Dentist salary in Germany
Salary dentistry

A dentist's responsibilities mainly involve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dental, oral and jaw diseases. However, the role and working environment of dentists can vary greatly. For the salary prospects of young graduates, these factors are just as crucial as their subsequent specialisation and professional experience. Dentists mainly work in practices which they often run themselves; although dentists can also choose from a variety of roles in dental clinics, at universities, in research institutions, health departments and pharmaceutical companies.

What does an assistant dentist in Germany earn?

After completing their studies, most freshly certified dentists complete a two-year preparatory service period as an assistant dentist, at a private dental practice in order to meet the legal requirements for their licence as a contractual dentist of the state health insurance. During this period, they primarily gain professional experience while treating patients with personal responsibility. The preparatory service period may also be completed at dental clinics or with public health services. Employed dentists' salaries are a matter of negotiation between the practice owner and the assistant dentist. Depending on the region and practice, the starting salary of an assistant dentist is between €1,500 and €2,500 gross per month.

What does an employed dentist earn at a dentistry clinic in Germany?

Experienced dentists can expect to receive a higher salary than young professionals, although dentists never really finish their training and take part in regular professional training throughout their entire career. As salaries are negotiated individually between practice owners and employees, there is no general formula for the income of employed dentists. Some practices agree on a fixed monthly salary, while others have a profit sharing scheme for their employees at the dental clinic. According to the journal Dental Magazin, the salary of an employed dentist is on average up to €5,000 gross per month, depending on professional training, internal responsibility, working hours and specialism.

What does a dentist in Germany earn if they own a practice?

The establishment and running of a practice always involves an entrepreneurial risk and organisational burden, which is why dentists have been showing a trend towards permanent employment for some years now. In return, the self-employed can expect a higher income, but while the income of private dentists in 1980 was one of the highest among the specialist groups, they have declined continuously over the years in comparison with other specialist areas. Nowadays, dentists are one of the lowest-earning specialists. According to the latest surveys conducted by the German Federal Statistical Office in 2011, average net income (which not to be confused with operational profits or income) of a dental practice was around €178,000, while net income per practice owner amounted to around €142,000.

What does a dentist earn at a dentistry clinic in Germany?

Collective agreements are in place for dentists in municipal and private hospitals, which are renegotiated each year and categorised into length of professional experience and pay bands. For example, the monthly gross salary of an assistant dentist at a university hospital in their first year of employment is €4,495.47. The highest pay level is for deputy chief physicians at €9,864.55 per month. (Source: oeffentlicher-dienst.info)

What do dentists in Germany earn in the field of research and teaching?

Dentists also have interesting career opportunities at universities and research institutes. The salary of postgraduates is usually set according to collective agreements and amounts to between €3,400 and €5,400 gross per month. The earnings of a researcher and the salary of postdocs amounts to €3,400 to €6,300 per month, while the monthly basic salary of a professor in dentistry can be up to €7,000 gross.