Wiesbaden – November 04, 2026 -- Germany had 1.9 million people in management positions in 2025, equal to 4.4% of all employed persons, or one in 23 workers, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), which used Eurostat data. The share was marginally higher a decade earlier, at 4.5% in 2015.
Destatis counts managing directors of small companies, managing directors or division heads at large companies, and senior administrative roles. These fall under ISCO major group 1 of the International Standard Classification of Occupations.
Hospitality leads sector ranking with 11.5% managers, healthcare trails at 1.8%
Hospitality recorded the highest share of managers at 11.5%. Destatis attributes this to the sector's many small businesses, which means fewer employees per manager.
Real estate and housing followed at 7.6%, and information and communication at 7.4%. Construction and the motor vehicle trade and repair sector each reached 5.4%, above the national average. Manufacturing, the largest sector by employment, stood at 5.2%.
Health and social work had the lowest share at 1.8%. Public administration reached 2.2% and education 2.3%.
Germany sits below EU average of 5.4%, with Malta at 11.4%
Managers made up 5.4% of all employed persons across the European Union in 2025, up from 5.2% ten years earlier. Germany's 4.4% is below that average.
Malta (11.4%), Latvia (10.1%) and Lithuania (9.9%) had the highest shares. Romania (2.7%), Greece (3.0%) and Denmark (3.1%) had the lowest.
Full-time managers earn median 7,024 euros gross, 2,901 euros above the all-worker median
The median gross monthly salary of a full-time manager in Germany was 7,024 euros in April 2025, excluding bonuses. The median for all full-time employees was 4,123 euros.
A gender gap persists within management. Women in full-time management roles earned a median 5,806 euros, against 7,451 euros for men, a difference of 1,645 euros.
The sector shares come from the EU Labour Force Survey. The earnings figures come from the 2025 earnings survey, cover only dependent employment, and exclude taxable special payments such as holiday or Christmas bonuses.