Nurse take-home pay in Austria after tax, 2026
The DGKP qualification, the Diplomierte Gesundheits- und Krankenpfleger, is regulated by the GuKG and used across both the public Krankenanstalten and private institutions. A median DGKP in Vienna grosses around €40,000 across the twelve regular payments, roughly €2,320 a month net. What matters just as much is that the 13th and 14th payments add about €2,000 net a year on top, a tax advantage built into nearly every Austrian employment contract.
How nursing pay is spread across Austria, 2026
The sources are the published salary tables of the Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, the Österreichischer Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeverband and Gehaltsreporter.at. Public hospitals publish their scales openly, while private clinics are less standardised and usually track the hospital collective agreements anyway.
| Percentile | Gross / Year (12 mo) | Net / Month (regular) | 13th+14th net / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| P25 | €34,000 | €2,020 / mo | ~€1,654 / year |
| Median (P50) | €40,000 | €2,320 / mo | ~€1,900 / year |
| P75 | €48,000 | €2,680 / mo | ~€2,194 / year |
| P90 | €56,000 | €3,010 / mo | ~€2,465 / year |
Net pay by seniority in Austria, 2026
The WGV publishes its Gehaltsschema D tables for DGKP staff openly, with pay stepping up every two years through the Biennalsprünge. In 2026, grade D1 step 1 in Vienna's public hospitals started at roughly €2,810 a month gross. Private operators including the Vinzenz Gruppe, PremiQaMed and Humanomed follow a broadly similar agreement while retaining more freedom over where they place new starters.
| Career Stage | Gross / Year | SV (~18.07%) | Est. Net / Month | WGV reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newly Qualified DGKP (0-2 yrs) | €33,724 | €6,098 | €2,000 / mo | D1 Step 1 (Vienna) |
| Experienced Nurse (3-7 yrs) | €40,000 | €7,228 | €2,320 / mo | D1 Step 4-5 |
| Specialist Nurse (8-14 yrs) | €47,000 | €8,493 | €2,650 / mo | D2 / ICU supplement |
| Senior / Head Nurse (15+ yrs) | €55,000 | €9,939 | €2,970 / mo | Station leadership supplement |
What the GuKG framework means for what you earn
Scope of practice for every nursing profession in the country is set by the GuKG, last amended in 2022. The DGKP is the main registered nursing qualification and takes three years, either at a Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeschule or, increasingly since the curriculum was reformed, through a bachelor's programme at a Fachhochschule. The 2016 reform shifted training to Fachhochschule level, and the first fully FH-trained cohorts are now several years into their careers.
Underneath sit the Pflegefachassistenten, trained for a year with a restricted scope, and the Pflegeassistenten handling basic care, and both earn considerably less, with a Pflegeassistent on €25,000 to €30,000 gross. Only the DGKP route offers real earning potential and somewhere to progress to.
That same reform widened what nurses may do, allowing DGKP staff to begin certain treatments and carry out procedures once reserved for doctors. Pay has not moved dramatically as a result, but the profession now negotiates from a stronger position.
Shift allowances, and how Austria taxes them
Allowances for nights and for Sundays and public holidays get particular treatment under §68 EStG. Payments for work between 19:00 and 07:00 are partly exempt from tax up to about €186 a month, and Sunday and holiday premiums are handled the same way. Anyone working a regular pattern of nights and weekends picks up €1,500 to €3,000 a year of net income beyond what the base salary alone implies.
Take a Viennese intensive care nurse at DGKP step 5 on roughly €40,000 base. Regular night and weekend allowances lift total gross to somewhere between €45,000 and €50,000, part of which escapes tax, and the effective monthly net lands between €2,550 and €2,800.
Austrian, German and Swiss nurses compared
| Country | Median Gross / Year | Est. Net / Month | Regulatory framework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | €40,000 | €2,320 | GuKG, DGKP |
| Germany | €38,000 | €2,280 | KrPflG, TVöD/TV-L |
| Switzerland | CHF 82,000 | CHF 5,100 | SBK-ASI, cantonal hospitals |
| Belgium | €36,000 | €2,140 | INAMI/RIZIV, CP 330 |
Swiss gross pay is in another category entirely, though healthcare costs and rents in Zurich, Basel and Geneva swallow much of the difference. Against Germany the net position is broadly similar, with Austria holding a slight edge once the 13th and 14th salaries are counted. German pay improved markedly after the TVöD was extended to all hospitals in 2022, and the gap has narrowed considerably since.
Frequently asked questions
What does a newly qualified nurse (DGKP) earn in Austria?
A newly qualified Diplomierte Gesundheits- und Krankenpfleger/in (DGKP) in Vienna's public hospital system (Wiener Gesundheitsverbund) starts at Gehaltsgruppe D1 Step 1, which was set at approximately €2,810/month gross in 2026. After Sozialversicherung (≈18.07%) and Lohnsteuer, monthly net take-home is around €2,000. On top of the 12 regular monthly payments, the 13th salary (Urlaubsgeld, paid in June) and 14th salary (Weihnachtsgeld, paid in November) each amount to roughly €2,810 gross taxed at the flat 6% Sechstelbestimmung rate, yielding approximately €890 net per bonus - so an extra €1,780 net per year in total.
Is it better to work as a nurse in Vienna vs a smaller Austrian city?
Vienna public hospitals (WGV/KAV) have the most transparent and regularly updated pay scales and tend to be at or near the top of Austrian nursing salary ranges due to the size of the employer and union strength. However, living costs in Vienna - particularly rent - are the highest in Austria. A nurse earning €40,000 in Graz or Linz (typically €2,000-€4,000 below Vienna equivalents) may face rent 35-45% lower than Vienna, potentially resulting in better real purchasing power. Rural Landeskrankenhäuser (state hospitals) also sometimes offer staff housing or housing subsidies not available in Vienna, which can add €400-€800/month in effective income.
How much does an ICU nurse earn in Austria after tax?
An ICU (Intensivstation) nurse in Austria earns a meaningful premium above a general ward nurse. In Vienna's public hospital system, a qualified ICU nurse with 5+ years of experience typically earns €46,000-€52,000 gross per year from the regular 12-month salary, plus night and weekend allowances of €3,000-€5,000 gross (partially tax-exempt under §68 EStG). Net monthly take-home from regular salary alone: approximately €2,600-€2,850. Including the 13th/14th bonus payments (taxed at 6%), total annual net comes to approximately €33,500-€37,000 - or an effective monthly average of €2,800-€3,100.