Nursing professions in Germany – an overview of training, salary, career & future
Whether you are currently thinking about your professional future, looking for a fresh start, want to come to Germany from abroad, or need to organize support for a relative – nursing professions are playing a central role for more and more people today. At the same time, this professional field raises many questions: What nursing professions are there? How in demand are nurses really? What do you earn? And what paths are open to international applicants?
That is exactly why you are in the right place. In this guide, you will find everything you need to know about nursing professions in Germany – explained clearly, researched up to date, and honestly put into perspective. You will get an overview of the different professions, training and study paths, salaries, working conditions, and career opportunities. We show you how in demand nursing staff really are and what opportunities international applicants have – whether from the EU or from farther away.
It is important to us that you do not feel left alone – no matter what point you are currently at. Care is more than a profession: it means responsibility, closeness, and strain – but also purpose, security, and real future prospects. Read on and find out which path in care suits you.
Nursing professions include all activities concerned with the professional care, support, and accompaniment of people – in hospitals, nursing homes, or in the home environment. The spectrum ranges from direct patient contact to management, teaching, and research tasks.
What surprises many people: nursing professions are not a single uniform block, but a broad field with very different entry paths, qualification levels, and specializations.
The most important nursing professions at a glance
Since 2020, the Nursing Professions Act (PflBG) has fundamentally re-regulated training in Germany. The most important change: the previously separate professions of elderly care, general nursing, and pediatric nursing were merged into a single qualification.
“With the law reforming the nursing professions, the foundation was laid for future-proof and high-quality nursing training." (Federal Ministry of Health, bundesgesundheitsministerium.de)
The introduction of generalist nursing training in 2020 was a milestone in the further development of the nursing profession in Germany. It combines the formerly separate professional fields into a comprehensive training program.
What does that mean for you in concrete terms? You are trained more broadly, can be deployed more flexibly, and can then specialize in a targeted way afterward. The EU-wide recognition of your qualification is a major plus – you are not tied to Germany.
You can find detailed information about registered nurse training – including all details on duration, content, exams, and application – in our article Registered Nurse Training in Germany.
All training paths compared
Which path suits you?
Do you want to get started quickly? Nursing assistance is your path – in one to two years you will be working professionally. You can find all the details in our article Nursing Assistance Training in Germany.
Do you want the full professional qualification? The three-year generalist training to become a registered nurse gives you the broadest qualification and the most career opportunities – recognized throughout the EU.
Are you thinking long-term and academically? The primary qualifying nursing degree at universities of applied sciences or universities leads to a bachelor's degree and opens doors to research, teaching, and management positions.
Are you changing from another profession? Then you are not alone – many people start their second career path in nursing. For funded retraining, you can contact the following offices directly:
- Federal Employment Agency – Advice on education vouchers and retraining support
- Jobcenter – if you receive citizen's allowance, the Jobcenter often covers the costs of recognized retraining
- State continuing education counseling services – each federal state has its own counseling centers that provide free information
- Search term at the employment office: “Retraining registered nurse" or “Nursing continuing education education voucher"
Do you already have your nursing training under your belt and want to work independently? Then noracares is exactly the right thing for you. Create your free profile, determine your own availability and your fee – and start connecting directly with families who are looking for your support. No boss, no agency, no hidden fees. Just you, your qualification, and the people you truly want to help.
How much do you really earn in nursing? The answer depends on qualification, region, provider, and collective agreement – but one thing is clear: salaries have risen significantly in recent years and make nursing professions more attractive than ever today.
Salary ranges 2026 (gross/month, full-time)
Source: current salary data 2025/2026, TVöD-P – figures may vary depending on federal state, provider, and collective agreement
What influences salary
- Collective agreement: In the public sector (TVöD-P), salaries are generally higher and more transparent than with private providers. Those who work under a collective agreement benefit from regular salary increases and better social benefits.
- Region: There are still salary differences between western and eastern Germany as well as between individual federal states. Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are often above the national average.
- Professional experience: Nursing professionals aged 55 and over earn an average of around 3,998 euros - significantly more than career starters under 25, who earn about 3,366 euros.
- Specialization: Those who complete specialist further training - for example in intensive care, anesthesia, or palliative care - can significantly increase their salary.
- Allowances: Shift allowances, weekend bonuses, and special payments are added on top - and can significantly increase total income depending on the shifts worked.
The figures speak for themselves - and they are impressive. According to the Federal Statistical Office (destatis.de) the number of people in need of care in Germany was already around 5.7 million at the end of 2023. This exceeds earlier forecasts, which had not expected this figure until 2030. By 2055, Destatis expects a further increase to as many as 6.8 million people in need of care.
What does that mean in concrete terms? By 2049, at least 280,000 additional nursing professionals are expected to be needed. The gap between supply and demand continues to widen - making nursing professionals one of the most sought-after occupational groups in Germany.
Demand for nursing professionals by sector
Regional differences: Where is the need greatest?
The shortage of skilled workers is noticeable throughout Germany - but it hits certain regions especially hard:
- East-West divide: In the eastern German federal states - especially Saxony and Thuringia - the shortage is even more pronounced than in the west due to the outmigration of younger generations and a more rapidly aging population.
- City vs. countryside: In rural regions such as the Eifel, the Bavarian Forest, or the Mecklenburg Lake District, the care gap is greatest. Outpatient services are often lacking here, which places additional strain on the remaining nursing professionals.
- Metropolitan areas: Cities such as Munich, Hamburg, or Frankfurt are also experiencing staff shortages - although salaries there are often offset by high living costs.
- Bavaria: The number of people in need of care will rise massively by 2035. Salaries here are often above the national average.
- North Rhine-Westphalia: By 2050, it is expected that one in ten people will be in need of care - which is already leading to enormous hiring demand in outpatient and inpatient care in 2026.
Minimum wages in nursing care from July 2026
On July 1, 2026, minimum wages in nursing care will rise again - an important step toward fair pay in the sector:
Training pay 2026
Anyone starting the generalist nursing training program receives the following pay in institutions bound by collective agreements (TVöD-P):
Important: Private providers without collective agreements may differ - but since September 2022, they must prove that they pay their nursing staff in line with collective agreements in order to be allowed to bill the nursing care insurance funds.
On May 1, 2026, salaries in TVöD-P will increase by 2.8 percent. At the same time, the nursing allowance will rise to 141.82 euros per month.
Key points of contact for training and jobs
No matter which federal state you want to start in - these places can help you:
- Federal Employment Agency – the first place to go for training positions, education vouchers, and funding advice.
- Pflegeausbildung.de – the information portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs with a postal code search for training schools and companies.
- Regional nursing chambers – in federal states such as Rhineland-Palatinate or NRW they offer advice on further training and professional law.
If you would like to come to Germany from an EU country, you benefit from freedom of movement within the European Union. The path into the nursing profession is clearly regulated.
What you need
- A recognized professional qualification from your home country or the willingness to start training in Germany
- German language skills at at least B2 level
- Registration with the responsible residents' registration office
If you have already completed nursing training, your qualification will be checked for equivalence. Depending on the result, an adaptation course or a knowledge test will be necessary.
Germany is actively seeking skilled workers from abroad - also and especially in nursing care. If you come from a non-EU country, there are several clearly regulated ways to legally work in Germany as a nursing professional. The key is the recognition of your foreign qualification - and choosing the right visa.
Step 1: Find the right recognition authority
The recognition of foreign nursing qualifications is regulated by the federal states in Germany. You must submit the application in the federal state where you want to work.
Step 2: Prepare documents
As a rule, you will need the following documents – all in a certified translation:
- Proof of identity (passport)
- Tabular CV
- Training certificates (diplomas, certificates)
- Overview of training content (subjects and hours overview)
- Proof of professional experience
Step 3: Equivalence assessment – what happens then?
The authority compares your training with the German curriculum. There are three possible outcomes:
- Full recognition: Your qualification is equivalent – you can get started right away.
- Partial recognition: Certain content is missing. You will receive a so-called deficit notice and can make up the missing content.
- Rejection: This only happens with nursing qualifications in cases of extreme differences – it is rather rare.
Step 4: Compensate for deficits – if necessary
If content is missing, there are two options:
- Knowledge test: A targeted exam on the content of German nursing training.
- Adaptation course: A practical and theoretical post-qualification – usually lasts six to 18 months.
Step 5: Language certificate
Parallel to professional recognition, you must prove your German language skills. For professional licensing as a nursing professional, level B2 is required in almost all federal states. Recognized examination centers are the Goethe-Institut and telc.
Visa and residence permit – which option fits?
Skilled worker visa The most common route for nurses with a classic, non-academic vocational qualification. Requirement: a recognized professional qualification and a concrete job offer in Germany.
Visa for recognition If your qualification has not yet been recognized, under certain conditions you can already enter the country during the recognition process and work in Germany – and complete the recognition in parallel.
EU Blue Card Only for nurses with a recognized university degree – so not for classic vocational training. Another requirement is a job offer with a minimum salary:
Important: If the standard threshold is undercut, approval from the Federal Employment Agency is required.
A story from everyday life
Amara comes from Nigeria and worked there as a nurse. For years, she has dreamed of establishing herself in Germany – in a country that values her work and offers her a stable future. The path was not easy: translating certificates, submitting the recognition application, taking the language exam. But step by step, she made it. Today she works on an internal medicine ward in Hanover and says: “I knew it would take time. But it was worth it."
Amara's story is not an exception – it is typical of many international nurses that Germany needs and who enrich Germany.
Training is only the beginning. Anyone who works in nursing has numerous opportunities to develop further – professionally, in leadership, or academically.
Advanced professional training
- Intensive care and anesthesia nursing
- Operating room nursing
- Oncology nursing
- Psychiatric nursing
- Palliative care nursing
- Wound management
- Practice instruction
Leadership and management roles
- Ward manager
- Director of nursing services
- Facility management
- Nursing controlling
Academic career paths
- Nursing science
- Nursing education
- Nursing management
- Advanced Practice Nursing (APN)
Nursing is a fulfilling profession – but not an easy one. Shift work, physical strain, emotional pressure, and staff shortages are real challenges that many nurses know.
Burnout in nursing is a serious issue. If you notice that the strain is becoming too great, early intervention is crucial. You can find more about this in our detailed article on Burnout in nursing on noracares.at/blog
Are you wondering whether nursing is the right path for you? These questions will help you:
- Are you interested in people and their stories?
- Can you work calmly and in a structured way even under pressure?
- Are you prepared to do shift work?
- Do you enjoy teamwork?
- Can you cope with physical strain?
- Are you willing to continue your education regularly?
- Do you want a profession with real social value?
If you answered yes to most of the questions, you are on the right track.
Which nursing role fits which situation?
Have you completed your training or are you about to? Then now is the perfect time to plan your next step.
noracares connects qualified caregivers directly with families – without expensive placement agencies, without hidden fees. You create your profile once, enter your qualifications and availability – and are contacted by families looking for exactly your support.
You decide for yourself which family you work with. You negotiate your fee directly. You shape your assignment in a way that fits your life.
Register now for free at noracares.at
Nursing professions in Germany are more diverse than ever before – and more in demand than ever. Whether nursing assistance as a quick entry, the generalist training to become a registered nurse, or an academic path through university studies: there is a path for every background, every life situation, and every origin.
Thanks to the reformed training system, growing study options, clear recognition pathways for international professionals, and numerous specialization opportunities, you can shape your path very individually. At the same time, demand for qualified nursing professionals is high – opening up long-term security and good development opportunities for you.
What matters is making an informed decision: review training paths, compare professional profiles, learn about salaries and working conditions. And if you are planning your entry into nursing – noracares is your partner for the next step.
Nursing is not an easy profession. But it is one with heart, with prospects, and with real social value.
Your next step begins now at noracares.at
- Generalist nursing training – Since 2020, a standardized three-year training program in Germany that combines elderly care, general nursing, and pediatric nursing. The qualification is recognized throughout the EU.
- Registered nurse – State-recognized professional title after completing generalist training or a primary qualifying degree program. Replaces the former title of nurse.
- Nursing assistant – Entry-level qualification with one- to two-year training to support basic care. Standardized nationwide from 2027 with a duration of 18 months.
- TVöD-P – Collective agreement for the public sector in nursing. Regulates salaries, working hours, and social benefits in public care institutions. Considered a benchmark for fair pay in the industry.
- Skilled worker visa – Residence title for qualified non-EU professionals with a recognized professional qualification and a concrete job offer in Germany. The most common path for international nursing professionals.
- Blue Card EU – Residence and work permit for highly qualified non-EU professionals with a recognized university degree and a job offer above the salary threshold. Generally not relevant for traditional nursing vocational training.
- Recognition procedure – Formal process in which foreign professional qualifications are compared with German qualifications. Depending on the result, this is followed by full recognition, an adaptation course, or a knowledge test.
- Adaptation course – Practical and theoretical additional qualification for international nursing professionals whose qualification is not fully equivalent to German training. Usually lasts six to 18 months.
- Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) – Advanced nursing practice at an academic level in which nursing professionals independently take on complex clinical tasks. A growing professional field in Germany.
- noracares – Digital platform that connects qualified caregivers directly with families – transparently, without placement fees, and with full control over your own work situation. noracares.at
