Academic salary in Germany
Academic salary

It is a well-known fact that academia does not attract a particularly generous income compared to the industrial sector. As employees, civil servants and the self-employed all work in academia, various different remuneration models are used.

TV-L or TVoeD for employees

The salary of researchers– the standard for postdocs – is subject to the applicable employee rate. At universities managed by the state ministers, this is the collective agreement for the civil service of the federal states (TVL). Federal and non-university research institutions are subject to the collective agreement for the civil service (TVoeD). Postdocs are usually grouped into the lowest earning level for academics (E13).

Civil service employment positions are also available at the universities. Non-professorial teaching staff (akademische Mittelbau) positions are usually, if at all, filled by assistant professors, albeit usually for a limited period of time. For this purpose, there is the position of academic council which is paid according to A13.

W salary for professors

However, the majority of academic staff are professors. These professors have been paid according to the pay scale W (for science) since 2002. Junior professors receive their salary according to W1, college professors mainly in accordance with W2 and university professors either according to W2 or W3. 

Teaching assignments are freelance

However, teaching assignments are performed by freelancers and although they do not exactly work free of charge, they are compensated on the basis of a fee agreed in advance. They are paid per lesson according to an hourly rate set by the university. Scholarships are also available to finance freelancers' own living costs. However, these often amount to a figure lower than the salary of postdocs and researchers.