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The doctor gap is a pressing issue in Germany.
Some areas of specialty are characterized by a particularly strained situation in terms of staffing. These include medical treatment, anesthesiology, psychiatry, and geriatrics, and the generalist gap exists too.

The salary of a doctor in Germany is determined in accordance with the salary rate scale.

The salary is formed depending not only on the position occupied by the employee and the employee’s company seniority, but also the place of their work.

The salary is determined according to the salary rate scale applied by the hospital where you work, as different salary rate scales apply in Germany.

There are different types of hospitals:

• University hospitals (e.g., University Hospital Dresden, University Hospital Leipzig, University Hospital Magdeburg);
• Municipal hospitals (public hospitals);
• Private hospitals (e.g., Asklepios, AMEOS, Paracelsus).

If you start working as a resident doctor (Assistenzarzt) in Germany, the starting salary as a resident in the first year of work is between 4,695 Euros and 5,053 Euros per month (excluding taxes). As you gain experience, your resident doctor salary increases. The salary increases annually in accordance with the salary rate scale. After your work experience in Germany has reached 5 years, the monthly salary is about 6,000 Euros.

When working in a hospital as a medical specialist (after completing your residency), your salary can be 6,090 – 6,518.41 Euros, before taxes. The salary of a medical specialist continues to increase as the professional experience increases.

In total, the tax is 30–42% on average (a payroll tax and social insurance premiums).
In Germany, a distinction is made between gross and net salary.

Gross salary
This is salary before taxes and social insurance premiums. Your gross salary depends on the hospital where you work and your seniority.

Net salary
Social insurance premiums and taxes are deducted from gross salary. The remaining amount after all deductions is called net salary.

Income tax
Income tax is a part of the taxes that the employer transfers to the tax office by itself. Your income as an employee is subject to income tax. The amount of income tax is calculated depending on the tax bracket (details below).

Income tax is paid by both the employer and the employee. The tax is deducted from the salary and transferred directly to the state budget. Employers pay payroll tax to the tax office, which is deducted monthly from the gross salary. Income tax is levied on income that is not related to self-employment (entrepreneurship). When calculating income tax, tax benefits and marital status are automatically taken into account.

Premiums to the Social Insurance Fund:

• church tax (optional);
• unemployment insurance;
• pension insurance;
• health insurance (public or private);
• long-term care insurance;
• solidarity surcharge (this tax is allocated to the development of the new federal states).

There are 6 tax brackets in Germany.

Tax Bracket 1
It is levied on people who are single, divorced, or widowed. Tax Bracket 1 is also levied on all taxpayers who are single or already divorced.

Tax Bracket 2
It is levied on single parents only and provides a tax advantage through the single parent benefit amount. One of the requirements is that a single parent must live with at least one child, which must be taken into account when calculating the amount of taxes.

Tax Bracket 3
It is levied only on married couples and applies only to single earnings or in combination with Tax Bracket 5. In principle, the higher-income spouse should choose Tax Bracket 3.

Tax Bracket 4
Any person who marries is automatically subject to Tax Bracket 4. This tax bracket is the perfect choice for spouses who earn roughly the same amount, as the payroll tax is evenly distributed. However, married couples may also change their tax bracket to a combination of Tax Bracket 3 and Tax Bracket 5.

Tax Bracket 5
Only married people may choose Tax Bracket 5. The other partner is qualified in Tax Bracket 3 because this income tax bracket only works as a combination. The person who receives the lower salary chooses Tax Bracket 5. If both spouses receive approximately the same salary, then both partners can choose Tax Bracket 4.

Tax Bracket 6
It applies to employees who have two or more jobs. The second job (if it exceeds €450 mini-job limit) and each extra job is taxed in accordance with Tax Bracket 6. The primary employment will continue to be taxed in accordance with one of the tax brackets from 1 to 5.

Below is an example to better understand the tax deduction scheme and the payroll scheme.

Example. You are 32 years old, unmarried, have no children, and earn 4,900 Euros gross per month. Your net salary is 3,000.31 Euros.

It can be difficult, but it is possible to do it in big cities like Munich, Hamburg, or Hannover. Receiving a doctor’s salary and having a steady income, you can easily find an apartment anywhere in Germany. We will help you find the accommodation that meets your requirements.

German is a basic requirement for a successful start to your career in Germany. When working in a hospital or outpatient clinic, you need to be able to speak German.