German Pay Scale in the Public Sector (TV-L)
Public sector employees, including university researchers, are paid according to the TV-L (Tarifvertrag für den ?ffentlichen Dienst der L?nder), a standardized pay scale for all public employees in German states. Salaries for researchers are therefore determined strictly by the TV-L framework, which considers professional experience and family circumstances, with no provisions for individual salary negotiation.
The TV-L pay scale for PhD students and postdocs includes 15 salary groups (E 1 to E 15), with E 15 being the highest group. Each salary group has six experience-based levels Initial placement is determined by prior professional experience. Employees progress through the levels over time with consistent performance: to level 2 after one year in level 1, to level 3 after two years in level 2, to level 4 after three years in level 3, and so forth.
New employees without relevant experience are typically assigned to level 1 of their salary group. However, prior experience at other universities or research institutions is generally recognized.
- Doctoral students are typically classified under salary group E 13. For a single person, this corresponds to a gross salary starting at approximately �4.388 per month, which translates to a net salary of around �2,800.
- Postdoctoral researchers are also generally assigned to E 13, but their additional experience often qualifies them for a higher level within this pay group, resulting in a higher salary. Positions with specific responsibilities, such as junior research group leaders, may fall under higher pay groups, such as TV-L 14 or TV-L 15.
- Professors are classified under a separate pay scale with 3 salary groups (W 1 to W 3). Junior professors are assigned to W 1, while W 2 and W 3 are designated for full professors.? W 2 and W 3 have 3 experience-based levels each, with progression occurring more slowly than for PhD students and postdocs. For a single person, the gross salary starts at �5,525 (net: approx. �4,200) per month in group W 1 and �6,813 (net: approx. �4,900) per month in group W 2
More information can be found here.?