Working in Berlin
Berlin continues on its successful course: The number of employed people in Berlin has been rising steadily since 2005.
The number of employed persons increased by 0.3 percent compared to the previous year to roughly 2.2 million in 2024. The nationwide average was +0.2 percent.
(Source: Berlin Brandenburg Statistics Office, 2025)
Berlin companies offer jobs and career opportunities for skilled workers from all over the world. The majority are small and medium-sized businesses - four out of ten employees are employed by these SMEs. In the roughly 126,400 employing companies, more than 99 percent have fewer than 250 employees.
On the other hand, Berlin now has over 1,000 companies with at least 250 employees and thus 39.5 percent of employees subject to social security contributions under contract.
| Companies with employees subject to social security contributions and marginal part-time employees | Employees subject to social security contributions Employment conditions | |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 126,358 | 1,710,752 |
| 1 to 9 employees | 99,084 | 195,359 |
| 10 to 49 employees | 21,519 | 365,353 |
| 50 to 249 employees | 4,723 | 424,760 |
| 250 and more employees | 1,032 | 725,280 |
(Source: Federal Employment Agency, key date: 30.06.2024)
Berlin’s largest employers
Berlin's largest employer is Deutsche Bahn with more than 27.000 employees, followed by Charité, the Vivantes Network for Health, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Edeka and Rewe Markt GmbH.
Here you can find the list of Berlin’s top 100 employers.
Price and wage levels
Berlin was long regarded as a city for career starters that was “poor but sexy”. This image has now become outdated. Berlin has caught up significantly with other federal states and the national average when it comes to wage arrears. With its diverse and therefore resilient labor market made up of companies from a wide range of sectors, foundations, interest groups and research institutions, Berlin offers security and a variety of opportunities for career development and advancement.
Federal Employment Agency
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) maintains local agencies in every region. Its mission includes the following:
- Helping place candidates in vocational training programs and jobs;
- Advising employers;
- Promoting professional training and development;
- Information about subsidy and promotion programs for employers.
