Career change as an archivist
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 7 with on-the-job training and 1 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Information manager
Also: Records manager
With on-the-job training
As an information or records manager, you organize filing, document management systems and retention periods in companies, government agencies or clinics.
- What you bring:
- You can sort, catalog and assess records and keep them accessible in the long term.
- How to get there:
- Companies and government agencies hire archivists for document management and train them in their software. Courses on records management or electronic files (E-Akte) help you get started, and the length depends on the provider. You then work more with current records than with historical ones.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€4,911gross per monthMedian salary
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Museum director
Also: Head of an archive
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As head of a museum or archive, you are responsible for the program, staff, budget and funding applications.
- What you bring:
- You know collections, exhibitions, cataloging and public outreach and work with sponsoring bodies, funders and the public.
- How to get there:
- Management positions in smaller and mid-sized institutions are often filled with experienced curators or archivists. You learn budgeting, staff management and funding law on the job. For larger institutions, a doctorate (Promotion) and leadership experience are usually expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically light -
Public relations officer
Also: Fundraiser
With on-the-job training
In museums, foundations or cultural organizations, you handle press work, social media and campaigns, or you raise money from funders and sponsors.
- What you bring:
- You can tell the stories behind objects and documents and know how to attract visitors and funders.
- How to get there:
- Cultural institutions train specialists from museums and archives in press work or fundraising. Courses alongside work are available, and the length depends on the provider. Work samples such as texts or social media posts help with your application.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€5,318gross per monthMedian salary
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Editor at a nonfiction publisher
Also: Editor for history and culture
With on-the-job training
In the editorial department of a nonfiction or art book publisher, you work with manuscripts and authors; as an editor, you write for magazines, media or online outlets on history and culture.
- What you bring:
- You can check sources, read texts closely and present complex content clearly.
- How to get there:
- Publishers usually take on humanities graduates through a traineeship (Volontariat) or freelance work. Work samples and subject knowledge are important.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,237gross per monthMedian salary
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Cultural affairs officer
Also: Cultural affairs officer in a municipal administration
With on-the-job training
In a culture office, ministry or foundation, you run funding programs, advise institutions and develop cultural policy projects.
- What you bring:
- You know cultural institutions, funding programs and the work with collections, volunteers and the public.
- How to get there:
- Municipalities, federal states and foundations hire humanities graduates with practical experience and train them in budget and funding law. Some positions in ministries require experience in public administration.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€6,457gross per monthMedian salary
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Expert at an auction house
Also: Appraiser for art and antiques
With on-the-job training
At an auction house or art dealer, you appraise consignments, estimate values, write catalog texts and advise collectors.
- What you bring:
- You can date objects, classify them, check them for authenticity and research their origin.
- How to get there:
- Auction houses and art dealers train art historians and museum staff in market knowledge, law and procedures. You can only become a publicly appointed and sworn-in expert (öffentlich bestellter und vereidigter Sachverständiger) after the chamber has verified your special expertise.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people -
Study tour guide
Also: City tour guide
With on-the-job training
As a study tour guide, you accompany groups on cultural and educational trips; as a city tour guide, you lead tours through cities, museums and memorial sites.
- What you bring:
- You know history, art and culture and can talk about them in a lively way.
- How to get there:
- Study tour operators train academics with subject knowledge and foreign languages in tour guiding and group leading. Cities and associations offer city guide courses, and the length depends on the provider. The work is often seasonal and freelance.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people€3,640gross per monthMedian salary
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History teacher
Also: Secondary school teacher
With a degree
At a secondary school, you teach history and a second subject and guide classes over several years.
- What you bring:
- You can work with historical sources, put them in context and teach them vividly, and you have often led groups before.
- How to get there:
- Each federal state sets its own rules for the alternative route into teaching (Seiteneinstieg), and whether there are positions for career changers in history depends on demand. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, it is only possible for positions for which no fully trained teachers are available, your degree must match two teaching subjects, and the preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) alongside work takes 24 months.*Regulated by law (State law: teacher education acts and alternative-route regulations of the German states).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,466gross per monthMedian salary
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as an archivist without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Information manager, Museum director, Public relations officer, Editor at a nonfiction publisher, Cultural affairs officer, Expert at an auction house and Study tour guide.
Which retraining or further training suits me as an archivist?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: History teacher.
What promotion options do I have as an archivist?
Promotions include, for example: Museum director.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Cultural affairs officer (€6,457 gross per month), History teacher (€5,466 gross per month) and Public relations officer (€5,318 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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