A raise increases gross pay, but take-home pay usually changes by a different amount. Compare percentage and fixed increases for each forecast year.
Salary increase: how much extra pay remains after tax?
A raise is usually agreed as a percentage or a fixed increase in gross pay. The extra amount that reaches your bank account is different: income tax and social contributions change with your earnings. The net result also depends on the tax year, household profile and contribution ceilings.
With the Obolus German net-pay forecast, you can compare unchanged gross pay with a user-entered raise for 2026, 2027 and 2028. The increase for 2027 and 2028 can be entered separately as a percentage or a fixed amount. For 2028, you can choose whether the raise builds on 2026 gross pay or on the already increased 2027 amount.
What recent collectively agreed pay data shows
Destatis tracks changes in collectively agreed monthly earnings. Its annual rates for Germany were:
| Year | Excluding special payments | Including special payments | | --- | ---: | ---: | | 2023 | 2.4% | 3.7% | | 2024 | 4.3% | 4.8% | | 2025 | 4.7% | 2.7% |
These figures describe a trend, not an individual salary forecast. The two series differ notably in 2025: special payments affect the annual average, while the series excluding them reflects regular collectively agreed pay. The figures cover collectively agreed earnings and cannot predict what a particular employee will receive. Destatis publishes the tariff index and its annual rates; the page reports a data status of 27 February 2026.
Why a gross raise does not translate one-to-one into net pay
Additional gross pay is generally subject to additional deductions. The net change depends on earnings, tax profile, social insurance contributions and whether an assessment ceiling has already been reached. Above a contribution ceiling, the relevant contribution no longer rises proportionally with gross pay. That is why the same raise can have a different net effect at different salary levels.
A rule such as “you always keep 60 cents of every extra euro” is only a rough simplification. A useful estimate needs to account for gross pay, tax year and household profile together. The calculator shows gross pay, take-home pay and the modeled deduction rate side by side.
Enter your own raise for 2027 and 2028
The calculator lets you set each forecast year independently:
- Percentage: the increase applies to the selected reference gross salary.
- Fixed amount: enter an additional amount. With monthly input, it is treated as a monthly raise; with annual input, it is an annual raise.
- 2028 reference: choose whether the 2028 increase builds on 2026 or 2027 gross pay.
The prefilled 5% is an editable calculation input. It is not a prediction of your personal salary path or an official wage forecast. For couples, the selected split of household gross pay stays the same. If a partner who was modeled as family-insured crosses the model’s threshold after a raise, the contribution calculation is adjusted for that year.
Compare a raise with your take-home pay
Open the German net-pay forecast calculator, select “With salary increases” and enter your expected increase for 2027 and 2028. The results show gross pay, net pay and the deduction rate for each year, so you can see how the increase changes modeled take-home pay.
The 2027 and 2028 figures are forecasts based on published law, draft legislation and institutional assumptions. They are not a binding payroll calculation or personal tax advice.