Just to make things clear, income tax is indeed progressive, and 45% is the maximum income tax and very few get to that level.
However, it is far from the whole story: when you get paid, the employer pays taxes, then the employees pays taxes, and only then, you have your income, which is taxed again.
In the end, you get around half of what your employer pays. It means the "more than 45%" is spot on. It works a bit differently for those who are self employed but the numbers are similar.
It is different for civil servants, and as an associate professor, you are probably one. They are taxed much less, which makes sense since they are paid with tax money.
However, it is far from the whole story: when you get paid, the employer pays taxes, then the employees pays taxes, and only then, you have your income, which is taxed again.
In the end, you get around half of what your employer pays. It means the "more than 45%" is spot on. It works a bit differently for those who are self employed but the numbers are similar.
It is different for civil servants, and as an associate professor, you are probably one. They are taxed much less, which makes sense since they are paid with tax money.