Doctor’s Salary in Germany 2026: Average Gross and Net Salaries, Trends
Doctor salaries in Germany in 2026 and how they have changed over the years: how much doctors earn, gross and net income levels, differences between men and women, and how salary depends on experience and qualifications. What are the minimum, average, median, and maximum salaries for doctors, nurses, surgeons, and dentists in Germany?
The Medical Profession in Germany (Medical Health Professions, Human and Dental Medicine)
The medical profession in Germany is considered a highly qualified and strictly regulated medical field. It is part of a broad group of medical and healthcare professions (Medizinische Gesundheitsberufe), which also includes medical staff, laboratory diagnostics, pharmacy, psychotherapy, patient care, and related areas.
Doctors and other healthcare specialists are consistently in high demand across the country, especially in hospitals, clinics, care homes, and rural areas. This field also covers areas such as Krankenpflege (nursing), Pharmazie (pharmacy), Psychotherapie (psychotherapy), Rettungsdienst (emergency services), and other medical professions.
In general, medical professions in Germany are seen as prestigious, socially important, and well paid. However, salaries can vary greatly depending on your specialisation, experience, type of employment, and place of work (for example, a clinic or private practice).
If you are a foreigner who wants to work as a doctor in Germany, you should know that you must have your diploma recognised and get a licence to practise medicine (Approbation). You also need to speak German at a professional level, as this job involves a lot of responsibility and direct contact with patients.
Doctor’s Salary in Germany: median and average
The following table presents official data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany on employee earnings by occupational groups 1, providing an overview of the salary level of doctor. The data is based on the latest available statistics and also includes an estimate for May 2026, calculated taking into account changes in the nominal wage index.
- Average salary
- Median salary
Average monthly gross salary by occupational groups 2
| Occupational group | April 2025 | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Healthcare Professions Medizinische Gesundheitsberufe | 5,204.00 | 5,440.78 |
| Doctor's Assistant and Practice Help Arzt- und Praxishilfe | 3,241.00 | 3,388.47 |
| Medical Laboratory Medizinisches Laboratorium | 5,106.00 | 5,338.32 |
| Health and Nursing Care, Emergency Services, Midwifery Gesundheits-,Krankenpflege,Rettungsd.,Geburtshilfe | 4,461.00 | 4,663.98 |
| Human and Dental Medicine Human- und Zahnmedizin | 9,962.00 | 10,415.27 |
| Veterinary Medicine and Animal Healing Tiermedizin und Tierheilkunde | 5,969.00 | 6,240.59 |
| Psychology and Non-Medical Psychotherapy Psychologie und nicht ärztliche Psychotherapie | 5,324.00 | 5,566.24 |
| Non-Medical Therapy and Healing Nicht ärztliche Therapie und Heilkunde | 3,673.00 | 3,840.12 |
| Pharmacy Pharmazie | 5,728.00 | 5,988.62 |
Median monthly gross salary by occupational groups 2
| Occupational group | April 2025 | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Healthcare Professions Medizinische Gesundheitsberufe | 4,260.00 | 4,453.83 |
| Doctor's Assistant and Practice Help Arzt- und Praxishilfe | 3,162.00 | 3,305.87 |
| Medical Laboratory Medizinisches Laboratorium | 4,366.00 | 4,564.65 |
| Health and Nursing Care, Emergency Services, Midwifery Gesundheits-,Krankenpflege,Rettungsd.,Geburtshilfe | 4,356.00 | 4,554.20 |
| Human and Dental Medicine Human- und Zahnmedizin | 8,634.00 | 9,026.85 |
| Veterinary Medicine and Animal Healing Tiermedizin und Tierheilkunde | 5,352.00 | 5,595.52 |
| Psychology and Non-Medical Psychotherapy Psychologie und nicht ärztliche Psychotherapie | 5,189.00 | 5,425.10 |
| Non-Medical Therapy and Healing Nicht ärztliche Therapie und Heilkunde | 3,550.00 | 3,711.53 |
| Pharmacy Pharmazie | 5,114.00 | 5,346.69 |
Salary Levels by Qualification and Specialisation
The following table shows official data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany about the earnings of workers by job category, qualification, and specialisation. This gives an idea of the salary level for doctor. The data is based on the latest available statistics, taking into account changes in the nominal wage index as of May 2026.
- Average salary
- Median salary
Average monthly gross salary by occupational categories and qualification as of May 2026 2
| Occupational category | Helfer | Fachkraft | Spezialist | Experte | Aufsicht | Führung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor's Assistant and Practice Help | ||||||
| Medizinische Fachangestellte (oS) | - | 3,485.70 | 3,764.85 | - | - | - |
| Zahnmedizinische Fachangestellte | - | 3,178.32 | 3,545.29 | - | - | - |
| Orthoptisten | - | 4,248.91 | - | - | - | - |
| Tiermedizinische Fachangestellte | - | 2,998.49 | 3,703.16 | - | - | - |
| Medizinische Fachangestellte (ssT) | - | 3,601.75 | 3,997.99 | - | - | - |
| Medical Laboratory | ||||||
| Med.-tech. Berufe Laboratorium | - | 4,403.65 | 5,039.31 | 11,570.55 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Funktionsdiagnostik | - | 4,528.06 | 6,534.38 | 7,078.04 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Radiologie | - | 4,682.79 | 4,007.40 | 12,203.08 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Veterinärmedizin | - | 4,141.23 | - | - | - | - |
| Health and Nursing Care, Emergency Services, Midwifery | ||||||
| Gesundheits-, Krankenpflege (oS) | 3,776.35 | 4,726.71 | - | - | - | - |
| Fachkrankenpflege | - | - | 5,170.00 | - | - | - |
| Fachkinderkrankenpflege | - | - | 5,604.93 | - | - | - |
| Operationstechnische Assistenz | - | 4,987.04 | 5,571.47 | - | - | - |
| Rettungsdienst | 3,346.65 | 4,440.24 | 5,299.64 | - | - | - |
| Geburtshilfe, Entbindungspflege | - | 4,432.92 | 4,803.03 | - | - | - |
| Gesundheits-, Krankenpflege (ssT) | - | 4,975.53 | - | - | - | - |
| Krankenpflege, Rettungsd., Geburtshilfe | - | - | - | - | 5,812.98 | 6,170.54 |
| Human and Dental Medicine | ||||||
| Ärzte (oS) | - | - | - | 8,934.84 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Kinder-, Jugendmedizin | - | - | - | 9,695.97 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Innere Medizin | - | - | - | 10,784.33 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Chirurgie | - | - | - | 11,630.14 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Sinnes-, Geschlechtsorgane | - | - | - | 10,825.11 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Anästhesiologie | - | - | - | 10,792.70 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie | - | - | - | 9,864.29 | - | - |
| Zahnärzte, Kieferorthopäden | - | - | - | 7,056.08 | - | - |
| Ärzte (ssT) | - | - | - | 9,922.84 | - | - |
| Human- und Zahnmedizin | - | - | - | - | - | 16,826.28 |
Median monthly gross salary by occupational categories and qualification as of May 2026 2
| Occupational category | Helfer | Fachkraft | Spezialist | Experte | Aufsicht | Führung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor's Assistant and Practice Help | ||||||
| Medizinische Fachangestellte (oS) | - | 3,418.79 | 3,693.75 | - | - | - |
| Zahnmedizinische Fachangestellte | - | 3,113.50 | 3,493.02 | - | - | - |
| Orthoptisten | - | 4,283.41 | - | - | - | - |
| Tiermedizinische Fachangestellte | - | 2,875.13 | 3,418.79 | - | - | - |
| Medizinische Fachangestellte (ssT) | - | 3,494.06 | 3,720.93 | - | - | - |
| Medical Laboratory | ||||||
| Med.-tech. Berufe Laboratorium | - | 4,248.91 | 4,626.34 | 11,027.93 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Funktionsdiagnostik | - | 4,280.28 | 6,514.51 | 6,350.37 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Radiologie | - | 4,645.16 | 3,497.20 | 11,761.88 | - | - |
| Med.-tech. Berufe Veterinärmedizin | - | 3,896.58 | - | - | - | - |
| Health and Nursing Care, Emergency Services, Midwifery | ||||||
| Gesundheits-, Krankenpflege (oS) | 3,635.20 | 4,622.16 | - | - | - | - |
| Fachkrankenpflege | - | - | 5,095.77 | - | - | - |
| Fachkinderkrankenpflege | - | - | 5,218.09 | - | - | - |
| Operationstechnische Assistenz | - | 4,878.30 | 5,279.78 | - | - | - |
| Rettungsdienst | 3,268.23 | 4,364.96 | 5,033.04 | - | - | - |
| Geburtshilfe, Entbindungspflege | - | 4,528.06 | 4,740.30 | - | - | - |
| Gesundheits-, Krankenpflege (ssT) | - | 4,811.39 | - | - | - | - |
| Krankenpflege, Rettungsd., Geburtshilfe | - | - | - | - | 5,737.70 | 5,593.43 |
| Human and Dental Medicine | ||||||
| Ärzte (oS) | - | - | - | 7,979.26 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Kinder-, Jugendmedizin | - | - | - | 8,806.25 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Innere Medizin | - | - | - | 9,813.06 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Chirurgie | - | - | - | 10,330.59 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Sinnes-, Geschlechtsorgane | - | - | - | 9,989.75 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Anästhesiologie | - | - | - | 9,979.30 | - | - |
| Fachärzte Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie | - | - | - | 9,212.95 | - | - |
| Zahnärzte, Kieferorthopäden | - | - | - | 6,273.00 | - | - |
| Ärzte (ssT) | - | - | - | 8,903.48 | - | - |
| Human- und Zahnmedizin | - | - | - | - | - | 14,918.24 |
The tables above use the classification of qualification levels from official German statistics for analysing employment and wages. By clicking on a qualification level in the list below, you can see its definition:
Helfer, Fachkraft, Spezialist, Experte, Aufsicht, Führung.
As you can see from the table, salary levels can vary a lot depending on your qualification and specialisation. For example, an Experte specialist earns on average 7,167 euros more than a Fachkraft specialist in the field of Med.-tech. Berufe Laboratorium. There are also differences between areas of work and if employees take on extra responsibilities such as management or supervision.
Gross and Net Salary
Salaries for doctor in Germany are usually given as gross, which means before taxes and social security contributions are taken off. However, the actual amount you receive is your net salary, which is lower because taxes and social insurance payments are deducted.
On average, about 20 to 35 % is taken from your gross salary in Germany. The exact amount depends on your tax class, family status, whether you have children, the federal state you live in, and your health insurance.
If the average salary for the profession group Medical and Healthcare Professions is 5,204.00 euros gross per month, then the actual take-home pay is usually between 3,400 and 4,200 euros net per month.
It’s important to know that Germany has a progressive tax system: the higher your income, the higher your tax rate. This means that when your gross salary increases, your net income grows more slowly. So the difference in net salary between employees is usually smaller than it looks if you only compare gross salaries.
Salaries of Men and Women
The salary level for doctor in this profession group in Germany can be different for men and women. According to official statistics, men earn more on average than women, but the difference depends on the job, qualification level, work experience, responsibilities, and type of employment.
Average Monthly Gross Salary of Men and Women by Profession Group as of May 2026 2
| Profession Group | Women’s Salary | Men’s Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Healthcare Professions Medizinische Gesundheitsberufe | 4,691.16 | 7,174.22 |
| Doctor's Assistant and Practice Help Arzt- und Praxishilfe | 3,372.78 | 3,809.80 |
| Medical Laboratory Medizinisches Laboratorium | 4,753.89 | 7,056.08 |
| Health and Nursing Care, Emergency Services, Midwifery Gesundheits-,Krankenpflege,Rettungsd.,Geburtshilfe | 4,608.56 | 4,781.07 |
| Human and Dental Medicine Human- und Zahnmedizin | 8,827.16 | 11,601.91 |
| Veterinary Medicine and Animal Healing Tiermedizin und Tierheilkunde | 5,506.65 | 7,300.73 |
| Psychology and Non-Medical Psychotherapy Psychologie und nicht ärztliche Psychotherapie | 5,347.73 | 6,121.40 |
| Non-Medical Therapy and Healing Nicht ärztliche Therapie und Heilkunde | 3,728.25 | 4,055.49 |
| Pharmacy Pharmazie | 5,391.64 | 7,290.27 |
Based on the data in the table, on average the pay gap between men and women is about 19.7 % 3. This means that women usually earn less than men, but the real difference can vary a lot depending on the job and working conditions.
Sources of Information and Data Explanations
- The average and median gross salaries are published by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). These numbers show the average gross salary without extra payments (such as bonuses or holiday pay) for full-time workers by profession group.
- The salary calculation as of May 2026 is done as follows: the latest official Destatis salary for April 2025 is multiplied by the annual nominal wage index (for 2025 it changed by +4.2 % per year), taking into account how many months have passed.
- The difference between men’s and women’s salaries is calculated as a percentage of men’s salaries in each profession group. Then an average is worked out for all groups to give an approximate figure for income differences.
Author team finanz-handbuch.de
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