Neurosurgeon salary: What does a neurosurgeon earn in Germany?

As a prospective neurosurgeon, you are certainly interested in the earning opportunities in this demanding speciality. The salary of a neurosurgeon in Germany varies depending on the position, professional experience and place of work. Whether in university clinics, municipal hospitals or private clinics - remuneration is based on the respective collective agreements. Having your own practice also offers attractive financial prospects for neurosurgeons.

Neurosurgeon salary: These criteria influence the salary

If you work as a neurosurgeon in Germany, your salary depends on various factors. The most decisive factors are your position and your professional experience. A head physician in neurosurgery generally earns more than a senior physician or assistant physician. This is regulated by the respective collective labour agreements.

The specific collective agreement you fall under also influences the amount of your income. There are differences between the TV-Ärzte TdL for university hospitals, the TV-Ärzte VKA for municipal hospitals and the contracts of private clinics. Senior consultants and head physicians often have non-tariff contracts where good negotiating skills can lead to a higher gross salary.

In addition to the basic salary, neurosurgeons receive bonuses for on-call and standby duty, public holidays and night shifts. These can significantly increase the monthly income. The size, location and provider of the hospital also play a role: in larger hospitals, especially in urban centres with private employers, salaries are often higher than in smaller facilities or rural regions with few patients.

As a neurosurgeon, you therefore have good earning potential, especially if you are aiming for a managerial position in a large clinic. Your salary will increase continuously with increasing professional experience and specialisation. Working as a deputy head physician or taking on additional tasks, such as working as a consultant, can also further increase your income.

Neurosurgeon salary in clinics including all collective agreements

As a neurosurgeon in a clinic, your salary depends largely on the respective collective agreement. Depending on the pay scale group and experience level, you can expect an attractive income. In pay scale group P7, the annual salary is around €65,000 gross, which corresponds to a monthly salary of €5,417. With increasing professional experience, you will be promoted to higher pay scale groups, for example to group P9 with an annual salary of €75,837 (€6,320 per month).

In addition to the basic salary, as a neurosurgeon you benefit from various allowances and extras. The nursing allowance is currently €120 per month and will be increased to €133.80 from March 2024. In addition, there are alternating shift bonuses of €155 per month and night shift bonuses of €20 % on the gross hourly wage. For Sunday work, you will receive a supplement of 25 %, on public holidays even 35 % with time off in lieu or 135 % without time off in lieu.

There are additional financial incentives for neurosurgeons at the Charité in Berlin. The Christmas bonus amounts to around 84.5 % of the gross monthly salary in tariff groups P1-8 and around 70 % in groups P9-16. Charité relief points allow you to receive additional remuneration or time off in the event of a heavy workload. Voluntary extra services as part of stability services are rewarded with up to €4,360 per month.

Pay scale adjustments and salary increases also contribute to the positive salary development. There will be a tax-free inflation adjustment of € 220 per month until February 2024. From March 2024, the monthly salary will be increased by € 200 plus 5.5 %.

In municipal hospitals, assistant doctors earn between € 5,288 and € 6,798 gross per month according to the TV-Ärzte VKA. At university hospitals under the TV-Ärzte TdL, the starting salary for assistant doctors is €5,104 in the first year and €6,814 in the sixth year. As a medical specialist, you start with €7,006, as a senior consultant with around €8,775 and as a senior consultant with €10,323.

Private clinics such as Asklepios offer surgeons between €5,200 and €5,430 in their first year as a junior doctor. Specialists there earn between €7,160 and €9,055, senior physicians around €8,970 to €9,950. At denominational hospitals, specialist salaries range from €7,000 to €9,200.

Overall, it can be seen that neurosurgeons in hospitals can earn an attractive salary depending on the collective agreement, experience level and additional benefits. Income can be further optimised with targeted collective bargaining and individual agreements.

Salary of a neurosurgeon with own practice

As a neurosurgeon in private or group practice, you can earn an attractive income. Your salary depends on various factors, such as the location of your practice, the size of your practice, fixed costs and the number of patients you see. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the average gross income of a neurosurgical practice in Germany in 2021 was an impressive €418,000.

Compared to other specialist areas, neurosurgeons with their own practices do well. Radiologists lead the field with an average gross income of 2,836,000 euros per practice, followed by ophthalmologists with 1,212,000 euros and orthopaedic surgeons with 805,000 euros. Neurosurgical practices are in the solid midfield with their income.

There are also regional differences in the earnings of neurosurgeons in private practice. In Bavaria, you can earn between €5,320 and €10,600 gross per month as a neurosurgeon with your own practice. In Hamburg, the range is between 6,200 and 10,600 euros, in Saxony between 5,300 and 9,100 euros and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania between 4,924 and 8,400 euros. Baden-Württemberg offers salaries between 5,950 and 11,000 euros gross per month.

Overall, doctors in private practice in the old federal states tend to achieve higher net income per practice than their colleagues in the new federal states. However, these differences vary depending on the speciality. As a neurosurgeon with your own practice, you can expect an attractive salary nationwide and optimise your income through entrepreneurial skills.

Neurosurgery salary compared to other specialities

As Neurosurgeon or neurosurgeon, you are one of the top earners in the medical specialities. Compared to other specialist areas and jobs, your salary is positioned at the upper end of the spectrum, which is due to your specialised skills and the high level of responsibility in treating complex diseases of the nervous system. Salary comparisons show that neurosurgeons are among the best-paid doctors in Germany, alongside radiologists, cardiac surgeons and gastroenterologists.

Your salary progression in the career of a medical specialist can vary depending on experience and position, with an increase from assistant doctor salaries to chief physician salary ranges. Regional differences within Germany can also have an impact on salary structure, depending on factors such as clinic location and level of care. Additional income and additional earnings, for example through private treatments or lectures, can also have a positive influence on your neurosurgeon salary.

On average, the annual salary of a neurosurgeon in Germany is an impressive 180,000 to 250,000 euros. This significantly exceeds the salaries of many other medical specialities such as primary care. Due to your specialisation and the high value you bring to medical care, salary negotiations for neurosurgeons require specific strategies to achieve appropriate compensation for your expertise and responsibility.