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Average and entry-level salaries for psychologists

The profession of psychology is extraordinarily varied and multifaceted. Psychologists are often equated with psychotherapists, yet the latter group is only one part of the profession. There are business psychologists, clinical psychologists, psychologists who work as teachers and instructors, police psychologists and many other fields in the profession. Furthermore, psychologists can work as employees at a company, they can be civil servants and even self-employed. This large number of various criteria means that salaries differ significantly.

Average salaries

According to the , which monitors salaries in a wide variety of professions, the average gross monthly salary earned by psychologists after 10 years of work experiences is 5,300 euros (63,600 euros per year). After 20 years, average monthly pay rises to 6,050 euros (72,600 euros per year).

Entry-level pay

The average gross monthly salary for entry-level psychologists is 4,180 euros, which translates to 50,160 euros per month.

Psychologists who work in municipal public institutions like hospitals or youth welfare offices are paid according to the TV枚D federal bargaining agreement. Those who have a master鈥檚 degree are generally placed in the E13 salary group, with an entry-level gross annual salary of just under 60,000 euros per year. Bachelor鈥檚 degree holders are assigned to salary groups E9 to E11, corresponding to entry-level salaries of 46,000 to 53,000 euros. The table below provides an overview of salary groups E9 to E15 (reserved for those in positions of leadership) with increasing professional experience.

There are numerous jobs available for psychologists in civil service, such at the vocational psychology service at the Federal Employment Agency, in the German military, in state-run rehab clinics, with the police or in the school system. In federal facilities, salaries are regulated according to the TV枚D Bund while employs of state-run facilities are paid according to the TV-L. There are differences between the two pay scales, but they tend to be small.

Entry-level positions in the private sector can vary significantly, since they are dependent on employer, industry and region. As such, it is impossible to provide accurate numbers. Business psychologists, however, tend to earn attractive salaries.

Salaries for psychologists working in research

In research and teaching at universities and non-university research institutions such as the Max Planck Society, pay is regulated by collective bargaining agreements. Differences in salaries can be significant: Whereas research assistants, generally postdocs and doctoral students, are paid according to the TV-L 鈥� usually in the E13 salary group 鈥� professors are paid according to the W-scale or are compensated at a similar level and earn, depending on the state, up to 100,000 euros per year, plus extras.

鈻� Additional information on research salaries can be found in the articles 鈥�What do Postdocs earn?鈥�, 鈥�What does a doctoral candidate earn in Germany?鈥�, and 鈥�Professor salaries in Germany.鈥�

Salaries for clinical psychologists

Clinical psychologists work in a number of different fields related to health and coping strategies, including psychotherapy, rehabilitation psychology, youth psychology and school psychology. Workplaces include psychiatric centres, clinics and other facilities. Because there is no clear dividing line between clinical psychologists and those from other fields, it is hardly possible to provide an accurate assessment of what they earn, according to the BDP.

Salaries for psychological psychotherapists

There is a fundamental difference between medical psychotherapists (medical doctors who have received additional training in psychotherapy) and psychological psychotherapists, whose education is rooted in psychology. The latter group undergo several years of therapy training after finishing their psychology studies. Since 2020, psychological psychotherapists in training have received 1,000 euros per month during their practical training year, which marks a significant improvement for many when compared to their years of study.

During their careers, according to the BDP, their salaries tend to develop similarly to psychologists working in private industry. Some psychotherapists even earn significantly more in comparison to the TV枚D, while other make slightly less.

Salaries for psychologists in private industry

According to the BDP, average salaries for psychologists in private industry are around 20 percent higher than their counterparts working in civil service, according to the current collective bargaining agreement. The professional association generally presumes that the salary of business psychologists will double over the course of their career. Important factors for earning potential are the size of the company, the industry, geographical location and the precise job. Psychologists in organizational and management consulting, for example, generally earn more than those in recruiting.

Salaries for freelance psychologists

More than half of all psychologists in Germany are self-employed. As a rule, members of this group charge by the hour. According to the BDP, hourly rates range between 80 and 100 euros (for entry-level psychologists and those working in simple diagnostics and coaching) and up to 250 euros (in management consultancy). Even higher rates can sometimes be paid for executive and business coaching.