German

Germany is Europe's largest economy ($4.5 trillion GDP) and the world's third-largest exporter. German is the most spoken native language in the EU, with 95 million native speakers across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Swiss and Austrian business culture operates primarily in German. The engineering, automotive, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries — where Germany dominates globally — reward German-speaking professionals. Salary premiums of 4-10% are common in European markets. Plus, German is Category II for English speakers — achievable in 750-900 hours.