Career change as a well builder
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 2 with on-the-job training and 6 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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Excavator operator in civil engineering
Also: Earthmoving machine driver
With on-the-job training
As an excavator operator or earthmoving machine driver, you dig construction pits, lay pipes, move earth and level areas for construction and civil engineering companies.
- What you bring:
- You operate heavy equipment safely, know hydraulics and ground conditions and work in a team in all weather.
- How to get there:
- Construction firms usually give experienced drill rig operators a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) on their machines. Courses for earthmoving machines at training providers take a few weeks. Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a construction equipment operator (Baugeräteführer) gives you a qualification, and with enough practice you can also get it through an external exam (Externenprüfung).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Little customer contactLots of time outdoors€4,089gross per monthMedian salary
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Plant operator at a natural gas storage facility
Also: Gas processing plant operator
With on-the-job training
At operators of underground storage, gas processing or biogas plants, you monitor plants from the control room and on site, do rounds and help with maintenance and faults.
- What you bring:
- You know boreholes, probes, pressure and gas and work routinely according to safety regulations.
- How to get there:
- Storage and plant operators usually give specialists from drilling and production a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often in shift work. A qualification in a metal, electrical or chemical occupation is an advantage.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workLittle customer contact€5,720gross per monthMedian salary
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Site foreman (Polier) in specialist foundation engineering
Also: Construction manager in well and specialist foundation engineering
With further trainingPromotion
As a site foreman (Polier) or construction manager in specialist foundation engineering, well construction or geothermal energy, you plan drilling and foundation work, lead drilling crews and check execution and documentation.
- What you bring:
- You know drilling methods, drilling rigs, flushing and ground conditions and know how to run a drill site safely and economically.
- How to get there:
- Depending on your background, you can prepare for management tasks with the master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the well builder trade, the upgrading course to become a certified site foreman (Geprüfte/r Polier/in) or the technical school for civil engineering (Technikerschule für Bautechnik). Each is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Experienced drill rig operators can take on responsibility on the construction site even earlier.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demandingLittle customer contactLots of time outdoors€5,941gross per monthMedian salary
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Professional driver for construction site logistics
Also: Special transport driver
With further training
As a professional driver, you bring construction machines, drilling equipment, building materials or special loads to construction sites and companies, secure the load and coordinate the delivery.
- What you bring:
- You know heavy vehicles, load securing and construction sites and work independently and reliably.
- How to get there:
- You need a driving license class C or CE and the accelerated basic qualification with an exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), which together usually take a few months. Funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) is possible if the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter approves it. Heavy transport and dangerous goods require further training.*Regulated by law (Driving License Ordinance (FeV) § 6, Professional Driver Qualification Act (BKrFQG) §§ 2, 3 and 5, Professional Driver Qualification Ordinance (BKrFQV)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
€3,262gross per monthMedian salary
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Construction machinery mechatronics technician
Also: Service technician for drilling rigs
With retraining
As a construction machinery mechatronics technician or service technician, you repair construction and drilling equipment in the workshop or at the customer's site.
- What you bring:
- You often maintain drilling rigs, pumps, compressors and hydraulics yourself and find faults even under time pressure on the construction site.
- How to get there:
- Retraining (Umschulung) as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician (Land- und Baumaschinenmechatroniker) usually takes about 2 years and is often funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). With long relevant practice, an external exam (Externenprüfung) is also possible. Equipment manufacturers and rental companies sometimes also hire experienced drillers directly into service and train them themselves.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demanding€3,584gross per monthMedian salary
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Occupational safety specialist
With further trainingPromotion
As an occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit), you advise companies in construction, mining or the energy industry, assess hazards and train employees.
- What you bring:
- You know the hazards at drilling rigs, drill rods, pressure lines and in gas areas and know how to enforce safety rules across shifts.
- How to get there:
- You need a master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung), for example in the well builder trade, or a technician qualification, each followed by at least two years of work experience; anyone who has worked as a master (Meister) for at least four years without the exam, for example as a drilling master (Bohrmeister), also meets the requirement. After that comes the training as an occupational safety specialist, offered by an accident insurance institution or a recognized training provider. It is part-time alongside work, in several stages with in-person and self-study phases.*Regulated by law (Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) § 7, DGUV Regulation 2 § 4).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekends€4,948gross per monthMedian salary
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Plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems mechanic
Also: Heat pump installer
With retraining
As a systems mechanic, you install heating systems, heat pumps and water pipes in buildings, commission systems and maintain them.
- What you bring:
- You know geothermal probes, wells, pipes and pumps and know how heat and water are used from the ground.
- How to get there:
- Retraining (Umschulung) as a systems mechanic for plumbing, heating and air conditioning (Anlagenmechaniker/in für Sanitär-, Heizungs- und Klimatechnik) usually takes about 2 years and is often funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). With suitable practice, it can sometimes be shortened. Companies also first hire experienced fitters as helpers and support their qualification.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically demanding€3,797gross per monthMedian salary
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Civil engineering technician
Also: Technician in geothermal planning
With further trainingPromotion
As a state-certified technician (staatlich geprüfte/r Techniker/in), you work in planning, costing and construction management of civil engineering, well and geothermal projects at construction firms and engineering offices.
- What you bring:
- You understand ground conditions, groundwater and drilling technology from practice and can read borehole logs and plans.
- How to get there:
- Study civil engineering technology (Bautechnik), with a focus on civil engineering (Tiefbau), at a technical college (Fachschule für Technik): 2 years full-time or usually 4 years part-time alongside work. It is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You need a vocational qualification and usually at least one year of work experience, and the rules differ by federal state.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours€5,638gross 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 well builder without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Excavator operator in civil engineering and Plant operator at a natural gas storage facility.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a well builder?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Site foreman (Polier) in specialist foundation engineering, Professional driver for construction site logistics, Construction machinery mechatronics technician, Occupational safety specialist, Plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems mechanic and Civil engineering technician.
What promotion options do I have as a well builder?
Promotions include, for example: Site foreman (Polier) in specialist foundation engineering, Occupational safety specialist and Civil engineering technician.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Site foreman (Polier) in specialist foundation engineering (€5,941 gross per month), Plant operator at a natural gas storage facility (€5,720 gross per month) and Civil engineering technician (€5,638 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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