Forensic scientist salary: What does a forensic scientist earn in Germany?

As a forensic pathologist, you will take on a responsible role in the investigation of deaths and crimes. You will carry out post-mortems, forensic examinations and forensic autopsies, document the findings and prepare expert reports. Working directly at the crime scene is also part of your job. With the help of toxicological examinations, you determine residues of alcohol, drugs or poison and determine the age, gender, body measurements and time of death of the victim. You can also use DNA analyses to find out the identity and relationship of the deceased.

Forensic pathologists also work with living victims of criminal offences and document the findings for court proceedings. Reporting in court is also one of their tasks. In Germany, forensic pathologists can expect an average salary of €82,900 gross per year or around €6,908 per month. The median salary is between €70,900 and €93,700. For a full-time position, they earn an average of €39,792 - €53,885 per year.

Forensic pathologist salary during training and career entry

The path to becoming a forensic pathologist is long and requires a great deal of commitment. First, you complete a 12-semester medical degree, followed by a 5-year specialist training programme in forensic medicine. In total, training to become a forensic pathologist takes at least 11 years.

Salary during training

As a rule, you will not receive a salary during your medical studies. Your studies and living expenses are usually financed by parental support, part-time jobs or BAföG. Only during the practical year (PJ) can you expect a small allowance, as many training centres offer cash and/or non-cash benefits for completing the PJ.

Starting salary after completing specialist training

After successfully completing your specialist training in forensic medicine, you can expect an attractive starting salary as a forensic scientist. Depending on the employer, the gross salary in the first year is over 5,000 euros per month. With increasing professional experience, the salary as a forensic pathologist rises annually. The following table provides an overview of salary development in the first few years of your career:

As a specialist in forensic medicine, you have excellent career prospects and can work in various institutions such as university hospitals, in the forensic service or in research. With further qualifications and management positions, significantly higher salaries are also possible.

Earning opportunities for forensic pathologists in various institutions

As a forensic scientist, you have the opportunity to work in various institutions. Your salary can vary depending on the employer and collective agreement. Below you can find out more about earning prospects in university hospitals, in the forensic service, in municipal institutions and private hospital groups.

Salaries at university hospitals

At university hospitals, your salary as a forensic pathologist increases annually during the five-year residency period. In the first year of your career, you can expect a starting salary of €5,308.41. After obtaining the title of medical specialist, you will be placed in the next higher salary bracket and your earnings will continue to rise. This principle also applies to senior physicians and chief physicians. If you would like a salary above the pay scale, you will need to negotiate outside the pay scale.

Payment in the forensic medical service

In the forensic medical service of the federal states, your salary as a forensic doctor is normally based on the salary grade, as employed doctors are usually civil servants. Salaries are paid according to pay grade A14 or A15. In a managerial position, it is even possible to be paid up to grade A16. For example, the starting salary in grade A14 for a forensic doctor in the forensic medical service is €5,183.60.

Income in municipal facilities

A separate collective agreement applies to forensic doctors in municipal institutions (VKA collective agreement for doctors). As a junior doctor in your first year (pay group 1), you will earn €5,288.32. Your salary is staggered upwards to level 6 at € 6,797.77. A change to the next higher level or pay group means an increase in your gross salary.

Earning opportunities in private hospital groups

If you are employed as a forensic pathologist by a private hospital operator, your salary will be based on the respective in-house collective agreements. Depending on which hospital organisation you work for, your salary can vary by several hundred euros:

Sana Kliniken's collective agreement is similar in structure to those of other private hospital operators. Ultimately, your salary as a forensic pathologist depends on your individual qualifications, professional experience and the respective employer. However, collective agreements provide a good guide to your earning potential at the various facilities.

Does it make sense to have your own practice as a forensic pathologist?

Running your own practice as a forensic pathologist is rather unusual and not common. As a rule, forensic pathologists work at forensic medicine institutes at universities, at the forensic medical service, at state or federal criminal investigation offices or in larger hospitals. The close co-operation with the authorities and courts of the federal states, as well as the specific tasks involved, make it less sensible for forensic pathologists to work independently in their own practice.

However, teaching and research are other interesting areas for forensic scientists in which they can contribute their expertise without running their own practice. Self-employment in the form of a practice therefore plays a subordinate role for most forensic scientists.

Forensic pathologist salary: What are the influencing factors?

The salary of a forensic pathologist is influenced by various factors. Two of the most important are professional experience and the position within the organisation. However, the location and the employer also play a decisive role in the income of forensic pathologists.

Professional experience and position

The longer a forensic scientist works in the profession and the more responsibility he/she takes on, the higher the forensic scientist's salary usually is. During the residency period, the starting salary is between 5,100 and 5,300 euros gross per month. As specialist training progresses, it rises to around 6,200 to 6,600 euros. As a medical specialist, you can expect a salary of between 6,700 and 9,100 euros gross per month, with the median being 7,226 euros. Senior physicians earn between 8,300 and 10,000 euros gross per month (excluding bonuses), depending on their employer and experience. In managerial positions, such as chief physician, annual salaries averaging 300,000 euros gross are common and are negotiated outside of the collective agreement.

Location and employer

The location and the employer also have an influence on the forensic pathologist's salary. Salaries are often higher in large cities and urban centres than in rural areas. There are also salary differences between the federal states, especially if you work as a civil servant in the forensic medical service of a federal state. Here, the salary depends on the respective state salary laws.

Your employer also plays a role in your income as a forensic pathologist. University hospitals, municipal hospitals and private hospital groups pay different salaries, as different collective agreements apply here. There are also salary differences between employed forensic pathologists in practices, clinics and medical care centres (MVZ).

Career prospects and further training opportunities for forensic scientists

As a forensic pathologist, you have a wide range of opportunities to advance your career and develop further after your specialist training. One option is to specialise in certain areas of forensic medicine in order to deepen your specialist knowledge and expand your expertise. As you gain more professional experience, you can take on more responsibility as a senior consultant and later even aspire to the position of senior consultant.

If you aspire to a leadership role in forensic medicine, the management of a forensic medicine institute could be an exciting career goal for you. Working as a professor at a university also offers you the opportunity to pass on your knowledge to future forensic scientists and advance research in this field. A doctorate or habilitation opens up additional prospects in your academic career.

To improve your career opportunities as a forensic scientist, it is worth acquiring additional qualifications in specialised areas of forensic medicine. Further training in subject areas such as forensic toxicology, forensic molecular biology or forensic imaging can sharpen your profile and increase your career opportunities. Acquiring knowledge in related disciplines such as criminology or psychology can also be beneficial for your professional development.