The remuneration consultants investigated 127,638 items of data for their analysis . It reveals that those working in the semi-conductor, software and biotechnology sectors are also very well paid. In call centers and temporary employment, on the other hand, the study shows that employee pay is below average. In the financially strong leading industries, there is competition for well-qualified staff, which has an impact on the salary of employees with no specialist training, it goes on to say. Secretaries in software development, for example, receive a higher salary than in other industries. The logical consequence of this is that changing to a more lucrative sector pays off for anyone who wants to earn more in the same profession. It’s a long way from a call center to a job in mechanical engineering, however, because the appointment criteria are higher in the top industries. The consultants therefore recommend that those who want to climb the ladder should aim for higher qualifications.

It’s unlikely that much will change in the salary structure in mechanical engineering in the near future. As a study by the consultancy company PwC shows, as many as 69% of the businesses surveyed are working at full capacity. 56% were expecting increasing costs in HR, in particular.