to the Lower Service, A 6 to A 9 to the Middle Service, A 9 to A 13 to the Upper Service and A 13 to A 16 to the Senior Service. The other orders, B, C, R and W, also belong to the Senior Service. German law refers to this as the principle of career tracks or Laufbahnprinzip, based on academic qualifications. Beamte of the Middle Service are required to have passed their Realschulabschluss, preferably some further experience. This can be compared to GCSEs in the United Kingdom (other than Scotland), or the American High School diploma. To join the Upper Service, all applicants need the Abitur (roughly equivalent to A-levels in UK schools), followed by taking a degree at a college owned by entity for the purpose of training future Beamte. Traditionally, most Beamte in the Senior Service held a University State Exam, then equivalent to a university diploma or magister, at a time when law and teacher training was still regulated by the state (law still is). However, the common requirement these days is a master's degree or equivalent, or a State Exam in law. Grammar-school teachers now commonly hold a B.A. in two or three subjects, and a Master's in Education. In Baden-Württemberg, the annual starting salary for a single teacher without children (A13) is €45,511.92 pre-tax (c. £38,500; US$58,600). Top salaries can be as high as € 180,897.60 (B11) also considering that the top positions in the system is alimented on this level using a multplicator of 1 5/6. During retirement the alimentation continues at up to 71.75% of the salary that was received in the two years before retirement. Beamte in other countries and in the European Union public authorities Although a common translation for Beamter is Civil Servant, there are major differences from the British Civil Service, which refers to employees within government departments and not, for example, teachers or postmen. A better translation is public servant, being permanently employed within the public sector. Another country whose entire administrative structure is based on an officialdom comparable to that of Germany is Austria, where Beamte even often have the same titles, e.g. Rat ("councillor" or "counsellor"). Most cantons and the federal government of Switzerland have abolished their officialdom. France and the Netherlands are also countries traditionally administered by Beamte. See also Academic ranks in Germany References External links Site showing the Bundesbesoldungsgesetz Besoldungstabelle West