Psychologist salary: What does a psychologist earn in Germany (incl. TVöD)

As a psychologist, you have a wide range of opportunities to utilise your skills and earn an attractive salary. Depending on your qualification, employer, location and professional experience, you can earn different amounts in Germany. In the public sector, your psychologist salary is based on the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD), while individual agreements are made in the private sector. Here you can find out what earning opportunities are open to you as a psychologist and what factors your salary depends on.

Psychologist salary: influencing factors and earning potential

The salary of psychologists is influenced by various factors. Your degree plays a decisive role - with a Master's degree, your earning potential increases significantly. According to statistics, the starting salary for psychologists with a Master's degree is €4,187 gross per month, while Bachelor's graduates start at €3,099 gross.

Your specialisation also influences what you earn as a psychologist. Psychotherapists receive an average starting salary of 4,542 euros gross per month. In the private sector, for example as a personnel officer, you can expect a gross salary of between 3,751 euros (small companies) and 4,964 euros (large companies) per month, depending on the size of the company.

Psychologist salary: your earnings increase with your professional experience

Your professional experience also has an impact on your psychologist salary. The more experience you have, the more you earn:

• Up to 3 years of professional experience: 3,707 euros gross per month
• 3-5 years of professional experience: 4,518 euros gross per month
• Over 10 years of professional experience: 5,305 euros gross per month

In the public sector, remuneration for psychologists is based on the pay group in the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD). In the private sector, however, psychologists' salaries are often individually negotiable and can vary greatly.

Starting salaries for psychologists by degree and industry

As a career starter in psychology, your salary depends largely on your degree and the sector in which you work. In the public sector, you can expect a starting salary of around €3,099 gross per month with a Bachelor's degree, rising to €3,341 in the second year. With a Master's degree, you will start in a higher salary bracket and earn around 4,187 euros gross per month in the first year and 4,526 euros gross in the second year.

In the private sector, the salary ranges are broader. Here, starting salaries for psychologists are between 3,000 and 5,700 euros gross per month, depending on the size of the company and the field of activity. This corresponds to a gross annual salary of 36,000 to 68,400 euros. With increasing professional experience and responsibility, you will rise to higher salary levels.

Psychologists who opt for a career in research institutes, the healthcare sector or educational institutions earn an average annual salary of between €37,000 and €53,000, depending on their professional experience. As a psychotherapist in private practice, you set your own salary based on the number of therapy sessions, ranging from €3,600 to €5,000 gross per month.

In business, jobs in the field of work and organisational psychology, HR management and personnel consulting are particularly lucrative. Here you can expect starting salaries of €3,200 to €3,500 gross per month, which can be increased to up to €10,000 over the course of your career. In the future market of digital business & data science, psychologists can also expect attractive salaries right from the start of their career.

Psychologist salary TVöD: The pay scale in the public sector

As a psychologist in the public sector, your salary is based on the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD). Depending on your qualifications and professional experience, you will be categorised into the relevant pay groups. With an academic degree such as a Master's or a doctorate, you will usually start in pay grade E13.

There are different levels within the pay grades, which are based on your professional experience. As a career starter, you usually start at level 1 and progress to higher levels with increasing responsibility and experience. The step duration is usually one year, but can also be shortened if you perform particularly well.

The table shows the monthly gross salary for psychologists in pay grade E13 in the period from 1 March 2024 to 31 December 2024. In addition to the basic salary, you will also receive a special annual payment in the public sector, the so-called Christmas bonus.

Exemplary positions for psychologists in E13 are

• Psychologist in the school psychology service
• Psychologist for the family counselling centre

In the public sector, the working week is usually 39 hours. In addition to your training and professional experience, your earning potential also depends on the specific tasks and the level of responsibility you take on. With increasing age and experience, you can be promoted to higher pay grades and thus increase your salary.

Salary with church employers

In addition to public organisations, church employers also offer attractive prospects for psychologists. The labour contract guidelines (AVR) of Caritas and Diakonie regulate the salaries and working conditions of over 1.3 million employees in Germany. After completing a degree in psychology and further specialised training, employees are assigned to pay groups depending on their job, qualifications and professional experience.

In the AVR Diakonie, psychologists are usually categorised in pay groups 9 to 12. The salary range here extends from 4,337 euros to 6,961.64 euros gross per month. Caritas pays comparable salaries and provides a starting salary of between 4,337 euros and 5,119 euros for career starters in pay group 9.

The current pay scales for 2024 already take pay increases into account. The AVR Diakonie, for example, shows an average pay increase of 5.2 per cent, while the Caritas table increases pay by a further 5.5 per cent after raising the basic amount by 200 euros. There are also attractive additional benefits such as up to 30 days' holiday and time bonuses, for example 25% for night work between 8pm and 6am.

The remuneration atlas shows: With increasing professional experience, psychologists in church organisations continuously increase their salary. Specialisations, for example as a psychological psychotherapist, open up further opportunities. Those who take on management responsibility can be promoted to even higher pay grades. Overall, AVR employers offer secure prospects with varied fields of activity and a good work-life balance.

Regional differences in psychologists' salaries (by federal state)

The salary of psychologists can vary depending on the federal state and region. Salary differences depend on various factors, such as employment in a particular sector, company size or professional experience. As a rule, the starting salary after successfully completing a psychology degree is between 36,423 euros and 55,791 euros, depending on the field of activity and the knowledge acquired.

According to salary portals and the Federal Employment Agency, the average median salary for psychologists in Germany is €5,056 gross per month. Salaries in federal states such as Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Hamburg can be up to 500 euros above the average. The average monthly income in Baden-Württemberg, for example, is 4,062 euros, while in Saxony it is 3,584 euros.

In which cities in Germany you earn particularly well

Particularly high salaries for psychologists are often paid in major cities such as Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Hamburg. You will also find attractive earning opportunities in Berlin. This is where the most vacancies for managerial positions in the field of psychology are reported throughout Germany, alongside Hamburg and Munich.

Most psychologists work in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (7,355), Bavaria (5,096) and Baden-Württemberg (3,818). This is where you will find the largest labour markets with diverse career opportunities, both in metropolitan areas as well as in medium-sized cities and more rural regions.

Psychologist salary in various fields of activity

As a psychologist, you have the opportunity to work in a variety of areas. Your salary depends largely on your field of work, the organisation and your professional experience. While above-average salaries can often be achieved in management consultancy, human resources or coaching, starting salaries in the social sector are usually lower. There are also gradations within a field of activity depending on the position and area of responsibility.

In the clinical field, psychologists with an additional qualification as a psychological psychotherapist or child and adolescent psychotherapist can expect a starting salary of around €33,600 per year, with up to €54,000 possible with increasing experience. As a medical psychotherapist, you start at around €45,600 per year, with up to €60,000 possible in later stages of experience.

The exact amount of your salary ultimately depends on individual factors such as the company, your tasks and your expertise. Through targeted salary negotiations, you can additionally optimise your salary in many institutions and adapt it to your personal career.

Salary of psychotherapists in gender comparison

If you work as a psychologist or psychotherapist, various factors play a role in your salary. In addition to qualifications, professional experience and field of work, there are also differences between the sexes. According to the Remuneration Atlas, psychologists earn an average of €4,740 gross per month. Interestingly, women are slightly above the average at 5,538 euros, while men are just below at 5,447 euros. 

Psychologist salary compared to other professions

As a psychologist, you earn above-average wages compared to other professions in the healthcare and social services sector. With an average gross salary of €4,740 per month, you are well above the income of geriatric nurses (€3,611), medical assistants (€2,778), nurses (€3,944), operating theatre nurses (€4,394) and medical-technical assistants (€3,717).

Only assistant doctors earn significantly more than psychologists, with an average gross salary of €6,620 per month. However, there are also salary differences within psychology: depending on specialisation, professional experience and employer, you can earn between €2,700 and over €5,000 per month as a psychologist or psychotherapist.

All in all, as a psychologist you will do well in terms of salary. Your qualifications, your field of work and your experience play an important role. With a specialisation, for example as a psychotherapist, and several years of professional experience, you can significantly increase your income and establish yourself in the upper salary range.