Cologne salaries sit ~30% below the Germany average
Cologne, DE lists 75 careers with observed metro percentiles in EUR. Pay index 0.70 (30% below national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Radiologist leads this Cologne table at 264.000 € a year, with Surgeon at 261.000 € and Psychiatrist at 240.000 €. The midpoint of the listed set is Occupational Therapist at 85.500 € — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 5 healthcare, 3 technology, and 1 legal.
Population in the dataset is about 1,024,621. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. EU Blue Card thresholds and recognised qualifications sit behind several top rows.
Germany shows about 2.2% CPI in 2025. Open a role’s Cologne salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national Germany page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Cologne
Use pay index (0.70) for wage level vs Germany, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in EUR, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Cologne cash list
Radiologist: Radiologists interpret medical images to diagnose and guide treatment of disease. Observed median here: 264.000 €. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.