Step progression in the public sector: more pay without promotion
In the German public sector, pay does not only rise with pay rounds. Every pay group has six steps, and anyone who works long enough in the same group moves up automatically. This article explains when the next step comes, how much it brings and what can delay or speed it up.
Step durations under § 16
The TVöD and TV-L set the step durations identically in § 16. You reach step 2 after one year in step 1, step 3 after two years in step 2, step 4 after three years in step 3, step 5 after four years in step 4 and step 6 after five years in step 5. In total the path from step 1 to the final step takes 15 years.
Pay group 1 is an exception. It has only five steps, always starts at step 2, and each further step follows after four years.
The higher pay applies from the beginning of the month in which the new step is reached. If you move up on the 20th of a month, you already receive the new step's pay for that whole month.
What a step brings
The jumps between steps vary in size. The table below shows three examples from the current tables, gross per month for full-time work:
| Step | TVöD VKA E 9b | TV-L E 9b | TVöD VKA E 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 (entry) | €3,779.84 | €3,620.10 | €4,901.11 |
| Step 2 (after 1 year) | €4,039.01 | €3,870.81 | €5,279.32 |
| Step 3 (after 3 years) | €4,203.56 | €4,035.07 | €5,709.87 |
| Step 4 (after 6 years) | €4,690.55 | €4,488.99 | €6,177.31 |
| Step 5 (after 10 years) | €4,979.11 | €4,875.10 | €6,727.38 |
| Step 6 (after 15 years) | €5,313.37 | €5,014.87 | €7,025.87 |
In E 9b of the TVöD VKA, step 1 and step 6 are just over €1,533 gross per month apart, about 41% more. In E 13 the gap is almost €2,125. The largest single jump in E 9b is between steps 3 and 4 at almost €487. In the TV-L, E 9a and E 9b pay the same in steps 1 and 2 and only differ from step 3.
How much of this arrives net depends on tax class and deductions. The public sector salary calculator shows the net gain of the next step for your group and the full step progression as a chart.
Performance can change the duration
The durations are not completely rigid. Under § 17(2) the employer can shorten the time needed to reach steps 4 to 6 if your performance is considerably above average, and extend it if performance is considerably below average. An extension must be reviewed every year, and you can complain about it to a joint committee, half of whose members are appointed by the staff or works council. In practice such deviations are rather rare.
Interruptions: what counts and what does not
Step duration requires uninterrupted work in the same pay group with the same employer. Some periods still count in full; the TV-L lists in § 17(3), among others, maternity protection, sickness of up to 39 weeks and paid leave. Parental leave and other interruptions of up to three years do no harm but are not credited either: the clock stops and then continues. If an interruption lasts longer than three years, you are moved back one step.
Important for part-timers: part-time periods count in full. Someone working 50% moves up just as fast as a full-time employee.
Step on hiring and promotion
New employees without relevant professional experience start at step 1. With at least one year of relevant experience they start at step 2; experience of at least three years gained with another employer usually leads to step 3. In the TV-L, since March 2026, apprentices who are taken on with at least a "satisfactory" grade also reach step 2 after just six months.
On promotion, the step duration starts again in the new group. Under the TVöD you keep your step; under the TV-L you are placed by amount. How exactly this works is explained in our article on pay group classification. For an overview of all pay components, see the guide to TVöD and TV-L pay 2026.