)
Bundestag · Minimum fee per order€20 Assignment
Translator in Germany, every figure →
ver.di · Video-journalist camera supplement per shift€71.96 Shift
ver.di · Camera equipment allowance per shift€70 Shift
ver.di · News film (video clip up to 1 minute)€191.25 Piece or item
Video journalist in Germany, every figure →
DJV · Reportagen, Gerichtsberichte, Glossen u.a., Erstdruckrecht, Auflage bis 10.000€0.87 Printed line (37-letter standard)
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Collective agreement · 43.10 Schichtansage (auch Nachrichten), bis 5 Stunden€193.32 Shift
ver.di · Presenting news programmes, per working day€382.51 Day
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
ver.di · Support work€286.54 Day of 8 hours
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Rates documents 21
Bayerischer Rundfunk day rates for editorial services, 1 Apr 2023 · ver.di1 Apr 2023 · 7
Bayerischer Rundfunk radio fee frame from 1 January 2023 · Collective agreement1 Jan 2023 · 4
Daily-newspaper agreement for employee-like freelance journalists (§ 12a TVG), 2025 · DJV1 Jan 2025 · 6
Freischreiber fee report 2024 (self-reported freelance fees) · Freischreiber · 5
Freischreiber fee report: average freelance journalist earnings, 2024 · Freischreiber · 4
Joint remuneration rules for freelance photos at German daily newspapers, 1 May 2013 · DJV1 May 2013 · 2
MFM photo licensing fee survey 2026 · MFM · 0
Pay settlement for staff editors at German daily newspapers, Jul 2025 · BDZV1 Jan 2025 · 1
Salary table for staff editors at German daily newspapers, from 1 Feb 2026 · DJV1 Feb 2026 · 6
Statutory translation fees for German courts and authorities (JVEG §11), from 1 Jun 2025 · Bundestag1 Jun 2025 · 4
WDR collective agreement on copyright and repeat fees for employee-like freelancers, 1 Apr 2001 · ver.di1 Apr 2001 · 0
WDR fee framework for freelancers, Jan 2026 edition · ver.di · 8
WDR new freelance fee framework, outline agreed Feb 2025 · DJV · 1
Bayerischer Rundfunk freelance fee framework (radio and TV), Apr 20211 Apr 2021 · 3Deutschlandradio fee framework for freelancers, 1 Apr 2020 to 31 Mar 20211 Apr 2020 · 5Freischreiber fee database (Honorartool), closed 30 Jun 2025 · 0Joint remuneration rules for freelance photos at German daily newspapers, 20131 May 2013 · 4Joint remuneration rules for freelance text at German daily newspapers, 20101 Feb 2010 · 7MFM picture licensing fees, worked examples from the Sep 2015 workshop24 Sep 2015 · 3WDR radio minimum fees for freelancers, 21 Dec 202221 Dec 2022 · 5WDR television editorial minimum fees for freelancers, 21 Dec 202221 Dec 2022 · 5
Unions and bodies in Germany
Nearby
Lowest staff minimum in each country's agreements, as US$ a day.
About this data. These rates are compiled from publicly available sources and quoted as printed, with their date. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any figure. For information only: Journalist.net does not recommend or set rates. How we count