Career change as a plumbing and heating technician

Career change paths

• Factory customer service technician

  Also: Technical field sales advisor

  With on-the-job training

  At a manufacturer you commission systems, solve difficult faults, train specialist businesses and advise planners and installers.

  What you bring:

  You know boilers, heat pumps and controls of different manufacturers from installation and customer service.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the manufacturer (Einarbeitung) with product training, usually for a few weeks to months. The journeyman certificate is required, and experience in customer service and a driving license class B are expected. Travel in the sales territory is part of the job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLots of contact with people

  €5,034gross per monthMedian salary

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• Technical systems planner for supply and equipment technology

  Also: CAD drafter for building services

  With on-the-job training

  At a planning office you draw heating, ventilation and sanitary plans on the computer, lay out pipes and support the project managers.

  What you bring:

  You know pipe routing, components and the situation on the construction site and know what can really be installed.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at the planning office (Einarbeitung) plus a CAD course of a few weeks to months, which can often be funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). A qualification of your own comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a technical systems planner (Technischer Systemplaner/Technische Systemplanerin), specialization supply and equipment technology, which can often be shortened with a journeyman certificate.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,260gross per monthMedian salary

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• Waterworks operator

  Also: Employee at a wastewater treatment plant

  With on-the-job training

  At the waterworks or wastewater treatment plant you service systems, monitor measured values and make sure water is treated cleanly.

  What you bring:

  You know pumps, fittings, pipelines and drinking water hygiene from installation.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at municipal utilities or special-purpose associations (Einarbeitung), plus courses of the professional associations, for example for waterworks or sewage plant operators, usually for a few weeks. A qualification of your own comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as an environmental technologist for water supply or for wastewater management (Umwelttechnologe/Umwelttechnologin; formerly water supply technology specialist or wastewater technology specialist), which is often shortened with a journeyman certificate. On-call duty is usual.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,070gross per monthMedian salary

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• Building services technician

  Also: Building technology caretaker

  With on-the-job training

  As a building services technician you look after large buildings such as hospitals, schools or housing complexes, check the technology and commission specialist firms.

  What you bring:

  You can service and repair heating systems, water pipes and sanitary systems and find faults yourself.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at housing companies, municipalities, hospitals or facility service providers (Einarbeitung). The journeyman certificate is often a requirement for the technical jobs. Working hours are usually more predictable than in construction site work, but there is often on-call duty.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  €3,260gross per monthMedian salary

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• Master plumbing and heating installer

  Also: Construction manager, building services, Project manager, plumbing and heating (SHK)

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master craftsperson (Meister) or site manager you plan and calculate jobs, lead fitters and coordinate with customers and other trades.

  What you bring:

  You know pipe installation, heating technology, bathrooms and construction site routines from your own work.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the plumbing and heating installer trade takes about one year full-time and 2 to 3 years alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with the journeyman certificate (Gesellenbrief). For your own business you need the master qualification or an equivalent entitlement, because the trade requires a license.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,349gross per monthMedian salary

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• State-certified technician for heating, ventilation and air conditioning

  Also: Technical building services planner

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician you plan and calculate such systems, write bills of quantities and look after projects at a planning office or at manufacturers.

  What you bring:

  You know from practice how heating, ventilation and drinking water systems are built and where execution gets stuck.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for technology (Fachschule für Technik), specialization in heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology, takes 2 years full-time or about 4 years alongside work and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Access is usually with a journeyman certificate and at least one year of work experience; the federal state sets the exact rules.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,349gross per monthMedian salary

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• Building energy consultant

  Also: Energy consultant

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an energy consultant you check buildings and heating, issue energy performance certificates and renovation roadmaps and advise owners on funding options.

  What you bring:

  You know heating systems, heat pumps and hot water exactly and quickly see where energy is lost in a house.

  How to get there:

  You take a course to become a building energy consultant at the chamber of crafts or a training provider, usually a few months alongside work. As a tradesperson you may issue energy performance certificates if you meet the requirements for entry in the register of craftsmen (Handwerksrolle), so usually with a master certificate, and can show the training required by law. The law also provides for a qualification exam in energy consulting at the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). For state-funded consultations you additionally need an entry in the federal list of experts (Expertenliste).*Regulated by law (Building Modernization Act (GModG, formerly Building Energy Act) § 88).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €5,500gross per monthMedian salary

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• Service technician for heat pumps and air conditioners

  Also: Refrigeration mechatronics technician

  With further training

  With heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, you also deal with refrigerant circuits, refrigerants and more electrics.

  What you bring:

  You know heating systems, hydraulic balancing, controls and pipe connections from practice.

  How to get there:

  Expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) for work on refrigerant circuits with fluorinated refrigerants: a course with exam, usually a few days to two weeks. A technical or trade vocational qualification is required, which you already have. After that you get on-the-job training at the specialist company (Einarbeitung). A qualification of your own comes from a shortened vocational training as a refrigeration mechatronics technician (Mechatroniker/Mechatronikerin für Kältetechnik).*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) 2024/573 Art. 10, Chemicals Climate Protection Ordinance (ChemKlimaschutzV) §§ 5, 6).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,992gross per monthMedian salary

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• Fire officer at a professional fire department

  With further training

  In the fire service, firefighting, technical assistance and emergency medical service come on top, and your knowledge of pipes and house connections helps in many operations.

  What you bring:

  You have a trade qualification, work physically and in a team and know water, gas and heating pipes.

  How to get there:

  Training at a professional fire department as a civil servant usually takes 1.5 to 2 years, depending on the federal state, and often includes the emergency medical technician course. The requirement is usually a completed trade or technical vocational qualification, plus a sports test, medical fitness and maximum age limits, which differ by state and city.*Regulated by law (Career and training ordinances of the federal states for the technical fire service).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding

  €4,118gross per monthMedian salary

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• Instructor in the plumbing and heating trade

  Also: Instructor at an inter-company training facility

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an instructor you work with trainees in the business or in courses of the chamber and guild and prepare them for the journeyman exam.

  What you bring:

  You are skilled in pipe installation, heating and sanitary technology in practice and can demonstrate work steps well.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the plumbing and heating installer trade also includes trainer aptitude (Ausbildereignung). It takes about one year full-time and longer alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You can take the exam with the journeyman certificate, but for instructor jobs companies and training centers usually expect several years of work experience.*Regulated by law (Crafts Code (HwO) § 22b).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLittle customer contact

  €4,462gross per monthMedian salary

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• Expert for tap water damage

  Also: Claims assessor for insurers

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an expert for tap water damage you use measuring technology to find the cause of water damage, assess the extent and renovation and write expert reports for insurers, property managers and courts.

  What you bring:

  You know pipes, connections, materials and typical causes of damage from installation and repair.

  How to get there:

  You often start at a leak detection or remediation company with training on measuring equipment such as thermography and moisture measurement, usually for a few weeks (Einarbeitung). For your own expert reports, insurers usually expect the master qualification and an expert course at chambers or associations. Public appointment and swearing in by the Chamber of Crafts only follows after a check of your special expertise.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hours

  €4,349gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.