My data (see above) is from the same source ("Tarifvertrag"), but from 2024.
I am really surprised that PhD/PostDocs earning more (or at least same) in EU than the US is controversial. I tought everyone knows that.
Do you not understand that the document I linked is the up to date contract? If you think what I linked is getting "inflation adjusted" you are totally clueless about how you get paid under a Tarifvertrag in Germany.
The document contains the exact amount of the employee is going to get paid next month.
Even with your 2022 data/source, I get a salary that is >=Harvard.
And if you look at the latest 2025 salaries the difference is even more striking and in favor of Germany:
https://www.jobs-beim-staat.de/tarif/tvoed-bund_e13
But according to you, how much does a German Postdoc earn per year, in US$?
Given that taxes are much, much higher in Germany the difference is quite drastic.
Again I am NOT using a source for 2022, it is the exact contract in force for May 2025.
In 2025, TV-L 13 starts with 4629€ a month and goes up to 6580€ (= 78K€+), depending on experience.
Indded, the raw tax difference is substantial. But the social benefits, health insurance, vacation days,... need to be considered for a complete comparison. But that was never the topic of discussion.
>In 2025, TV-L 13 starts with 4629€ a month and goes up to 6580€ (= 78K€+), depending on experience
Wrong. You do not understand how TVs work. Look at the linked table it as the exact salary the employees get paid at the end of this month.
>depending on experience.
Wrong. Experience is totally irrelevant. It is years in that position.
You may think there are many advantages of the social system, but the thing is with the US you get to choose exactly how the surplus will be spent. If you want coverage similar to EU you can, it will cost you lots of money but you will still come out on top.
And that is before even considering that purchasing power/quality of life is better in the US at a given salary level.
What numbers do you have in mind?