Hardly any question is asked between companies and recruitment consultancies as frequently – and as uncertainly – as the one about the realistic salary for a particular position. This is especially true for energy infrastructure, a market that has developed so dynamically over the past three years that many internally used salary bands are simply outdated.
Note: The following ranges are based on current market observations and candidate conversations. They are meant as guidance, not an exact determination valid for every region and every company.
Why salaries have changed so quickly
The most important driver is simply supply and demand: grid expansion, charging infrastructure, the hydrogen economy, and the addition of renewable energy are creating a workforce demand that exceeds the available number of qualified skilled workers.
In addition, there is increasing freedom from collective bargaining agreements outside classic, tariff-bound energy providers – private infrastructure investors and charging infrastructure start-ups operate outside collective agreements and can respond much more flexibly to salary expectations, which also puts tariff-bound employers under pressure.
Project Management Grid Expansion
Entry-level professionals with one to two years of experience currently earn between €58,000 and €68,000 gross per year.
With three to seven years of experience and independent responsibility for construction sections, the range rises to €72,000 to €95,000.
Very experienced, senior-positioned project managers with multi-million-euro budgets reach €100,000 to €130,000, often supplemented with a company car or project-related bonuses.
Head of Substations and Technical Operations Management
Entry into this leadership role typically starts between €65,000 and €78,000.
With growing responsibility – for example, managing several substations – the range rises to €80,000 to €105,000.
At very large grid operators with responsibility for entire network sections, total compensation of €110,000 or more is realistic.
Grid Control
Experienced grid control specialists earn between €60,000 and €82,000, with shift and on-call allowances often further increasing total compensation.
Team leads within grid control typically reach €85,000 to €105,000.
Pipeline Construction Management
Entry-level starts between €55,000 and €65,000. Experienced construction managers with several independently responsible route projects earn €68,000 to €88,000. For large-scale projects with particularly high complexity, €90,000 and more is common, often supplemented with performance bonuses and travel or housing allowances.
Charging Operations and Charging Infrastructure
Specialists in operational management earn between €52,000 and €68,000.
For Head of Charging Operations – a rare combination of technical, operational, and commercial profile – salaries currently range between €90,000 and €125,000, with a noticeable upward trend.
At larger, international charge point operators, total compensation beyond the €130,000 mark is also not uncommon.
Technical Managing Director Energy Technology
At medium-sized companies, fixed salaries typically range between €130,000 and €175,000, often supplemented with performance-based bonuses of 15 to 30 percent of the fixed salary.
At larger, international companies, total compensation frequently ranges between €180,000 and €250,000, partly supplemented with equity participation models.
What actually influences the range
The most important factor is region: metropolitan areas like Munich, Frankfurt, or Hamburg regularly sit at the upper end of the respective range, while structurally weaker regions tend to be lower – combined, however, with lower cost of living.
Second, company size and ownership structure play a role: municipal, tariff-bound utility companies often operate in the lower to middle range, but offer job security and company pension schemes in return; private companies backed by financial investors often pay significantly more.
Third, the urgency of the vacancy significantly influences negotiating position – companies that have already been searching unsuccessfully for a position for months are usually much more willing to negotiate than in a proactive, long-term search.
Regional differences in detail
In metropolitan areas like Munich and Frankfurt, salaries for almost all the positions mentioned typically sit at the upper end of the respective range – an effect of higher cost of living and particularly intense competition for skilled workers.
In Berlin and Hamburg, salaries generally move in the mid to upper range, with noticeable differences depending on the employer.
In structurally weaker regions, salaries are often ten to fifteen percent below average, combined, however, with lower cost of living.
An interesting special case: in sparsely populated areas with high grid expansion needs for wind energy connection, we are increasingly observing regional salary premiums, with which employers try to attract sufficient personnel despite structural location disadvantages.
What companies should take away from this
Internal salary bands should be reconciled against current market data at least once a year – a static, rarely updated compensation system almost inevitably leads to failed hiring processes.
It is also worth thinking beyond pure fixed salaries: flexible working time models, clear development prospects, or training budgets can make the decisive difference, without the base salary having to rise immeasurably.
Fringe benefits such as a company car or an attractive company pension scheme should also be actively communicated, as candidates often underestimate these aspects in their own calculations.
And for particularly critical positions, a robust, market-based salary analysis by a specialized recruitment consultancy is worthwhile – one that knows real, current market data from ongoing mandates, not just relying on published, often delayed salary studies.
