The US median individual income is higher than the German median, and the US median is well below that $48k figure. The full-time median wage in the US is around $56,000-$58,000 give or take.

German wages at the median are typically ~1/3 lower than the US.

"The average monthly gross income of households in Germany amounted to 4,979 euros in 2021, according to results of the continuous household budget surveys." - from destatis.de

That's average and it's household. The true median individual (not full-time median) is far below that for example.