HR Generalist

Salary band

Base salary, gross annual

25th percentile

€45,000

Median

€55,000

75th percentile

€68,000

For reference: the statutory minimum wage in Germany has stood at €13.90 gross per hour since January 1, 2026 — roughly €2,410 gross a month for a full-time role at 40 hours/week. (BMAS: Mindestlohn steigt zum 1. Januar 2026 auf 13,90 Euro)

Gross fixed salary per year for a Personalreferent:in (HR Generalist) at a German SMB with 30 to 150 employees, 5 to 10 years of experience of which at least 3 in an autonomous HR generalist role. Major-city locations (Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart) pull the range up (+10 to +15 %); eastern German locations and smaller cities pull it down (-5 to -10 %). Profiles with a focus on employment law or Betriebsrat experience in SMBs of 50+ employees sit at the top of the range. This role has no structural variable compensation; some SMBs pay an annual special payment or a Weihnachtsgeld (Christmas bonus) under a Tarifvertrag or Betriebsvereinbarung.

Sources: Stepstone Gehaltsdaten Personalreferent Deutschland 2026; Stepstone Gehaltsreport 2026; Destatis Verdiensterhebung (April 2025)