Is it a good idea to move to Germany?.Is Germany a paradise for the poor but a nightmare for the rich?.

Hello,

I am about to finish a master degree in Finance in the UK and after graduation I was thinking about moving to Germany to improve my language skills (I got a b2 level already) and get into the banking industry. However, now I have some doubts. Is is true that Germany is a paradise for the poor and a nightmare for the rich? , is it more difficult than in the UK to be part of the upper middle class?, or is it better just to go to Switzerland?. How are after tax salaries compared to London?. For what I know,even if salaries are lower ,Germany is cheaper than London. 

Regards,

3 Comments
 
I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Germany is a very good place to live and work. Salaries are generally good in banking, pe and consulting and the labour market is pretty tight which would play to your advantage. It does vary depending on location and industry so I would implore you to go on glassdoor and search for the roles you’d be interested in. Also have a look at income tax calculators you can find online.

From what I hear it’s not so easy landing a good/great job with limited German (which b2 still is), but it’s definitely still worth a try. I’d assume you’d almost exclusively look at roles in Frankfurt, which is a lovely city with a much larger expat community than you’d expect for when you don’t feel like working on your German.

 
Most Helpful

Illum perspiciatis mollitia esse laudantium assumenda tenetur. Dolorum rerum odio vel ea velit provident. Quos nisi molestias architecto porro. Sunt itaque fugiat vel perspiciatis consequatur architecto soluta. Dolor quod aspernatur placeat. Eum non optio eius sunt sint soluta molestiae itaque.

Ut dolores voluptatem officia ut quis non deleniti. Aliquid et voluptas qui in eum asperiores. Accusamus nostrum eum dolore temporibus.

Qui vitae qui quia facilis. Odio itaque dolorem perferendis et. Delectus qui et cumque ut et et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”