HAW professorship in Germany – salary
How much do professors at universities of applied sciences earn?

The remuneration of HAW professors

Professors at universities of applied sciences (called Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften or HAWs in German) usually have civil servant status. In most cases, this is initially temporary before later becoming permanent. As at universities, professors are paid in accordance with the W salary scale, with “W” standing for Wissenschaft, or “science”. The W scale is divided into three salary groups:

• W1:Junior professorships (at HAWs sometimes referred to as “Nachwuchsprofessuren” or “next generation professorships” or as tandem professorships)
• W2: Professorships focused on teaching (“originäre” Professuren) 
• W3: Professorships focused on teaching and research ”vollwertige” Professuren)

Though practical research plays a significant role at HAWs, the primary focus is on the transmission of knowledge. The majority of professors at HAWs are therefore paid in accordance with the W2 salary group.

The average salary of HAW professors in the W2 salary group in Germany is €6,146.60 gross per month (as of: October 2022). 

Owing to Germany’s federalist structure, though, actual salaries depend on the federal state in which the teaching position is located. So what are the differences? Are there also W1 and W3 salaries? What about supplements and deductions? Those questions are addressed below.

W2 professorships – an overview of salaries

W2 salaries are not the same everywhere. Owing to differing state regulations, there are significant differences within Germany, as can clearly be seen from the following table. The highest base salary is received by HAW professors in Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, while those in Bremen, Hamburg and Brandenburg earn the least.

The W3 salary group

Because HAW professorships focus primarily on teaching, W3 professorships are rare. In certain instances, however, so-called “specialist professorships” (Schwerpunktprofessuren in German) can be created, in which the teaching load is reduced to provide more time for research work. These specialist professorships are remunerated according to the W3 scale. The number of W3 professorships is limited to a small number by law (e.g. 15 percent).

In the W3 salary group, the pay gap between German states is again significant. Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Saxony and Hesse pay the highest W3 base salaries, while Bremen, Brandenburg and Hamburg pay the lowest.

W1: Remuneration of junior professors

Like W3 professorships, junior professorships used to be rare at universities of applied sciences. But because of staff shortages, more and more federal states are now relying on so-called next generation professorships ("Nachwuchsprofessur") or tandem professorships.

This means that applicants who do not yet fulfil all the necessary requirements (completed Ph.D. and professional experience) can assume teaching duties while simultaneously working at a cooperating company or finishing their dissertation. As a rule, they hold half-time positions and are remunerated according to the W1 scale. 

Gross vs. net – base salary, supplements and deductions

As with all public servants, HAW professors’ salaries are made up of a base salary plus various supplements. The most important supplements are 

• the family supplement,
• appointment and retention performance benefits,
• research and tuition supplements,
• supplements for carrying out a fixed-term function and also 
• overtime pay. 

W3 professors in particular can, with a little negotiating skill, considerably boost their base pay through high-profile publications and research, or through the successful acquisition of external funding.

Salary deductions

Salary deductions for HAW professors with civil servant status are straightforward: only taxes and contributions for health insurance are deducted. In the case of professors who do not have civil servant status, contributions for social security and pension insurance may also be withheld.