phd post doctoral salary

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• 25 April 2024

NIH pay raise for postdocs and PhD students could have US ripple effect

• Amanda Heidt 0

Amanda Heidt is a freelance journalist in southeastern Utah.

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Academic workers walk a picket line at the University of California, Los Angeles. Credit: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty

Amid a reckoning over poor job prospects and stagnating wages for early career scientists, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said it will raise the salaries of thousands of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students who receive a prestigious NIH research fellowship. The move could boost pay for other scientists as well, because academic institutions often follow guidelines set by the NIH.

Beginning immediately, postdocs who hold one of the agency’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) will now earn at least $61,008 per year — an 8% increase and the largest year-over-year increase the NIH has implemented since 2017. Postdocs’ salaries, which are adjusted for years of experience, are capped at $74,088 per year. Graduate students’ yearly salaries will rise by $1,000, amounting to a minimum annual salary of $28,224.

“This is a major step in the right direction and something that the majority will agree is widely needed to retain talent in the biomedical and academic research sectors,” says Francisca Maria Acosta, a biomedical engineer and postdoc at UT Health San Antonio in Texas who is herself funded through an NRSA.

Postdoc shortage

In 2022, the agency assembled an advisory group on how best to retain and cultivate postdoctoral talent following reports that principal investigators (PIs) were struggling to fill vacant postdoc positions . In December, the panel released recommendations that suggested a minimum salary of $70,000 for postdocs.

The NIH agreed that a salary increase is indeed needed for the more than 17,000 research trainees covered by the NRSAs. The agency will also provide an extra $500 in subsidies for childcare and $200 for training-related expenses. In this week’s announcement, the agency acknowledged that this increase falls short of the council’s recommendation, and cited its tight budget in recent years.

Canadian science gets biggest boost to PhD and postdoc pay in 20 years

It added that “pending the availability of funds through future appropriations,” the agency would increase salaries to meet the recommended $70,000 target in the next three to five years, while also suggesting that NIH-funded institutions could supplement salaries in other ways. That presents a challenge, according to Sharona Gordon, a biophysicist at the University of Washington in Seattle, when the NIH’s modular R01 grants — one of the primary research awards given to PIs to fund their labs — have remained at $250,000 since they were introduced in 1998. Such grants cannot be used to supplement salaries, meaning lab heads have to pull money from other sources to increase trainees’ pay.

Even scientists who approve of the NIH’s move say it could have unintended consequences. “For institutions such as ours, which mandate that the postdoc minimum salary be set to the NIH minimum, there are some concerns that this increase in personnel costs could be a barrier for labs based on funding levels,” Acosta says.

For some, the five-year timeline for the increase feels insufficient. Haroon Popal, a cognitive science postdoc at the University of Maryland in College Park whose work is funded by the NIH, says that while he understands the pressures on the agency, the new salary will not be enough to support him as he assumes multiple caregiving responsibilities. Even with the boost, postdoc positions in academia fall far short of what researchers could make in government, industry, or nonprofit positions. “This is an issue of diversity and equity for me,” he says. “The new postdoc salary is not allowing people like me to be in academia, which is counter to the NIH’s, institutions’, and our scientific community’s goals of increased diversity.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01242-x

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The Vice President for Research periodically updates the community on standards related to postdocs. Below please find summary information related to salary/stipend thresholds and health benefits for postdoctoral fellows. We have an outstanding population of over 1500 postdocs at MIT, and we are committed to providing  mentoring  and  career development  that supports each postdoc’s advancement on the path to professional independence.

Mandatory Minimum Salary Level for Postdoctoral Scholars (Associates and Fellows)

Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum salary/stipend for all postdoctoral scholars (Postdoctoral Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows) is $66,950.

The minimum salary/stipend for postdoctoral scholars is reviewed each fall, and adjustments take effect annually on January 1. The annual reappointment of a postdoc does not trigger an increase as a matter of policy; however, PIs retain discretion to provide a salary or stipend above the Institute-wide minimum and are encouraged to consider the competitive landscape when doing so. For more information, see the  letter from the Vice President for Research . 

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We are committed to equalizing the cost of health insurance between postdoc fellows and associates, so that the premiums paid by fellows for the  SHIP/Affiliate health plan  are not greater than what they would be paying if they were postdoctoral associates. At the time of the initial appointment,  MIT administrative contacts  conduct an evaluation, factoring in any health insurance coverage included in the fellowship. When the remaining cost to the fellow would exceed that of a postdoctoral associate, they arrange in advance for the faculty host to provide the difference between the cost to the individual for fellows versus associates. For each category of coverage, the current annual premium cost difference is indicated below.

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(updated 03/18/2024)

In 2009, the School formally adopted the NIH/NRSA stipend guidelines as the minimum salary for Harvard Chan School postdoctoral research fellows. These guidelines are based on years of postdoctoral experience, and were used as a baseline for setting salaries for other annual appointees.

The Harvard Chan School voted to raise the minimum annual postdoctoral fellow salary to $55k in November 2019, which officially went into effect for FY2021. Following this decision, all future postdoctoral salaries at the Harvard Chan School will be adjusted to coincide with the annual salary increase guidelines. Departments have the discretion to set the minimum at or above this threshold. In order to offer competitive salaries, departments and PIs are encouraged to pay postdocs and other researchers as generously as they are able, while being mindful of equity within their groups and more broadly.

HARVARD CHAN SCHOOL POSTDOCTORAL SALARY/STIPEND LEVELS FOR FY2025 (effective July 1, 2024)

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How much does a Postdoctoral Fellowship make in the United States? The average Postdoctoral Fellowship salary in the United States is $169,748 as of March 26, 2024, but the salary range typically falls between $151,530 and $195,789 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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A postdoctoral researcher or postdoc is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pursue additional research, training, or teaching in order to have better skills to pursue a career in academia, research, or any other fields.[full citation needed] Postdocs often, but not always, have a temporary academic appointment, sometimes in preparation for an academic faculty position. They continue their studies or carry out research and further increase expertise in a special...

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FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

251249336c8fd441863b3ace239f94e3, 6aa623a546b4de0a15008dc8e10ad6d9, salary/stipend level.

The appointment may be on Harvard payroll (“paid”) or funded independently (“unpaid”).

According to section C2, “Salary,” of the FAS Appointments Handbook ,  

Paid appointments may be as employee postdoctoral fellows (when the postdoctoral fellow is supported by research grants and contracts under the direction of a Harvard Principal Investigator) or as stipendiary postdoctoral fellows (when a fellowship is awarded to a postdoctoral fellow and is managed by Harvard University, with the fellow paid through Harvard). For further guidance on stipendees, please see the “Research Appointments Matrix,” available on the "Appointment and Promotion” page of the FAS website for faculty and researchers. Effective August 1, 2023, the minimum salary for postdocs is $65,000.

The salary minimum continues to apply to both internal and externally funded postdoctoral fellows who are paid through Harvard. An external postdoctoral fellow is a postdoc who receives funding from a source outside of Harvard. If the funding flows through Harvard, it must meet the $65,000 minimum. However, if the funding goes directly to the postdoc, please refer to the section below describing positions unpaid through Harvard.

Positions unpaid through Harvard include those on fellowships that are paid directly to the fellow. If the postdoctoral appointment is unpaid through Harvard, the candidate must have external funding that meets the minimum base salary requirement of $56,484 (for postdocs with no prior experience) or the appropriate step on the NIH scale . Personal funds may not be used (in full or in part) to meet this requirement.  

----->  Any postdoc who believes that they are paid less than the FAS salary minimum should contact Stephen Kargère , Director of the FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. If you have any questions, you may also reach out to your Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs or Zoe Fonseca-Kelly, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.

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Postdoc compensation.

Yale’s postdoctoral compensation minimums are updated annually on July 1 and effective to June 30 of the following year.  Adjustments to compensation are made on the apppointee’s annual re-appointment date, policy details are in the annual compensation memo.

Postdoctoral Compensation Minimums July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 (FY24)

         Years 1-4   $65,000 |  Years 5-6  $68,000

• Policy details are on the  annual compensation memo

Postdoctoral Compensation Minimums July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 (FY25)

         Years 1-4   $68,000 |  Years 5-6  $71,000

• Policy details are on the FY25 annual compensation memo

Postdoctoral Fellow Guidance on  Sponsored Payments of Compensation, Augmentation of Stipends  and the NIH Grants Policy Statement on stipend supplement and compensation for Kirschstein-NRSA  F32 Fellows and T32 Training Grants . 

Compensation Above Salary

Compensation above salary (“extra comp”) for postdoctoral fellows and associates is expected to be rare and granted only in exceptional circumstances. Requests for compensation above salary  must  be made in advance to the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs. Please review the  university policies on extra compensation  prior to making a request.

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• Confirmation of funding approval for both the regular compensation and compensation above salary.     
• For Postdoctoral Fellows, see above guidance on Sponsored Payments of Compensation, Augmentation of Stipends and review the funder’s policy for compliance.
• For Postdoctoral Associates, compliance with federal funds and effort reporting are covered in OSP policies 1315, 1316 and 1403 . Provide confirmation of approval from the grants administrator or OSP as appropriate.
• Provide the amount and hours worked in the month. Confirm the standard hourly rate or confirm that others doing similar work are paid the same rate.

Relocation expenses must follow the controller’s office policies . Ensure that they are reviewed by your business office and/or Lead Admin prior to being included in the offer / invitation letter to the candidate.

Graduate College

The Graduate College requires that the salaries of newly appointed Postdoctoral Research Scholars (FP01) and Postdoctoral Research Fellows (FP02) are determined by the NIH/NRSA salary guidelines regardless of the source of funds . The college advocates for equity among postdoctoral scholars and fellows and encourages departments to bring their current postdocs into alignment with new hires. As of July 1, 2024, all current and new postdoctoral research scholars and fellows' salaries must meet or exceed the 2024-2025 NIH minimum for 0 years of experience ($61,008). College administration and individual principal investigators may pay beyond the NIH minimum, if their funding allows, to recruit and retain outstanding postdocs. It is also allowable to make salary adjustments, whenever possible, for exceptional performance.  The NIH minimum is adjusted each year.  For budget planning purposes, investigators are encouraged to budget for annual salary increases of 3% in order to maintain postdoctoral salaries in alignment with the NIH minimum. John C. Keller, Associate Provost for Graduate & Professional Education and Graduate College Dean, announced the amended salary guidelines on October 30, 2017.

As of April 23, 2024 , NIH recommends the following salaries determined by years of experience for FY 2024.

Current NIH stipend schedule

A sound estimate of the new stipend levels, if submitting a grant before the recommendations are released at the beginning of each calendar year, is to project an annual 3% increase in postdoctoral salaries.

If you have salary questions regarding Postdoctoral Research Scholars or Postdoctoral Research Fellows, please contact Senior Human Resources Director Tanesha Herman .

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POSTDOCTORAL AFFAIRS

Compensation.

Effective December 13, 2016, all individuals with the title of postdoctoral scholar or fellow at Northwestern University must be paid a minimum salary of $47,476. These titles include:

• Postdoctoral Scholar
• NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow ( See FY19 NRSA Postdoctoral Stipend levels ).
• Postdoctoral Fellow-Department of Education
• Postdoctoral Fellow-Direct Fellowship
• WCAS Teaching and Research Postdoctoral Fellows

Starting March 1, 2024, the minimum salary for new or reappointed postdoctoral scholars at Northwestern will rise to the minimum postdoctoral salary of $56,484 set by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Any postdoc with a start date or reappointment date after this new policy goes into effect must be appointed at the NIH minimum salary in effect at that time. Learn more about the pay update here . 

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows are not subject to the minimum salary requirements. Postdoctoral appointments supported by sponsored awards with a salary level above the Northwestern minimum should abide by the policies, requirements, and compensation levels outlined by the sponsored funding organization.

Questions regarding University compensation requirements should be directed to the Office of Human Resources .

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral fellows receive stipends, rather than a salary, for independent research and training. Their stipends are funded by either institutional or individual research fellowships. This funding is not intended to pay compensation for services, nor should a postdoctoral fellow be required to perform services to receive the grant. Therefore, postdoctoral fellows are NOT classified as employees.

Stipends may be charged to grants, fellowships, or various university funds. The appointments may be in the University’s Payroll and Human Resources System (PHR) as Non-Paid, where it will generate a UID for them to be able to use University resources, but  will show as a "0%” Full-Time Employee , with a "special purpose funding indicator” indicating a stipend to be paid through the Financial Aid System.

Because of the nature of these appointments, changing the type of appointment held (e.g., changing from employee-trainee to postdoctoral fellow) or changing from one type of funding to another may result in a change or loss of certain benefits.

APPOINTMENT PROCESS

Because postdoctoral fellows are NOT considered state of Maryland employees, Fellows should check with their department of residence  to ensure that all necessary paperwork is completed on their behalf.  

Postdoctoral Fellows’ salaries are paid via the Office of Financial Aid’s Student Award System. This requires that fellows have a student account, to which salary funds can be applied on a bi-weekly, monthly, or semi-annual basis. Each semester, the fellow should check with Student Financial Services and Cashiering to ensure that the student account is active and updated for the current semester.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Because postdoctoral fellows are not considered employees, they are not eligible for state of Maryland employee benefits. If fellows wish to have health coverage, they must arrange for coverage on their own, unless their grant includes funds that have been set aside to defray the fellows’ health insurance costs. In this case, fellows must purchase health insurance on their own and be reimbursed from their grant funds upon proof of payment.

Postdoctoral Fellows are eligible to buy a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), as offered through  Academic HealthPlans . This plan costs between $2,300 and $5,500 per year, depending on the type of plan selected and the number of dependents covered. Prescription drug coverage is included in the cost of an annual SHIP.  Vision and Dental are not included SHIP.  Vision is offered as an enhanced product at a discounted rate.  Dental is not offered at this time. 

Maryland residents without health coverage may be eligible to enroll in the  Maryland Health Connection  plan via the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plan details and cost information is specific to your household and eligibility.  

Fellows may also be eligible for temporary COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) continuing coverage from their previous employers. Fellows covered under this plan often must pay a much higher percentage (up to 102%) of their policy premium than when actively employed.

Private health coverage is available from a number of sources, including UnitedHealthCare, Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Kaiser Permanente. The university does not make recommendations on specific health plans or carriers.

DENTAL AND PRESCRIPTION BENEFITS

Postdoctoral fellows, if they desire dental coverage, must purchase it themselves. The University of Maryland Student Health Plan, Academic HealthPlans , and the  Maryland Health Connection  include prescription drug benefits with varying levels of coverage and copays.

Dentalplans.com compares dental plan rates and coverage in the DC Metropolitan Area. Rates range from $80-200 per year.

RETIREMENT, LIFE INSURANCE, AND DISABILITY

Postdoctoral Fellows must arrange Retirement, Life Insurance, and Disability coverage (if desired) on their own.

TUITION REMISSION

Some grants will cover tuition remission for postdoctoral fellows. Please check the grant documentation and ask the departmental business manager for the appropriate forms.

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Postdoctoral fellows are NOT eligible for payroll deduction of parking expenses and generally must pay the entire year’s parking fee in advance.

DIVISION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTER ACCESS

Postdoctoral fellows will be able to get a Faculty / Staff ID and have access to all the computing resources of the university. They will not, however, be eligible for the discounts on software that university employees receive through the software licensing program.

LIBRARY ACCESS 

Postdoctoral fellows will have full Faculty/Staff borrowing privileges at the University Libraries.

April 23, 2024

Related Announcements

• February 3, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-23-076

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( AHRQ ) 

Health Resources and Services Administration ( HRSA )

This Notice supersedes  NOT-OD-23-076  and establishes stipend levels for fiscal year (FY) 2024 Kirschstein-NRSA awards for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral trainees and fellows, as shown in the tables below which reflects the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 ( Public Law 118-047 ), signed into law on March 23, 2024. NIH is being responsive, as much as possible given the constrained budget environment, to the Advisory Committee to the Director Working Group on Re-Envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training report recommendations. In fact, FY 2024 stipend levels for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and fellows represents the largest year-over-year increase in recent history. We are committed to reaching the $70,000 recommendation over the next 3-4 years, as appropriations allow.  The Training Related Expenses and Institutional Allowances for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and fellows reflect a moderate increase. The Tuition and Fees for all educational levels remain unchanged from the prior budget year. See  NIH Funding Strategies for guidance on current NIH Fiscal Operations.

The budgetary categories described in this Notice apply only to Kirschstein-NRSA awards made with FY 2024 funds. All FY 2024 awards previously issued using  NOT-OD-23-076 will be revised to adjust funding to the FY 2024 levels. Appointments to institutional training grants that have already been awarded in FY 2024 must be amended to reflect the FY 2024 stipend levels once the training grant award has been adjusted by NIH. Amended appointments must be submitted through xTrain in the eRA Commons. Retroactive adjustments or supplementation of stipends or other budgetary categories with Kirschstein-NRSA funds for an award made prior to October 1, 2023, are not permitted.

Stipends Effective with all Kirschstein-NRSA awards made on or after October 1, 2023, the following annual stipend levels apply to all individuals receiving support through institutional research training grants or individual fellowships.

Undergraduates: For institutional training grants supporting undergraduate trainees (T34, TL4), appointments for undergraduate candidates will continue to be made by distinct categories (i.e., Freshmen/Sophomores and Juniors/Seniors), but the stipend levels for the categories will be the same:

Predoctoral Trainees and Fellows: For institutional training grants (T32, T35, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F30, F31), one stipend level is used for all predoctoral candidates, regardless of the level of experience.

Postdoctoral Trainees and Fellows: For institutional training grants (T32, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F32), the stipend level for the entire first year of support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience when the award is issued. Relevant experience may include research experience (including industrial), teaching assistantship, internship, residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. Once the appropriate stipend level has been determined, the trainee or fellow must be paid at that level for the entire grant year. The stipend for each additional year of Kirschstein-NRSA support is the next level in the stipend structure and does not change mid-year.

Senior Fellows (F33 only): The stipend level must be commensurate with the base salary or remuneration that would have been paid by the institution with which the individual is permanently affiliated when the award is issued but cannot exceed the current Kirschstein-NRSA stipend limit set by the NIH for those with 7 or more years of experience. The level of Kirschstein-NRSA support will take into account concurrent salary support provided by the institution and the policy of the sponsoring institution. NIH support does not provide fringe benefits for senior fellows.

Relevant Policies Current stipend levels are to be used in the preparation of future competing and non-competing NRSA institutional training grant and individual fellowship applications. They will be administratively applied to all applications currently in the review process.

NRSA support is limited to 5 years for predoctoral trainees (6 years for dual-degree training), and 3 years for postdoctoral fellows. The NIH provides eight levels of postdoctoral stipends to accommodate individuals who complete other forms of health-related training prior to accepting a Kirschstein-NRSA supported position. (The presence of eight discrete levels of experience, however, does not constitute an endorsement of extended periods of postdoctoral research training).

It should be noted that the maximum amount that NIH will award to support the compensation package for a graduate student research assistant remains at the zero level postdoctoral stipend, as described in  the NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.7.9 .

Tuition and Fees, Training Related Expenses, and Institutional Allowance for Kirschstein-NRSA Recipients

The NIH will provide funds for Tuition and Fees, Training Related Expenses, and Institutional Allowance as detailed below.

A. Tuition and Fees

Undergraduate and Predoctoral Trainees and Fellows: For institutional training grants (T32, T34, T35, T90, TL1, TL4) and individual fellowships (F30, F31), an amount per predoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year, will be provided. If the trainee or fellow is enrolled in a program that supports formally combined, dual-degree training (e.g., MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD, AuD/PhD, DVM/PhD), the amount provided per trainee or fellow will be 60% of the actual tuition level, up to $21,000 per year.

Postdoctoral Trainees and Fellows: For institutional training grants (T32, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F32, F33), an amount per postdoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $4,500 per year, will be provided. If the trainee or fellow is enrolled in a program that supports postdoctoral individuals in formal degree-granting training, an amount per postdoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the actual tuition level at the applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year, will be provided.

B. Training Related Expenses on Institutional Training Grants

For institutional training grants (T32, T35, T90, TL1), these expenses (including health insurance costs) for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees will be paid at the amounts shown below for all competing and non-competing awards made with FY 2024 funds.

• Predoctoral Trainees:  $4,750
• Postdoctoral Trainees:  $12,400

C. Institutional Allowance for Individual Fellows

This allowance for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows will be paid at the amounts shown below for all competing and non-competing awards made with FY 2024 funds.

Institutional Allowance for individual fellows (F30, F31, F32, F33) sponsored by non-Federal Public, Private, and Non-Profit Institutions (Domestic & Foreign, including health insurance):

• Predoctoral Fellows:  $4,750
• Postdoctoral Fellows:  $12,400

Institutional Allowance for individual fellows (F30, F31, F32, F33) sponsored by Federal and For-Profit Institutions (including health insurance):

• Predoctoral Fellows:  $3,650
• Postdoctoral Fellows:  $11,300

Please direct all inquiries to:

Specific questions concerning this notice or other policies relating to training grants or fellowships should be directed to the grants management office in the appropriate  NIH Institute or Center ,  AHRQ , or  HRSA .

General inquiries concerning NRSA stipend and tuition policies should be directed to:  

NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce Office of Extramural Research National Institutes of Health (NIH) Website: https://researchtraining.nih.gov   Email: [email protected]   AHRQ Division of Research Education Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Email: [email protected]  

HRSA Paul Jung, M.D. Director, Division of Medicine and Dentistry Bureau of Health Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Email:  [email protected]

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The subpages are mainly oriented to doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. Further information on employment and salary for all other employees can be found here .

Doctoral students and scientific assistants I are paid a fixed-rate salary . At the first level of their career (first year), they receive a fixed starting salary. After one year, this salary is automatically increased in predefined stages for the second year and third year. No further salary increases are specified from the fourth year onwards.

A lump sum salary can also be arranged, depending on the requirements of the funding provider. The salary amount is also dependent on the funding provider. Lump sum salaries are paid out in 12 monthly instalments. These salaries have to be actively adjusted and they are increased as and when the project funding situation allows.

From 1 July 2020, it is required to top up the salaries of  new doctoral students with a scholarship to the lowest salary level (standard rate), which may not be lower than this. In addition, a salary development must be provided for.

Further information: 

• Ordinance on Scientific Staff
• Ordinance on Doctoral Studies
• Ordinance on Scientific Staf f

Postdoctoral researchers / scientific assistants II are paid a fixed-rate salary . At the first level of their career (first year), they receive a fixed starting salary. After one year, this salary is automatically increased in predefined stages for the second year and third year. No further salary increases are specified from the fourth year onwards

These are the salary rates for p ostdoctoral researchers / scientific assistants II (rates in CHF):

Family allowance

ETH Zurich employees who take care of children of minor age or children in education receive a family allowance in accordance with basic legal principles.

Information on other scientific or support functions

PhD, Postdoc, and Professor Salaries in Germany

Germany is one of the leading countries for research and a hub for innovation. The country’s high quality of life combined with lower cost of living make it an attractive destination for international researchers. Are you contemplating a move to Germany? Here is a breakdown of the most common German academic jobs and their salaries. All salary statistics in this article are in Euros per month and are pre-tax.

Doctorate Degree

In Germany applicants must apply for a preset doctoral project that is usually tied to a professor’s own research. Students do not do any coursework; they start working on their project immediately. They are also required to take on some teaching responsibilities. The time it takes to earn a doctorate depends on the field, but three to five years is typical.

The salaries of PhD students are based on the federal wage agreement ( Tarifvertrag der Länder or TV-L). There are several pay scales ( Entgeltgruppe ) within the TV-L but PhD students are usually paid at the TV-L E13 level. Within this level, there are three factors that determine the student’s actual salary. The first is the pay grade ( Stufe ) which is based on the number of years of experience you have. Most PhD students start at Stufe 1 and progress through the grades as they gain years of seniority. The next factor is the working hours (50%, 67%, 75%, or 100%) and the final factor which federal state the university is in. You can find the salary calculators for each state here . For example, the salary range for a 100% PhD student is €4,053-€5,701 per month while the range for a 67% PhD student is €2,729-€3,820 per month.

Postdoctoral Researcher/Fellow

After earning their doctorate, researchers go on to a postdoc. A postdoc is a continuation of the researcher’s training that allows them to further specialize in a particular field and learn new skills and techniques. It may require them to take on teaching responsibilities. German postdocs typically last two to four years.

Like all non-tenured academic positions in Germany, postdoc salaries are fairly rigid. They are based on the same TV-L federal wage agreement as PhD salaries. The salaries are determined the same way too, taking into account pay scale, pay grade, working hours, and state. You can find the salary calculators for each state here . Postdocs are paid at the E13 or (less commonly) E14 level , with the exact starting pay grade depending on how their years of experience (bachelor's, Master’s, and PhD) are counted. The salary range for a 100% E13 postdoc is €4,053-€5,701 per month and the salary range for a 100% E14 postdoc is €4,419-€6,076 per month.

Juniorprofessur/Juniordozent

Junior professors positions offer early career academics the opportunity to research, supervision, administration, and teaching experience on equal terms to other university instructors. Junior professorships are usually for three to four years and can be extended for a total of six years. It is often a temporary position, however, certain universities offer a tenure-track option. Germany has recently signed an agreement to create 1,000 tenure-track junior professorships by 2032.

Junior professors, like all German professors, are paid according to the W- Besoldung salary table . This scale dictates base salaries according to which state the university is in. Unlike the PhD and postdoc pay scale, there are no pay grades within this scale. A W1 professor will make minimum €4,713-€5,301 per month.

Professur (W2)

To become a professor, an academic needs to have completed the Habilitation, have a positive evaluation as a junior professor, or have led their own junior research group. W2 professors are considered independent researchers and generally have permanent positions. Internal promotion to these positions is not encouraged in Germany. With the exceptions of junior professors, academics cannot be appointed a professor at the university they did their Habilitation.

The base salary for a W2 professor is €5,365-€6,676 per month depending on which state the university is in. In Bund, Bayern, Hessen, and Sachsen there are multiple pay grades within the W2 band meaning the professor’s salary will increase in five or seven years in the position. Salaries can also be increased by family allowances, retention payments, and performance bonuses. As professors are civil servants with high job security, they do not typically pay the same social insurance contributions as other employees.

Professur (W3)

A W3 professor is the highest German academic position that usually involves responsibility of a chair or for an institute. The requirements to become a full professor are very demanding and as a consequence, there is often a minimum age requirement for this sort of professorship. Professors in Germany are public servants and as such have permanent positions at their universities.

The base salary for a W3 professor is €5,343-€7,578 per month depending on which state the university is in. In Bund, Bayern, Hessen, and Sachsen there are multiple pay grades within the W3 band meaning the professor’s salary will increase in five or seven years in the position. Salaries can also be increased by family allowances, retention payments, and performance bonuses. As professors are civil servants with high job security, they do not typically pay the same social insurance contributions as other employees.

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News releases.

News Release

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

NIH to increase pay levels for pre- and postdoctoral scholars at grantee institutions

Increase applies to more than 17,000 research trainees and includes additional funds for childcare and training-related expenses.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will increase annual pay levels for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars at NIH-funded external institutions who are recipients of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) . Predoctoral scholars will receive an approximate 4% increase in their pay level bringing it to $28,224, and postdoctoral scholars will receive an approximate increase of 8%, with pay levels beginning at $61,008 and upwardly adjusted based on years of experience. NIH aims to increase these pay levels over the next five years. Eligible recipients also will receive a $500 increase in subsidies for childcare and an additional $200 for training-related expenses. The updated fiscal year 2024 pay levels are informed by recommendations from the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director to better attract and retain postdoctoral scholars. The new NRSA pay levels incorporate the largest year-over-year update since 2017.

“I have accepted the recommendations of the report on this important issue that was provided by my advisory group. NIH and our grantee institutions must invest in pre- and postdoctoral scholars to ensure the future of the biomedical research workforce and enterprise remains strong and globally competitive,” said NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D. “This revision of pay levels for NRSA recipients is just a first step toward reaffirming their value and ensuring they are appropriately compensated, and I am hopeful these continued efforts help us attract and retain our nation’s brightest scientific minds.”

While the amended pay levels do not reach the full funding increase recommended by the advisory group, NIH selected the current plan to allow for an immediate pay increase without drastic cuts to the number of available NRSA awards, though a small reduction in the number of positions is expected. The increase is based on current NIH funding levels, which remained flat in the constrained budget environment. Pending the availability of funds through future appropriations, NIH plans to further increase stipend funding levels over the next three to five years to reach the advisory group’s recommended starting pay level of $70,000 annually for postdoctoral NRSAs. Additionally, NIH-funded institutions may supplement NRSA recipients’ new pay levels with additional, non-NIH funds and/or benefits.

“NIH is committed to improving the experience of postdoctoral scholars and helping them thrive in a competitive biomedical research environment,” said Mike Lauer, M.D., NIH deputy director of extramural research. “I believe implementation of these recommendations will go far in giving these scholars the sense of job security and career prospects that will lead to long careers in biomedical research.”

The pay-level increase was informed by recommendations of NIH’s Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD). Those recommendations were based on significant feedback from the research community and a report from a special working group the ACD convened. The working group was charged with undertaking several evaluations to determine how best to build on current NIH efforts to improve the biomedical workforce. The NIH ACD provides input on a variety of matters pertinent to NIH’s responsibilities to conduct and support of biomedical research, medical science and biomedical communications.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

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Media might deepen partisan divides, but we should measure reading habits more carefully before drawing conclusions--and avoid assuming that our own thought processes are the only rational ones.

April 23, 2024 Peter Dizikes MIT News Office

Does political polarization cause citizens to seek out partisan news sources, or do partisan media push them toward more polarized views? A study coauthored by MIT political science professor Adam Berinsky, postdoc Chloe Wittenberg (PhD '23), and MIT political science professor Teppei Yamamoto, pictured at left, finds that the answer is complicated. 

Gretchen Ertl and Wenyan Deng

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