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Are you interested in a professorship at a university in Germany? German universities and colleges would like to make their teams more international by recruiting highly qualified academics from abroad. At present, roughly 4,000 professors at German higher education institutions come from other countries.
In Germany you can work as a professor at a university or a university of applied sciences. Here you will find all you need to know about the requirements, application procedure and salary for a professorship in Germany.
As a professor at a German university you will be able to research and teach independently with a good team of staff and good equipment – either as a junior professor, W2 professor or as a university professor with your own professorial chair.
As a rule, professorships are advertised internationally.
If you are aiming for a professorship at a university in Germany, you will want answers to some important questions. Here you will find useful information:
Would you like to know whether you meet the requirements for a professorship in Germany and how you can apply? You will find the most important information here:
The formal requirements for appointment as a professor at a university in Germany are:
In addition to this, it is generally also necessary to demonstrate proven knowledge of the subject, relevant publications and experience of research and teaching.
The appointment procedure involves a number of steps and can differ from institution to institution and state to state. Usually, the following steps are followed:
A successful application process is followed by crucial negotiations, in which the candidate explains his or her teaching and research concept and the resulting requirements for the chair with regard to space, funding and human resources. The professor’s own remuneration is also negotiated at this point and dual career issues discussed.
Not all professorships in Germany are equally funded. Basically, holders of professorial chairs manage their own budgets and several employees, while other professors tend to have fewer staff and a lower level of funding. There are also considerable differences in professors’ remuneration.
As a professor at a German university you will
enjoy independence in research and teaching and represent your department as a holder of a professorial chair,
support new academic talent, carry out examinations and perform teaching duties,
be involved in the self-government of the university,
be able to apply to funding organisations for research funding and initiate research projects or international partnerships and
have human resources responsibility for your team. Depending on the form of the professorship, you will have control over staff, rooms and equipment. These are usually the subject of the appointment negotiations.
In Germany, professors are remunerated in accordance with what is known as W-Besoldung, a salary scale for scholars (W stands for “Wissenschaft”, which means scholarship or science).
Germany is a federation in which the individual states (Länder) have jurisdiction over their civil servants’ basic pay. As a result, salaries vary depending on the state in which the university is based and whether the researcher is employed by the Federal Government.
As a rule, professors are paid according to the W3 or W2 salary scales, junior professors according to the W1 scale. The remuneration of (W2/W3) university professors (who normally have civil servant status with lifelong tenure) differs depending on their grouping and the state in which they are based.
The designation of a professorship as W3, W2 or a junior professorship (W1) is determined by the employing university. In concrete terms, you can expect the following:
You should bear in mind that deductions are made from the respective gross monthly salary to cover taxes and possibly also social contributions for medical, unemployment and retirement pension insurance. These contributions enable you to acquire rights to the excellent benefits of the German social security system.
In Germany, professors are usually civil servants (probationary, temporary or permanent) and do not need to pay social insurance contributions. However, professorships can also be awarded with employee status. This means the net salary is far lower than that of a professor with civil servant status.
The German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) presents information about the academic salary scales of the individual states (Länder) and the Federal Government on a special W-Portal (only in German).
Another career opportunity for postdoctoral or established researchers is a professorship at a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule/Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) or other higher education institution in Germany. A professorship at a university of applied sciences places special emphasis on practice-oriented teaching. There is an increasing focus nowadays on research, however – especially in the engineering sciences.
Universities of applied sciences in Germany can offer an alternative to a professorship at a general university. However, the required academic profile is different.
It is crucial in an application for a professorship at a university of applied sciences in Germany that you refer to the requirements outlined in the advertisement. You should pay special attention to the following:
You will need to complete the relevant appointment procedure to become a professor at a university of applied sciences. The procedure can differ from institution to institution and state to state. Usually, the following steps are followed:
Working as a higher education teacher at a university of applied sciences in Germany is an interesting alternative to a career as a professor at a traditional university. You will find more information about what your duties would be and what you would earn as a teacher at a university of applied sciences here:
In Germany, professors are remunerated in accordance with what is known as W-Besoldung, a salary scale for scholars (W stands for “Wissenschaft”, which means scholarship or science). Germany is a federation in which the individual states (Länder) have jurisdiction over their civil servants’ basic pay. As a result, salaries vary depending on the state in which the higher education institution is based and whether the researcher is employed by the Federal Government.
In concrete terms, this means:
Please bear in mind that deductions are made from your gross monthly salary to cover taxes and possibly also social contributions for medical, unemployment and retirement pension insurance. These contributions enable you to acquire rights to the excellent benefits of the German social security system.
In most cases, as a professor at a university of applied sciences in Germany you will be appointed with civil servant status on a temporary or lifelong basis. Many professors at universities of applied sciences also work as regular employees. Their net salaries are far lower than those of lifelong professors.
The German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) presents information about the academic salary scales of the individual states (Länder) and the Federal Government on a special W-Portal (only in German).
