Classification: how your pay group is determined
The pay group is the most important lever for your salary in the German public sector. In step 3 of the TVöD VKA, E 9b and E 13 are more than €1,500 gross per month apart. That makes it all the more important to understand how classification works and what you can do if your job should be rated higher.
The job decides, not the title
The public sector applies what is known as automatic classification. Your employer does not simply "put" you in a group; you are classified in the pay group whose job characteristics your work matches. This is set out in § 12 of the TVöD and TV-L. The job characteristics are listed in the classification scheme (Entgeltordnung) of the respective agreement. The pay group must be stated in the employment contract, but it follows from the work actually assigned.
A qualification alone is therefore not enough. Someone with a master's degree doing a job that only requires vocational training will not be paid at E 13. Conversely, many characteristics require a personal qualification in addition to the work, such as a completed university degree.
Work processes and the half rule
Your job is assessed in work processes (Arbeitsvorgänge). These are distinct work results, for example processing an application or an objection until it is ready for signature. For each work process it is checked which requirements it meets. The time share is then decisive: a pay group is reached if at least half of the working time is spent on work processes that meet the requirements of that group. Some job characteristics specify a different time share.
That is why an accurate job description matters so much. It records which work processes exist and how much time they take. If you want a higher classification to be checked, this is where to start.
The pay groups at a glance
E 1 to E 4: simple tasks, often without or with short training.
E 5 to E 9a: tasks requiring completed vocational training.
E 9b to E 12: tasks requiring a bachelor's or university of applied sciences degree.
E 13 to E 15: tasks requiring a master's or university degree, and management roles.
Within these ranges, the higher groups stand out through additional characteristics such as particular difficulty, significance or responsibility. The exact wording differs between the TVöD Federal, TVöD VKA and TV-L.
When your tasks change
If you are permanently assigned higher-value work, you are promoted. If your job changes gradually without anything new being officially assigned, § 13 applies: once you have performed the higher-value work for six months without interruption, you are classified in the higher group from the following month.
If you are assigned higher-value work only temporarily, for example as a stand-in, you receive a personal allowance under § 14 after at least one month, backdated to the first day. In the TV-L it is a flat 4.5% of your own table pay in E 1 to 8, and in E 9a to 14 the difference to the amount you would have received on a permanent promotion.
What a higher group brings
Some examples from the TVöD VKA at step 3: E 9a pays €4,097.67, E 9b €4,203.56, E 12 €5,359.50 and E 13 €5,709.87 gross per month. The move from E 12 to E 13 is worth just over €350 here. On promotion under the TVöD you keep your step. Under the TV-L you are placed in the step where you receive at least your previous pay, at least step 2. If the increase is below €100 (E 2 to 8) or €180 (E 9a to 15), a guaranteed amount is paid. In both cases the step duration starts again; more on this in our article on step progression.
Having your classification checked
If you believe you are classified incorrectly, you can claim a higher classification from your employer in writing. Watch the collective exclusion period: under § 37 TVöD and TV-L, claims lapse if they are not asserted in writing within six months of falling due. The staff or works council can support you.
The public sector salary calculator shows what another pay group means gross and net. It automatically compares your current group with the next higher one. For the full overview, see the guide to TVöD and TV-L pay 2026.