Career change as a printer

Career change paths

• Work planner at a print shop

  Also: Production planner, print

  With on-the-job training

  In work planning you plan jobs, machine allocation, paper and printing plates and coordinate deadlines with sales and finishing.

  What you bring:

  You know from practice how long setup, production run and drying take and which jobs can sensibly be combined on which machine.

  How to get there:

  You move from production into work planning with a few weeks to months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often in your own company. Confident use of a PC and planning software is expected. You add calculation and business basics through courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the associations of the printing and media industry.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,873gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field technical advisor, printing inks

  Also: Application technician for printing presses

  With on-the-job training

  At the manufacturer or dealer you advise print shops, commission new materials and machines at the customer's and help with complaints directly at the machine.

  What you bring:

  You know how inks, varnishes, printing plates and blankets behave in production and what faults in printing usually come from.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the manufacturer or dealer (Einarbeitung) with product training, usually for a few weeks to months. The qualification as a print media technologist, several years of practice, a driving license class B and willingness to travel are usually expected, and at machine manufacturers often also English. Look for permanent employment, because as a self-employed sales agent you usually work only on commission.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

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• Signage technician

  Also: Sign and illuminated advertising maker

  With on-the-job training

  In signage technology you print large-format on films, banners and boards, laminate and plot and apply lettering to vehicles, shop windows and facades.

  What you bring:

  You know digital printing, color management and substrates and work exactly with register and color fidelity.

  How to get there:

  Signage businesses usually give printers with experience in digital printing a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), and you learn wrapping and installation in the company or in manufacturer courses. A qualification of your own comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a sign and illuminated advertising maker (Schilder- und Lichtreklamehersteller/Schilder- und Lichtreklameherstellerin), which takes 3 years. Work on ladders and aerial work platforms is often part of the job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,117gross per monthMedian salary

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• Employee in pre-press

  Also: Printing plate maker

  With on-the-job training

  In pre-press you check customer data, create proofs and printing plates and make sure colors match on screen and in print.

  What you bring:

  You know what requirements print data and printing forms have to meet and quickly recognize errors in color, resolution or bleed.

  How to get there:

  Print shops often deploy experienced printers in pre-press and train them for a few months, above all for data checking, plate exposure and color management. Associations and training providers offer courses in PDF workflow and color management. For design and layout, vocational training (Ausbildung) as a digital and print media designer (Mediengestalter/Mediengestalterin Digital und Print) is the usual path.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,305gross per monthMedian salary

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• Production employee in the chemical or pharmaceutical industry

  Also: Plant operator, chemicals

  With on-the-job training

  In chemical or pharmaceutical production you run systems for mixing, filling and packaging, monitor processes and take samples.

  What you bring:

  You operate complex machines in shift work, follow fixed procedures and document quality and faults exactly.

  How to get there:

  Chemical and pharmaceutical companies hire skilled workers from other technical trades and give them a few weeks to months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), in the pharmaceutical industry with training on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Later you can gain a qualification of your own such as chemical production specialist (Produktionsfachkraft Chemie) through the external exam (Externenprüfung), after at least 3 years of work in the occupation; the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) decides whether your work counts.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,942gross per monthMedian salary

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• Print buyer

  Also: Production manager at an advertising agency

  With on-the-job training

  In the purchasing department of a company or at an agency you obtain offers from print shops, compare them, place orders and check press proofs and finished goods.

  What you bring:

  You can judge papers, finishes and printing processes professionally and know what effort a job means in the print shop.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the employer (Einarbeitung), usually for a few weeks to months. Business basics and negotiating skills are expected and can be added through courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the further training as a certified senior media specialist (Geprüfter Medienfachwirt). Jobs exist, for example, at agencies, publishers, retail chains and industrial companies with a large print volume.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Machine operator on packaging lines

  Also: Line leader, packaging in the pharmaceutical industry

  With on-the-job training

  In pharmaceutical, cosmetics or food businesses you run packaging and labeling lines, retool them for new products, check labels and batch data and document under strict hygiene rules.

  What you bring:

  You set up fast machines, change formats and materials and constantly check quality, also of printed texts and codes.

  How to get there:

  You get a few weeks of on-the-job training on the line (Einarbeitung), in the pharmaceutical industry with training on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP); shift work is usual. You usually do not need a further qualification for this; companies mainly look for experience with fast machines and format changes. Over time you can take on line or shift responsibility.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €3,941gross per monthMedian salary

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• Quality inspector in packaging and label production

  Also: Employee in print quality assurance

  With on-the-job training

  In quality assurance you check samples and the running production with measuring devices and camera systems, handle complaints and document inspections for customers from the food and pharmaceutical industry.

  What you bring:

  You measure colors, check register, print image and substrates and recognize errors before they go into the run.

  How to get there:

  Packaging and label printers deploy experienced specialists from the press room and give them on-the-job training in quality assurance (Einarbeitung). Courses in quality management, color measurement and testing methods at associations and training providers usually take a few days to weeks. Depending on the company, you work during the day or in a shift system.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €3,711gross per monthMedian salary

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• Certified industrial foreman, print media

  Also: Shift supervisor at a print shop, Production manager, print

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a shift supervisor or master craftsperson (Meister) you plan jobs and staff, ensure quality and deadlines and train new staff.

  What you bring:

  You know printing processes, ink control, makeready times and waste sheets from daily work at the machine and know where time and material are lost in production.

  How to get there:

  You take further training as a certified industrial foreman, specialization print media (Geprüfter Industriemeister Fachrichtung Printmedien), at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), usually about 2 years alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a qualification as a print media technologist (Medientechnologe/Medientechnologin Druck) you are admitted directly; with another training occupation, after one year of work experience; without a vocational qualification, after 4 years of work experience related to foreman tasks. You take the second exam part after the first.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact
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• State-certified technician in printing and media technology

  Also: Process technician in the printing industry

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician you optimize production processes, look after color management and quality assurance, prepare machine investments or work in work planning.

  What you bring:

  You understand how paper, ink, printing form and machine work together and can trace faults in the print image back to their cause.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for technology (Fachschule für Technik), specialization in printing and media 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 vocational qualification and at least one year of work experience; the federal state sets the exact rules. Not every school offers this specialization.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsShift workLittle customer contact
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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.