Highest pay
€6,157
Federal (Bund)
Lowest pay
€5,537
Schleswig-Holstein
Spread
€620
per month (top step)
Average
€5,778
all 17 employers
A 12 top step — ranking
Federal (Bund): Top step gross €6,157. Saxony: Top step gross €6,103. Hesse: Top step gross €5,931. Baden-Wurttemberg: Top step gross €5,900. Berlin: Top step gross €5,799. Thuringia: Top step gross €5,795. Rhineland-Palatinate: Top step gross €5,794. Brandenburg: Top step gross €5,785. North Rhine-Westphalia: Top step gross €5,739. Bavaria: Top step gross €5,727. Saxony-Anhalt: Top step gross €5,722. Lower Saxony: Top step gross €5,708. Hamburg: Top step gross €5,688. Bremen: Top step gross €5,654. Saarland: Top step gross €5,622. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Top step gross €5,564. Schleswig-Holstein: Top step gross €5,537
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Salary range per state (entry → top)
Federal (Bund): Entry €4,589 – Top step €6,157. Saxony: Entry €4,444 – Top step €6,103. Hesse: Entry €4,441 – Top step €5,931. Baden-Wurttemberg: Entry €4,653 – Top step €5,900. Berlin: Entry €4,289 – Top step €5,799. Thuringia: Entry €4,447 – Top step €5,795. Rhineland-Palatinate: Entry €4,587 – Top step €5,794. Brandenburg: Entry €4,668 – Top step €5,785. North Rhine-Westphalia: Entry €4,480 – Top step €5,739. Bavaria: Entry €4,654 – Top step €5,727. Saxony-Anhalt: Entry €4,257 – Top step €5,722. Lower Saxony: Entry €4,425 – Top step €5,708. Hamburg: Entry €4,563 – Top step €5,688. Bremen: Entry €4,415 – Top step €5,654. Saarland: Entry €4,191 – Top step €5,622. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Entry €4,260 – Top step €5,564. Schleswig-Holstein: Entry €4,490 – Top step €5,537
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Estimated net (top step)
Federal (Bund): Net €4,481. Saxony: Net €4,449. Hesse: Net €4,349. Baden-Wurttemberg: Net €4,331. Berlin: Net €4,273. Thuringia: Net €4,270. Rhineland-Palatinate: Net €4,270. Brandenburg: Net €4,264. North Rhine-Westphalia: Net €4,238. Bavaria: Net €4,231. Saxony-Anhalt: Net €4,228. Lower Saxony: Net €4,220. Hamburg: Net €4,199. Bremen: Net €4,179. Saarland: Net €4,161. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Net €4,127. Schleswig-Holstein: Net €4,111
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A 12 in all states
| # | State | Entry | Top step | Net (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal (Bund) | €4,589 | €6,157 | €4,481 |
| 2 | Saxony | €4,444 | €6,103 | €4,449 |
| 3 | Hesse | €4,441 | €5,931 | €4,349 |
| 4 | Baden-Wurttemberg | €4,653 | €5,900 | €4,331 |
| 5 | Berlin | €4,289 | €5,799 | €4,273 |
| 6 | Thuringia | €4,447 | €5,795 | €4,270 |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | €4,587 | €5,794 | €4,270 |
| 8 | Brandenburg | €4,668 | €5,785 | €4,264 |
| 9 | North Rhine-Westphalia | €4,480 | €5,739 | €4,238 |
| 10 | Bavaria | €4,654 | €5,727 | €4,231 |
| 11 | Saxony-Anhalt | €4,257 | €5,722 | €4,228 |
| 12 | Lower Saxony | €4,425 | €5,708 | €4,220 |
| 13 | Hamburg | €4,563 | €5,688 | €4,199 |
| 14 | Bremen | €4,415 | €5,654 | €4,179 |
| 15 | Saarland | €4,191 | €5,622 | €4,161 |
| 16 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | €4,260 | €5,564 | €4,127 |
| 17 | Schleswig-Holstein (prov.) | €4,490 | €5,537 | €4,111 |
Why the pay differs
Until the 2006 federalism reform, pay was uniform nationwide. Since then each state sets its own tables. For A 12 this currently means a spread of €620 per month between Federal (Bund) and Schleswig-Holstein — which adds up to a five-figure sum over a career.
A 12 by state
Compare other grades
Frequently asked questions
Which state pays A 12 best?
Federal (Bund) leads at €6,157 at the top step, while Schleswig-Holstein is lowest at €5,537 — a spread of €620 per month for the same grade.
Why does pay differ by state?
Since the 2006 federalism reform, each state (and the federal government) sets civil-servant pay independently. Pay rounds, adjustment acts, and special payments therefore differ.
What is the average for A 12?
Averaged over all 16 states and the federal level, the top step is around €5,778 gross per month.
Are the net differences just as large?
The gross spread largely carries over to net, since civil servants pay no social contributions. For the exact figure including the PKV premium, use the salary calculator.
Is switching employer worthwhile?
On base salary alone, tens of thousands of euros difference are possible over a career. When switching between states, experience steps are not always fully recognised — check your step assignment.
Sources
- Federal and state salary tables 2026 (BBesG / Landesbesoldungsgesetze).
- beamtenbesoldung.org, DGB Besoldung.
- Compiled: June 2026.
Calculate your exact net pay
Pick your state and step for A 12 and compute including PKV and Beihilfe.
Open the salary calculator