Dentist salary in Germany
What does an dentist earn in Germany?
What does a dentist earn in Germany? © ArtistGNDphotography / iStock.com
Dentistry is generally considered to be a crisis-proof industry with a future. Many prospective dentists choose the career due to the secure livelihood and an above-average salary, although ongoing changes to the operation of practices do have an impact.
Updated: 2024-12-17
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 €34,000 and €52,000 Euro gross per year.
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. Acording to the apoBank, the salary of an employed dentist is on average between €52,000 and €80,000 gross per year, depending on professional training, internal responsibility, working hours and specialism.
What does a dentist in Germany earn if they own a practice?
According to a breakdown by the Federal Statistical Office, the net income of dental practices in 2022 was 243,000 euros. It should be noted that the net income is not the net salary of the self-employed dentist. In addition to income tax, pension, health and long-term care insurance as well as contributions to pension schemes are also deducted from the net income. If all these expenses are taken into account, a dentist with their own practice is left with an average net income of just under 25 per cent of their total fee income.
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 gross monthly salary of an assistant dentist at a university hospital in their first year of employment is €5,308,41. The highest pay level is for deputy chief physicians at €11,648.42 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 €4,200 and €5,300 gross per month. The earnings of a researcher and the salary of postdocs amounts to €5,000 to €6,000 per month, while the monthly basic salary of a professor in dentistry can be up to €8,100 gross.
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