Salary boom for nurses in German care homes

The average wage for nursing assistants without training is soon set to rise to €19.26 per hour, while the average wage for nursing staff is set to rise by 9.2% to €25.93

 

By Sascha Meyer, dpa I Friday, November 01, 2024

 

 

BERLIN – Wages for urgently needed nursing staff in German care homes have risen noticeably, according to data from the country’s care insurance funds released on Friday.

Average hourly wages increased by 8.8% from the previous year to €22.60 ($24.57) compared to the previous year, according to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, which also represents the nursing care insurance funds.

This is a “significant increase” after annual increases in recent years of around 2%, the group said.

Association head Doris Pfeiffer said: “The higher average wages in geriatric care show that carers can rely on fair pay overall.”

On the other hand, the industry group pointed out that higher staff costs can also mean that patients in need of care are now being forced to make larger contributions themselves.

“Politicians must finally show ways to effectively limit the increasing burden on those in need of care,” the group said.

The wage increase was driven by collective bargaining deals in the sector, according to the group.

New rules that went into effect in September 2022 require the care insurance schemes to only contract with homes that pay according to collective wage deals or on a similar pay scale.

According to the association, numerous collective agreements between 2023 and 2024 contain wage increases that exceed those of previous years.

The average wage for nursing assistants without training is soon set to rise to €19.26 per hour, while the average wage for nursing staff is set to rise by 9.2% to €25.93.

The study analysed 11,000 reports from care facilities bound by collective agreements.

The German Patient Protection Foundation also called for a reduction in out-of-pocket payments by those in need of care.

“It is important and right to remunerate carers appropriately,” said Eugen Brysch, chairman of the board for the group.

However, more and more people in need of care are already no longer able to pay their bills, he said. He called on the German government to deliver a sustainable care law to address the issue in the coming weeks.