Career change as a bartender

Career change paths

• Bar manager

  Also: Restaurant manager, Café branch manager

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  In the management of a bar, café or restaurant you also plan staff, purchasing and processes, and bear responsibility for the whole business.

  What you bring:

  You know drink costing, orders, cash closing and working in a team behind the counter.

  How to get there:

  This is usually an internal promotion through the deputy role or shift leadership, often in hotel and café chains with their own management programs. Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified senior specialist in hospitality (Fachwirt im Gastgewerbe) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). It can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Without training in hospitality you are admitted only after several years of work experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,956gross per monthMedian salary

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• Event assistant

  Also: Event coordinator at a caterer, Employee in the banquet office

  With on-the-job training

  In event planning you organize celebrations, conferences or events, coordinate with customers, and plan staff and drinks.

  What you bring:

  You know drinks planning, serving at events and dealing with many guests at once.

  How to get there:

  The most likely way in is at caterers, event locations or in the banquet area of hotels, often starting with on-site implementation and then getting on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in quotes, schedules and customer agreements. You can earn a qualification through vocational training (Ausbildung) as event management clerk (Veranstaltungskaufmann), which takes three years, or through retraining (Umschulung), which usually takes two years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLots of contact with people

  €3,438gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales representative for beverages

  Also: Brand ambassador for spirits

  With on-the-job training

  In field sales for a beverage or coffee producer you look after restaurateurs, present products, and train staff.

  What you bring:

  You know spirits, coffee and beverage trends from hands-on experience, and you know what bars and cafés need.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the manufacturer or wholesaler, usually a few weeks of product training. A class B driving license is almost always required. Look for a permanent position: as a self-employed commercial agent you usually work on commission only and bear the risk yourself.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Coffee roaster

  Also: Coffee taster

  With on-the-job training

  In a roastery you set roast profiles, taste samples, and make sure every batch tastes the same.

  What you bring:

  As a barista you recognize differences in beans, grind size and roast, and you can describe taste precisely.

  How to get there:

  You usually start in a roastery with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) from experienced roasters. Private courses in roasting and tasting take a few days and help with your application. You can find jobs, for example, at smaller specialty roasteries.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Little customer contact

  €3,565gross per monthMedian salary

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• Receptionist

  Also: Hotel front desk employee

  With on-the-job training

  At the hotel reception, you also handle check-in, reservations and information about the hotel and the city.

  What you bring:

  You are used to serving many guests in a friendly way at the same time, taking payments, and keeping track of things late in the evening.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the hotel, usually lasting a few weeks. English skills are almost always expected, and shift work (Schichtdienst) is common. With vocational training (Ausbildung) as hotel specialist (Hotelfachmann), which takes three years and is often shortened with work experience, more hotels are open to you.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €3,034gross per monthMedian salary

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• Sommelier

  Also: Wine adviser in a restaurant

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a sommelier you advise guests on wine and food pairing, put together the wine list, and take care of the wine cellar.

  What you bring:

  You know drinks, taste and how to advise guests behind the bar, and you can justify recommendations confidently.

  How to get there:

  You take further training as a sommelier at sommelier schools or with an exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). It usually takes a few months and is often done alongside a job. The admission requirements differ by provider, and work experience in service is often required.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLots of contact with people

  €2,815gross per monthMedian salary

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• Flight attendant

  With training or an exam

  On board, you also take on safety and emergency tasks, for which you are trained.

  What you bring:

  You serve drinks quickly and in a friendly way in a tight space, and you stay calm even with difficult guests.

  How to get there:

  You do basic training at an airline, usually lasting a few weeks, with an exam for the cabin crew attestation (Flugbegleiterbescheinigung). You also need an aviation medical examination and good English.*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex V (Part-CC)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,307gross per monthMedian salary

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• Cook

  Also: Kitchen specialist (Fachkraft Küche)

  With retraining

  In the kitchen you prepare dishes, work at the stations, and learn cooking methods and costing.

  What you bring:

  You work cleanly and quickly under time pressure, know hygiene rules, and have a feel for taste and ingredients.

  How to get there:

  You do vocational training (Ausbildung) as a cook (three years) or kitchen specialist (Fachkraft Küche, two years), often shortened with work experience in hospitality. Both are also possible as retraining (Umschulung), which can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,058gross 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.