Besoldungstabellen

Besoldungstabellen are official salary tables used in the German public sector to determine the remuneration of civil servants (Beamte) and other employees who are paid under special public-sector rules. They form part of the public service pay system and are published within the framework of relevant laws at federal and state levels. The tables define the pay structure by Besoldungsgruppen (pay grades) and Stufen (steps or levels), with monthly base salaries linked to rank, responsibilities, and years of service. In addition to basic pay, they may authorize various allowances or supplements, such as family allowances or special bonuses, depending on the jurisdiction and status of the employee.

Legal basis and scope are central to Besoldungstabellen. At the federal level, one set of tables applies to the federal public service, while each German state maintains its own tables for state administrations. Tables are periodically revised to reflect budget priorities, inflation, and other economic factors. The exact labeling, grouping, and progression rules vary between Besoldungsordnungen and regions, but the general principle remains: salaries are determined by a standardized matrix that ties rank and tenure to a defined monthly pay level.

Besoldungstabellen are distinct from pay scales used under collective wage agreements for other public-sector employees. Those workers are covered by tariff agreements (Entgeltt oder TV-Tarif), which use different tables. The concept of Besoldungstabellen also appears in other German-speaking countries, where civil-service pay scales are similarly codified in law and regularly updated.