Germany Cost of Living /Tax

The level is usual in university or public service. Industry mostly pays a bit more, but that depends on whether your 4 years experience are in the industry and applicable to the job.
You can calculate what you get out (after tax and other deductions) on http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/servic … 11,00.html
It's complicated and every case is different, but assuming you come alone, are church member, join the public (not private) health insurance system, then you'll get EUR2537 every month.
Different constellations result in EUR2071 to EUR2944.

Hi Beppi,

Thanks for your reply. I've about 4yrs of relevant industrial exp. What in your opinion would be a good asking salary ? Do you have a feeling for the total monthly expenses in Dresden ?

Your negotiating position depends on what you do and how badly they want you. German companies don't like to negotiate, so you may not get anything more than the initial offer.
Living expenses depend on your expected lifestyle. Generally, €700/month is about the minimum for a (single) student in a sublet room, and the sky's the limit above that.

The Tax in Germany is favored for the married with kids.  So if you are single then you will be in tax bracket/class 1,which means 48% for all of the taxes (Church tax/reunification tax/retirement insurance and health insurance).  So... that means that you have roughly 2160 Euro Net.  Of course if you are married with two kids, that figure is like 32% tax and you get 185 Euro per kid per month. 

One thing also to know is that if you get married at the end of the year and register your marriage on your tax card (kept with your employer and modified by the city hall), you will get the tax difference back when you file taxes for that year. In the US it is not retro-active.  The taxes here may be more, but a lot easier to figure out than in the US.

Go to http://www.immobilienscout24.de for apartment prices.  They are the biggest source of house/apartment advertising. 

Oh and in Dresden the prices for gas is 1.497/liter right now.

Hope this can help.

The above poster over-simplifies a bit.
Calculate your case at the link I mentioned above to see what you really need to pay.
Married people also do NOT pay less tax by definition. Only if both partners earn differently (e.g. one earns nothing) do they have a tax advantage by being married.
Tax rules here are very complicated and the monthly deductions only approximate what you actually have to pay. Everybody has to make a tax declaration at the end of the year (and most people engage a tax consultant to prepare the declaration). Based on that, the tax authority calculates if you get something back or have to pay more.

(Auto-) Gas costs €0.76/l (LPG) or €1.01/kg (CNG) at the moment. Petrol costs from €1.40/l (Diesel) to €1.53/l (Super).

Thanks guys for your inputs. I've some more specific questions.

1) What is a realistic salary to ask/expect considering I've a PhD + 4yrs of industrial experience in a reputed semiconductor company. So, would an annual income of EUR 55K/65K/75K or anything else be good by Dresden standards ? Considering taxation, I should fall under tax category III assuming initially my wife will be unemployed.

2) I know that Germans don't believe in much negotiation, which actually is something good. But do you have any tips/advise on some aspects of salary/benefits/vacation that one can perhaps discuss.

3) Would you be knowing if Dresden has any significant Indian population ?

4) Assuming we rent a 2/3 bedroom apartment (70m2-100m2) in a decent residential area in Dresden, and are mostly eating at home, what would be the typical monthly living expenses including utilities? I've a wife and no kids.

5) How much would it cost to have a new/used VW-Golf or similar car?

6) How difficult/easy could it be to get adjusted in Dresden for someone who doesn't speak much German ? For comparison, consider Munich vs. Dresden.