Academic Ranks in Germany

Overview

Appointment grades
Universitätsprofessor (Pay grade: W3 or W2)
Professor (W3)
Professor (W2)
Hochschuldozent (W2, only in Baden-Württemberg) - although paid like a professor appointed at level W2, lecturers in this position do not have a professor title; the term was formerly used in all states for senior lecturer positions with research and teaching responsibilities (C2, being phased out since 2002)
Juniorprofessor (not tenured, only rarely with tenure track) (W1)
Juniordozent (not tenured) (W1, only in Baden-Württemberg)
Studienrat or Akademischer Rat/Oberrat/Direktor auf Lebenszeit (A13, A14, A15)
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter (TVöD 13/14/15, TvL 13/14/15)
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter auf Zeit, Akademischer Rat auf Zeit (TVöD, TvL A13 a. Z.)
Akademischer Mitarbeiter auf Zeit (TVöD, only in Baden-Württemberg)
Wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft (TdL)
Studentische Hilfskraft (TdL)

Non-appointment grades
Privatdozent
Außerplanmäßiger Professor - conferred, in some German states, to a Privatdozent who has been in service for several years, without formally being appointed as professor.

Administrative ranks
Rektor, Präsident - rector or president, highest representative of the university or Polytechnic, elected
Prorektor, Konrektor, Vizepräsident - prorector or vice president, elected
Kanzler - chancellor, administrative head, often a permanent job
Dekan - dean, elected
Institutsdirektor - head of department, elected