What does a professor earn?
Professors research and teach at higher education institutions: they run courses and exams, supervise theses and doctorates, raise third-party funding and shape academic self-governance – at universities, universities of applied sciences or private colleges. The path usually leads via a degree, a doctorate and habilitation or equivalent achievements or a tenure track to an appointment (often W2/W3). Gross pay depends on federal state, pay grade, performance allowances, field and institution. As a guide, appointed professors in Germany in 2026 often earn about €6,800–€8,600 gross per month; in the academic qualification phase (e.g. TV-L E13) typical ranges are around €4,400–€5,400.
Salary by region (gross/month)
Guide figures as of 2026. The training column means typical pay during the academic qualification phase (e.g. research associate TV-L E13 full-time or comparable); qualified means appointed professors (often W2/W3 including typical performance allowances). Actual pay depends on federal state, pay scale, allowances, field, institution and negotiation outcome and is not a guarantee.
Further training options
Job and everyday work
A professor combines teaching, research and academic responsibility: seminars and lectures are prepared, exams are set and early-career researchers are supervised. In parallel come publications, funding applications and projects – often with close coordination across faculty, committees and international networks.
- Plan and deliver courses, set and mark exams, and help shape degree programmes.
- Conduct research: steer publications, conferences, labs or projects and document results.
- Supervise theses, doctoral candidates and research staff, and act as examiner or reviewer.
- Apply for third-party funding and manage project budgets and partnerships with academia and industry.
- Serve on faculty and university committees and support appointment and quality processes.
- Build scholarly visibility: networks, knowledge transfer, expert opinions and outreach for the field.
