Information on the W-remuneration

What is the remuneration (salary) made up of?

As stipulated in the currently valid remuneration chart, the basic salary is made up of the W 2 base salary (valid from December 2022)

•  € 6,484.33

Family supplement (valid from December 2022)

• Level 1: € 152.68 married (no children) (€ 76.34 if the marriage partner is a civil servant and eligible for the family supplement as well)

The amount of the family supplement (FS) for level 2 (married, one child) and level 3 (married, 2 children) depends on the place of the main residence. Every local authority has their own level of rent. You can check the level of rent for your local authority in the current “Anlage der Wohngeldverordnung”.

Examples:
Cologne: Level VI, Leverkusen: Level IV, Gummersbach: Level II

The amount increases with every additional child:

• € 829.75  (Third child)
• € 783.76  (Fourth child)
• € 790.76 (Fifth and every additional child)

If your main residence is not within Germany, other rules apply. 

The amount of the family allowance is determined by the Landesamt für Besoldung und Versorgung (LBV) on the basis of the documents submitted and the place of residence is checked if necessary. The child-related portion of the family allowance is generally dependent on the entitlement to child benefit.

You can find all information on the various eligibility requirements at: www.lbv.nrw.de. In addition, you can find a salary calculator here: https://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/beamte/nw/

The LBV has handed over the payment of child benefit to the Federal Employment Agency since 01.03.2021: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/familie-und-kinder

The previous annual bonus is included in the monthly salaries. All salary components are subject to regular salary increases. The minimum salary always comprises the W2 base salary plus the individually determined family components. In the case of part-time employment, the salary components shall be paid accordingly on a pro rata basis. Additional variable salary components may include:

• Appointment benefits € 300        
• Merit-based benefits after three years at the earliest

Appointment supplement
The appointment supplement is granted indefinitely. It is pensionable if the employment lasts more than two years.

The appointment supplement is negotiated with the president during the appointment process and is subject to available funds as well as the criteria listed above.TH Köln has put into place framework conditions for this purpose.

Merit-based benefits
In addition to the base salary and appointment supplements, professors may request additional benefits for extraordinary accomplishments. These benefits may at the earliest be awarded after an employment of three years at TH Köln. TH Köln has established performance criteria, which are of particular significance to the university in order to promote the development or improvement of a desired profile.
The following criteria are to be included:

• Extraordinary accomplishments in research
• Extraordinary accomplishments in teaching
• Extraordinary accomplishments in art
• Extraordinary accomplishments in continuing education
• Extraordinary accomplishments in the promotion of young talents

Research and teaching supplements
Professors may be permitted to receive a non-pensionable supplement from private third-party funds for the duration of this funding, provided that the third party explicitly permits funding for this purpose. TH Köln shall not incur any costs for its permission of third-party funding.

Pensionability (civil servants)
Appointment and retention supplements as well as merit-based benefits are pensionable for up to 21 percent of the individual base salary of the W2-remuneration, as they are normally granted indefinitely.

Asset-based payment
You can receive asset-based payments (€ 6.65 monthly if you are working full-time) for a form of investment of your choice. Please contact a bank or savings and lending association. For further information, please check: https://www.finanzverwaltung.nrw.de/de/vermoegenswirksame-leistungen-vl

Relocation allowance
If you move to the location of TH Köln or its surrounding area, you are eligible for the relocation allowance. (Primary residence) You will receive a one-off payment of € 2,000 (single) or € 4,000 (married). Your primary residence needs to be less than 30km away from your new place of work.  If the distance is longer than 30km, the HR department will check, whether you are eligible for the relocation allowance. The place of work is stated in the record of appointment (contract). (Cologne/Gummersbach/Leverkusen/Lindlar).

Please send us your proof of residence from your local authority within one year of your move. The move must be carried out no later than 5 years after your starting date. You will not be entitled to get a relocation allowance if you do not move within 5 years or if the proof of residence is not received within a year after the move.

The relocation allowance is tax-free up to a certain level. Any relocation costs above this level will be subject to tax. The exact details can be found in § 1 Abs. 1 Landesumzugskostengesetz (LUKG) and § 10 of the federal moving cost law (Bundesumzugskostengesetz (BUKG)).

Regulations regarding the employment under private-law provisions
Candidates generally cannot be employed as tenured German civil servants after reaching the age of 50. They will be employed under private-law provisions instead (non-civil-servant contract) and will be remunerated at a similar level to W2, i.e. remuneration is equal to that of a civil servant. In contrast to tenured civil servant contracts, professors employed under private-law provisions are required to pay the social security contributions, e.g. pensions, unemployment, health and care insurance.

Occupational pension contributions (VBL) are also mandatory. Information can be found on the following website: https://www.finanzverwaltung.nrw.de/de/hinweise-zur-zusatzversorgung or www.vbl.de.

In accordance with the executive board’s directive on the W-remuneration, variable merit-based benefits may be added to the base salary of the W2-remuneration. The process regulating these benefits at TH Köln is detailed in this directive, as is the transition from the C-remuneration to the W-remuneration.