This is probably a blog post that will blow your mind. It actually just did mine while I was thinking of writing about it. It is about the payment or salary for PhD students in Germany. Many a times I have been asked whether it makes sense to do a PhD in Germany, and me myself being a doctoral researcher would not always say YES!
It depends on many factors, and this is another question that I can answer in a different blog altogether. In this one I would like to tell you if you decide or are unable to make a decision about doing a PhD in Germany then maybe this salary part (how much you might be getting depending upon the contract, like how many hours you have to work) will help.
When you are not on a scholarship and are being funded by TV-L you will get a damn handsome salary package while doing your PhD. But what is this TV-L?
The TV-L (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder) is a collective agreement for public service employees in the federal states of Germany, excluding the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, which have their own arrangements. For PhD candidates in Germany, the TV-L outlines the salary scales based on various factors, including the level of responsibility, experience, and specific job requirements.
PhD candidates are typically employed on a TV-L E13 scale, though the exact level within E13 can vary depending on the institution, the candidate's experience, and other factors. The E13 scale has several "Stufen" (steps or levels) that represent incremental increases in salary based on years of professional experience.
- Stufe 1 is for entry-level employees with no prior relevant experience.
- Stufen 2-6 provide progressively higher salaries for employees with more experience, with increases typically occurring every one to two years.
Now, how does this work. I visited this amazing website https://lohntastik.de/od-rechner/tv-salary-calculator where I wanted to look into something and I was impressed how well this website has been made. This blog is not sponsored, and I am not getting any benefits from this website or the people.
Now, in order to know, all you need to do is select the TV-L E13 and just enter your details. If your contract is 100% (i.e. 39-40 hrs per week) and you are a beginner which makes you Stufe 1 then you yearly salary will be ~52,000 EUR before taxes. After the tax reduction you will get ~33,000 EUR which makes a good amount of ~2,700 EUR per month.
If you are single, you have just hit a jackpot since you are basically getting paid to attain a doctorate degree. In other words you are getting paid while studying to study and earn a 'Dr.' title, if you of course you are successful. This is much better packages than many other starters after Bachelors or Masters can get in Germany. The best part is the more you work i.e. the longer you work your Stufe/Tier gets up and you automatically get a hike without any hackling for raise. The committee fights for you and your rights to get raise.
Even if you have a family this salary is not bad. It is not the best, I agree but you can take care your family, given you are the sole bread earner, in this amount. If you want to get higher salary but also finish your PhD, I can only recommend to focus on your research and treat it like a project that has a hard deadline. Many students tend to loose track and then go down the hill spending 6, 7, or even 8 or more years just doing a PhD. Enter into this journey with a mindset that you can and have to finish this degree and move to a job or further research. This is not where you belong forever!
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