Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

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Chart 1: Development of training allowances from 1992 to 2004

In 2004, trainees in West Germany earned an average of € 617 per month. At 0.8%, the increase in the average agreed training allowance was noticeably lower than that of last year, which saw a 2.3% increase in the average allowance (see Chart 1). In East Germany, the agreed training allowances in 2004 averaged € 526 per month. At 1.7%, the increase was almost exactly the same as that of the preceding year (1.8%). The gap between allowance levels in the East and West remained unchanged. Average allowances in the new Länder have been coming in at 85% of the level of western allowances since 2001.

For Germany as a whole, the average agreed allowance in 2004 came to € 601 per month, a 1.0% increase of the previous year's figure (€ 595).

The results presented are from the analysis of the 2004 agreed training allowances conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). Average allowances were determined for 193 occupations in West Germany and 156 occupations in East Germany. These occupations account for almost 90% of trainees in both West and East Germany. In approximately 5% of cases there were payment agreements stipulating an increased allowance for trainees over 18; these were included in the analysis.

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Chart 2: 2004 training allowances in 20 selected occupations

Allowance amounts for the different regulated occupations varied considerably (see Chart 2). Very high allowances have been established within the major occupations of the construction trade for some time (e.g. mason, carpenter, road builder). In 2004 these allowances amounted to an average of € 833 per month in West Germany and € 679 in East Germany. High allowances were also paid in the scaffolder occupation, for which average monthly allowances of € 817 in the West and € 684 in the East were reported. The allowances for the occupation "insurance management assistant" were also high, averaging € 796 in both West and East Germany, one of the highest allowances paid in East Germany. But the very highest training allowances were those for the occupation "sailor, inland waterways", which came to € 1,008 per month in both the West and the East. Those occupations for which relatively low training allowances were reported included hairdresser (West: € 414, East: € 257), florist (West: € 453, East: € 312), baker (West: € 457, East: € 351), and joiner (West: € 491, East: € 372). With respect to the averages ascertained for specific occupations, it should be noted that even within a single occupation, agreed training allowances frequently vary considerably by region and among the different sectors of the economy. One should also bear in mind that only the agreed training allowances in in-company vocational education and training were considered; trainees in external training tend to receive considerably lower allowances, which were not included in the analysis.

The overall breakdown of the training allowances for the occupations reviewed is as follows: In West Germany 55% of trainees received allowances in the € 500 - € 700 range. Fifteen percent of trainees received less than € 500, but allowances of under € 400 were reported relatively rarely. Thirty percent of trainees received more than € 700. In East Germany allowances of between € 500 and € 700 were reported for 46% of trainees. A total of 48% of trainees earned allowances of under € 500, while 19% actually earned less than € 400. Allowances above € 700 were received by 6%.

As part of its analysis of the 2004 agreed training allowances, the BIBB also calculated the average allowances for female and male trainees. In West Germany, male trainees received an average of € 630 per month, while the average female trainee was paid € 598. In East Germany, the average for male trainees came to € 536, while women received € 507. The disparity is due to the different distribution of male and female trainees among the occupations, i.e. female trainees tend to be in occupations with lower training allowances more often than male trainees are.

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Chart 3: 2004 training allowances by field of training

In 2004, there was a distinct disparity in the level of allowances among the different fields of training in both East and West Germany (see Chart 3). Above-average training allowances were reported in industry and commerce (West: € 683, East: € 582) and in civil service (West: € 671, East: € 626). In the craft trades, the liberal professions, and agriculture, allowances came in below their respective overall averages. One should bear in mind, however, that the allowances for individual occupations do vary considerably, especially in the fields of industry and commerce, and of the craft trades.   The figures reported above reflect the average allowances over the entire duration of training. The following values were determined for the separate years of training in 2004: In West Germany the average monthly allowance for the 1^st training year came to € 549, to € 610 for the 2^nd, and € 687 for the 3^rd year. In East Germany the averages came to € 462 for the 1^st year of training, € 529 for the 2^nd year, and € 591 for the 3^rd year.

Last modified on: February 28, 2005