Career change as a construction technician
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 5 with on-the-job training and 3 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
-
Site manager in building construction
Also: Construction project manager
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As a site manager, you plan schedules and trades, monitor quality and costs and represent the company to clients and authorities.
- What you bring:
- As a construction technician, you know construction processes, cost calculation and building regulations and have usually worked on the construction site yourself.
- How to get there:
- Construction companies often start state-certified construction technicians (staatlich geprüfte Bautechniker/innen) as assistants to the site manager and give them their own projects after a few months to two years. Courses on construction contract law and project control at chambers or training providers help with promotion.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people€5,816gross per monthMedian salary
-
Claims adjuster for building insurance
Also: Real estate valuation expert
With on-the-job training
As a claims adjuster or expert, you inspect buildings after water, storm or fire damage, assess the damage and how to repair it and write reports for insurers, banks or courts.
- What you bring:
- You recognize building damage, its causes and the repair effort and can estimate costs realistically.
- How to get there:
- Insurers and claims service providers train construction technicians themselves as adjusters for building claims over a few months. For real estate valuation, there are certificate courses alongside work at academies and chambers. You only become a publicly appointed and sworn-in expert after the chamber has verified your special expertise.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours€4,797gross per monthMedian salary
-
Technical property manager
Also: Property manager
With on-the-job training
At a property management firm or a housing company, you handle the technical side of buildings, plan maintenance and modernization, award contracts and support owners' meetings.
- What you bring:
- You know building fabric, building services and renovation costs and can judge quotes from trade businesses professionally.
- How to get there:
- Housing companies and property managers train construction technicians over a few months in tenancy law, condominium law and their management software. If you want to manage apartments on a self-employed basis, you need a permit under § 34c of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). The upgrading course for certified real estate senior specialist (Geprüfter Immobilienfachwirt) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is possible alongside work.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light -
Technical field consultant for construction products
Also: Project consultant at a building materials manufacturer
With on-the-job training
For a manufacturer or building materials dealer, you advise construction companies, architecture offices and dealers, present systems and support projects up to execution.
- What you bring:
- You know building materials, construction methods and standards and speak the language of site managers and planning offices.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers and dealers train you with product training over a few weeks to months. A class B driving license and willingness to travel are usually expected. Look for permanent employment, because as a self-employed commercial agent you often work on commission only.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,550gross per monthMedian salary
-
BIM modeler
Also: CAD designer for construction
With on-the-job training
In a planning office or construction company, you create digital building models using the BIM method, derive plans and quantities from them and check models for collisions.
- What you bring:
- You can read and draw plans and know which details work on the construction site.
- How to get there:
- Planning offices and construction companies train you on their software, and BIM courses alongside work at chambers or training providers take a few weeks to months. You work at a screen in an office, partly from home too.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,947gross per monthMedian salary
-
Occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit)
Also: Safety specialist in the construction industry
With further training
As an occupational safety specialist, you advise construction companies, prepare risk assessments (Gefährdungsbeurteilungen), inspect construction sites and train employees.
- What you bring:
- You know the dangers on construction sites, from falls on scaffolding to hazardous substances, and know how processes there really run.
- How to get there:
- Training to become an occupational safety specialist follows the program of the statutory accident insurance bodies, for example at BG BAU. It combines classroom and self-study phases with an internship and, depending on the provider, takes one to two years alongside work. As a state-certified technician, you meet the entry requirement once you have worked as a technician for at least two years after your exam.*Regulated by law (Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) § 7, DGUV Regulation 2 § 4).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people€4,948gross per monthMedian salary
-
Instructor at a construction industry training center
Also: Trainer for construction trades
With further trainingPromotion
As a trainer in an inter-company training center (überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum), you practice bricklaying, formwork and concreting with apprentices and prepare them for their exams.
- What you bring:
- You have usually learned a construction trade yourself and can explain construction technology clearly.
- How to get there:
- For the trainer aptitude certificate (Ausbildereignung), you take the exam under the Ordinance on Trainer Aptitude (AEVO) at the chamber, and preparation courses usually take a few weeks alongside work. Full-time positions exist mainly in the training centers of the construction industry.*Regulated by law (Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Ordinance on Trainer Aptitude (AEVO)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€5,075gross per monthMedian salary
-
Branch manager of a construction company
Also: Owner of a construction business
With further trainingPromotion
As a branch manager or business owner, you are responsible for orders, staff and profitability and negotiate with clients.
- What you bring:
- With a technician qualification and experience in cost calculation and site management, you have the technical foundation for running a construction business.
- How to get there:
- The route usually leads through several years of site management and business training, for example as a certified technical business manager (Geprüfter Technischer Betriebswirt) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), taken alongside work; the duration depends on the provider. For your own business in a construction trade that requires a license, your technician qualification may be enough for registration in the register of craftspeople (Handwerksrolle), depending on the field. The Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) decides.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,970gross 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 a construction technician without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Site manager in building construction, Claims adjuster for building insurance, Technical property manager, Technical field consultant for construction products and BIM modeler.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a construction technician?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit), Instructor at a construction industry training center and Branch manager of a construction company.
What promotion options do I have as a construction technician?
Promotions include, for example: Site manager in building construction, Instructor at a construction industry training center and Branch manager of a construction company.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Branch manager of a construction company (€5,970 gross per month), Site manager in building construction (€5,816 gross per month) and Technical field consultant for construction products (€5,550 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.
Your job is not listed?
One sentence from you is enough.
Enter what you do today, in your own words if you like.
You see right away where you can switch to.