Chief physician salary: What will a chief physician earn in Germany in 2024?

As a head physician, you are at the forefront of the hospital's medical staff and impress with your medical expertise. You have travelled a long medical path to reach this demanding management position. This special profession comes with great responsibility and a wide range of management tasks. In your role as Head Physician, you are responsible for providing first-class medical care to patients, the economic efficiency of the clinic, the positive image of the hospital and the prudent personnel management and targeted further training of the doctors under your supervision. Your salary as head physician rewards your high level of responsibility and recognises your challenging career path.

Starting salary as head physician

As a head physician, you can expect an attractive salary when you start your career. The exact amount of the starting salary depends on various factors. These include the type and size of the medical facility as well as the exact speciality and your professional experience. As a rule, the starting salary for chief physicians is around 9,000 to 15,000 euros gross per month, which corresponds to an annual salary of 108,000 to 180,000 euros.

According to current data on the income of chief physicians, the average monthly salary for chief physicians in Germany is between 16,000 and 22,000 euros gross per month.

The following table provides an overview of the salary range for chief physicians in various institutions:

Table of starting salaries for chief physicians

These figures show that you can earn an above-average salary as a head physician right from the start. With increasing professional experience and responsibility, your salary in this position will rise continuously. In addition to the basic salary, you often have the opportunity to further increase your income through bonuses, special payments or a share of the clinic's turnover.

What does a chief physician earn? Factors influencing the salary

As a head physician, your salary depends on many different factors. One of the most important is the location of your clinic. In the southern federal states, such as Baden-Württemberg, you can expect a higher average salary than in the eastern federal states such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. As a head physician in Baden-Württemberg, you will earn an average of around 277,640 euros per year, while in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the average annual salary is 197,722 euros.

The size of the hospital also influences your salary as a senior doctor. In larger hospitals with more beds and departments, salaries are often higher than in smaller hospitals. This is partly due to the fact that large hospitals have more responsibilities and a higher patient volume.

Another factor is the type of clinic you work in. In acute hospitals, salaries for chief physicians are generally higher than in rehabilitation clinics. While annual salaries of between 150,000 and 300,000 euros are common in acute hospitals, depending on the speciality, salaries in rehabilitation clinics are usually in the range of 160,000 to 250,000 euros per year.

Ultimately, your individual salary as a head physician depends on a combination of different factors. In addition to the location, size and type of clinic, your specialism, professional experience and negotiating skills also play a role. By negotiating your salary skilfully and choosing a renowned clinic in an economically strong federal state, you can optimise your salary as a senior physician.

Chief physician Salary by speciality

As already mentioned, the speciality also plays a decisive role in the salary of chief physicians. According to a Kienbaum study from 2019, chief physicians in internal medicine earn an average of 372,000 euros gross per year. Radiologists are close behind at 360,000 euros, followed by surgical chief physicians at 331,000 euros per year.

In comparison, salaries in other specialities are significantly lower. Chief physicians in geriatrics earn an average of 177,000 euros per year, while paediatric chief physicians earn an annual salary of 208,000 euros. Also in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, orthopaedics, Urology, Gynaecology and neurology, the salaries of chief physicians are below the average of 300,000 euros gross per year.

The salary differences between the specialisations can be explained by various factors. On the one hand, the demand for certain specialisations plays an important role. On the other hand, the complexity of the treatments and the associated responsibility also have an impact on the salary.

In addition to the speciality, individual professional experience also influences the salary of the head physician. As head physicians negotiate their salaries independently of collective agreements, salaries can vary significantly even within a single specialisation. Salaries generally increase with age and experience.

Salary comparison: Chief physician and other hospital functions

Compared to other medical positions in hospitals, chief physicians earn by far the most. As the highest position after a long career path, the salary for chief physicians is correspondingly high. Senior physicians, specialists and assistant physicians receive a significantly lower salary.

While chief physicians earn an average of around 300,000 euros gross per year, the annual salary of medical directors is around 204,000 euros and that of hospital directors around 121,000 euros. Senior physicians earn an average salary of 136,000 euros per year. Specialists and assistant doctors earn an average of 96,000 euros and 79,000 euros per year respectively.

In addition to the position, the subject and department also have an impact on the doctor's salary. According to the Kienbaum Remuneration Report 2019, chief physicians in internal medicine earn the most with an average of 372,000 euros, followed by radiology (360,000 euros) and surgery (331,000 euros).

Non-medical staff such as healthcare and nursing staff or medical IT specialists also earn significantly less than senior physicians. Nevertheless, a career in medicine also offers attractive earning opportunities beyond the position of chief physician, especially for senior physician positions in sought-after specialities and departments.

Chief physician - Salary by age and gender

In addition to factors such as speciality, clinic size and location, age and gender also play an important role in the salary of a head physician. As a rule, remuneration also increases with increasing professional experience. However, there is a clear salary gap between men and women in this management position.

Female chief physicians often earn several thousand euros less per month than their male colleagues in comparable positions. This is the adjusted pay gap, for which there is no objective justification. As an employee, however, you should not let this discourage you during salary negotiations. Stand up for fair pay with confidence, regardless of your gender.

The table shows examples of the salary ranges for chief physicians in different age groups. Salaries increase with increasing professional experience and responsibility. However, women in chief physician positions earn significantly less on average than men, even though they fulfil the same tasks.

To overcome this imbalance, it is important that you, as a medical professional, find out about salaries that are customary in the industry. Seek advice from professional organisations or talk to colleagues. This will enable you to appear confident and well prepared in negotiations. Ultimately, your qualifications and performance should determine your salary, not your gender or age.

Salary increase options for chief physicians

As a senior consultant, you have already embarked on a successful career path and qualified yourself through continuous further training. Nevertheless, there are ways to increase your salary further. One option is to benefit from a collective labour agreement negotiated between your trade union and your employer. This offers you more security as it bindingly regulates your working hours, salary and holidays and protects you from unilateral changes. However, if you benefit more from an individual employment contract, you can also receive a non-tariff salary.

Another way to increase your salary is to take on additional tasks and responsibilities. As a senior member of staff in the clinic, for example, you can be involved in projects that help to improve procedures and processes. Through your commitment and expertise, you can recommend yourself for higher positions and thus also achieve a higher salary.

Taking part in salary negotiations can also have a positive effect on your income. It is important to present your qualifications and achievements confidently and emphasise your contribution to the success of the clinic. Thorough preparation, including researching average salaries for comparable positions, can strengthen your negotiating position.

In addition to these opportunities, overtime, bonuses for working at night, on Sundays or public holidays, as well as consultant work can also increase your salary as a senior consultant. Ultimately, your earnings depend on various factors, including your expertise, management experience, the type of hospital and the region in which you work. However, through continuous training, commitment and skilful negotiation, you can actively contribute to increasing your salary as a senior physician.

Chief physician net salary: example salary statement of a 45-year-old chief physician (married, two children)

How much money actually ends up in a chief physician's account at the end of the month? To give you an idea, we have put together an example of the salary statement of a 45-year-old chief physician who is married and has two children. With an average annual gross salary of 250,000 euros, this results in a monthly gross salary of around 20,833 euros.

After deducting taxes and social security contributions, a net salary of around 10,500 euros remains. It should be noted that head physicians usually also benefit from attractive additional benefits, such as a company car or a company pension scheme. These extras can significantly increase the actual income and make remuneration in healthcare facilities very attractive.

A chief physician therefore not only earns a high basic salary, but can also benefit from lucrative additional benefits. Overall, a career as a head physician not only offers a fulfilling job, but also an extremely attractive overall package of salary and benefits. However, getting there also requires a great deal of commitment, stamina and continuous further training. However, doctors who master this challenge are rewarded with a high income and a wide range of career opportunities.