Questions and answers about salaries

Are professorships civil service posts and what is the pay like?

Professorships are often civil service posts. In many federal states, the state university laws also provide for cases in which civil service posts are created on a temporary or trial basis, particularly in the case of first-time jobs. Once they have been professionally assessed, they can then be given a professorship for life. For those who are past the age limit for being appointed to a civil service post, an internal appointment may be considered. The age limits also differ from state to state. Sometimes the limit is set at age 45, though one can still be appointed to a civil service post after one's 50th birthday in some states.

Professors' salaries are based on the W scale in the salary regulations. According to this, the pay of professors at universities and universities of applied sciences is set at levels W 2 and W 3. Salary levels are shown in the tables on, for example, the homepage of the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (Deutsche Hochschulverband).

Do the salaries at private universities differ from the national average?

Unfortunately, we are unable to give a simple answer about the extent to which salaries at private universities differ from average German W1 salaries. The pay at private universities can indeed differ quite considerably, depending on the location. However, in principle, it may be said that the pay at private universities is significantly higher than the gross W1 salary at public universities. Unfortunately, in terms of academics' career advice, we cannot provide further information or specific details of the various university locations. If you, for example, opt to become a member of the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers you could obtain personalised advice in terms of the specific professorships that are advertised.

Pay for interim professors

There is no statutory pay regulation, or collective bargaining agreement on pay, for interim professors. However, in practice pay is based on the salary scales for professors. The KMK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German federal states) agreement states that interim professors may not be paid more than the professor they are standing in for. The details are usually regulated by a decree issued by the Ministry of Science and Research. These can vary from state to state.

How do I negotiate my salary?

The professorial pay scale indicated in the advertisement is always adhered to. An alternative is plausible if the advert has mentioned both W 2 and W 3 salaries. There is great flexibility for negotiating based on the W salary scale. Firstly, your salary demand depends on what you are currently earning. And then any extra depends on which federal state is involved, on the university, on the subject area and on the standing of the appointee.