Career change as an electrician

Career change paths

• Service technician for fire alarm and security systems

  Also: Installer of hazard alarm systems

  With on-the-job training

  In security technology you install and service fire alarm, intruder alarm and video systems and instruct customers in their operation.

  What you bring:

  You install cables, connect devices and test systems according to regulations.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at an installer company (Einarbeitung), plus manufacturer courses and courses to become a fire alarm system specialist under DIN 14675, usually lasting a few days to weeks. Electronics technicians with a journeyman certificate bring the right foundation for this area.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,000gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales representative, electrical engineering

  Also: Technical specialist advisor in electrical wholesale

  With on-the-job training

  In wholesale or at manufacturers you advise electrical businesses on products, prepare offers and support planning.

  What you bring:

  You know from practice which material, devices and solutions work on the construction site.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the wholesaler or manufacturer (Einarbeitung), often first in inside sales or at the specialist counter, usually with a few weeks to months of product training. A driving license class B is almost always required. Look for permanent employment: as a self-employed sales agent you usually work only on commission and bear the risk yourself.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• CAD planner, electrical engineering

  Also: Technical systems planner, electrical engineering

  With on-the-job training

  At the planning office you draw installation, circuit and distribution diagrams on the computer and support the project managers.

  What you bring:

  You know installations, cable routes and circuit diagrams from the construction site and know what can really be implemented.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at the planning office or at an electrical business (Einarbeitung), plus a CAD course of a few weeks to months, which can often be funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). A qualification of your own comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a technical systems planner (Technischer Systemplaner/Technische Systemplanerin), which can often be shortened with a journeyman certificate.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,717gross per monthMedian salary

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• Commissioning technician

  Also: Automation service technician

  With on-the-job training

  As a commissioning technician you commission machines and systems at the customer's, test safety functions, look for faults and instruct the staff, often also abroad.

  What you bring:

  You know circuit diagrams, wiring, measurements and troubleshooting in electrical systems from practice.

  How to get there:

  Plant and machine builders hire electronics technicians with a journeyman certificate and train them on the job over several months (Einarbeitung). Knowledge of control technology (PLC) is needed and can be gained in courses of a few weeks. Long installation periods and travel are usual, and English is often needed.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,191gross per monthMedian salary

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• Master electrician

  Also: Construction manager, electrical engineering, Project manager, electrical installation

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master craftsperson (Meister) or site manager you plan projects, calculate jobs, lead fitters and coordinate with other trades.

  What you bring:

  You know installation, switchgear assembly, testing and construction site routines from your own work.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the electrical technician trade (Elektrotechniker-Handwerk) takes about one year full-time and 2 to 3 years alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with the journeyman certificate (Gesellenbrief). For your own business you need the master qualification or an equivalent entitlement, because the trade requires a license.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours

  €5,301gross per monthMedian salary

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• State-certified electrical engineering technician

  Also: Electrical planner

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician you plan electrical systems, create circuit diagrams and tenders and look after projects in planning offices, industry or at grid operators.

  What you bring:

  You understand circuits, protective measures, building technology and standards from practice.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for technology (Fachschule für Technik), specialization in electrical engineering, 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 journeyman certificate and at least one year of work experience; the federal state sets the exact rules.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €5,301gross per monthMedian salary

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• Instructor in the electrical trade

  Also: Instructor at an inter-company training facility

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an instructor you show trainees in the business or in courses of the chamber how to work safely and cleanly.

  What you bring:

  You know installation, measuring and testing from practice and can explain work steps patiently.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the electrical technician trade also includes trainer aptitude (Ausbildereignung). It takes about one year full-time and longer alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You can take the exam with the journeyman certificate, but for instructor jobs companies and training centers usually expect several years of work experience.*Regulated by law (Crafts Code (HwO) § 22b).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLittle customer contact

  €4,462gross per monthMedian salary

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• Fire officer at a professional fire department

  With further training

  In the fire service you also handle firefighting, technical assistance and emergency medical service, and your electrical knowledge helps in operations at buildings and systems.

  What you bring:

  You have a trade qualification, work confidently with tools and technology and keep a clear head even under pressure.

  How to get there:

  Training at a professional fire department as a civil servant usually takes 1.5 to 2 years, depending on the federal state, and often includes the emergency medical technician course. The requirement is usually a completed trade or technical vocational qualification, plus a sports test, medical fitness and maximum age limits, which differ by state and city.*Regulated by law (Career and training ordinances of the federal states for the technical fire service).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding

  €4,118gross per monthMedian salary

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• Grid controller in the grid control center

  Also: Power plant operator

  With further trainingPromotion

  In the control center of a grid operator you monitor and control the power grid, plan shutdowns and coordinate fault deployments; in a power plant you run and monitor the systems in shift work.

  What you bring:

  You know protection technology, switchgear and the safety rules for electrical systems from practice.

  How to get there:

  Grid operators usually fill control centers with masters or technicians with experience in grid operation and train them internally over many months. An intermediate step can be the move into grid operation with switching authorization. For power plants there is the further training as a certified power plant operator (Geprüfter Kraftwerker): you are admitted with an electrical qualification, plus at least 12 months of structured further training at the power plant and one year of practice in plant operation. Shift work is usual in both areas.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €5,470gross per monthMedian salary

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• Certified industrial foreman, electrical engineering

  Also: Master electrical machine builder

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master craftsperson (Meister) you lead a workshop or maintenance group, plan jobs and staff, train new staff and are responsible for quality and occupational safety.

  What you bring:

  You know motors, generators, drives and controls and find faults in electrical and mechanical systems.

  How to get there:

  You take further training as a certified industrial foreman, specialization electrical engineering (Geprüfter Industriemeister Fachrichtung Elektrotechnik), 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 in an electrical trade you are admitted directly to the first exam part, and to the second after another year of work experience. In the crafts, the master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the electrical machine builder trade (Elektromaschinenbauer-Handwerk) is the corresponding path.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €5,364gross per monthMedian salary

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• Service technician for heat pumps

  Also: Service technician for refrigeration and air conditioning systems

  With further training

  As a service technician you commission heat pumps and air conditioners, service them, look for faults in the electrics and refrigerant circuit and replace components.

  What you bring:

  You know compressor motors, fans, pumps, frequency converters and controls and so a large part of the technology in heat pumps and air conditioners.

  How to get there:

  For work on the refrigerant circuit with fluorinated refrigerants you need an expertise certificate (Sachkundebescheinigung): a course with a theoretical and practical exam, usually a few days to two weeks. The requirement is a technical or trade vocational qualification that fits the work, which the examining body assesses. After that you get on-the-job training at the specialist company or the manufacturer (Einarbeitung). A qualification of your own comes from a shortened vocational training as a refrigeration mechatronics technician (Mechatroniker/Mechatronikerin für Kältetechnik).*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) 2024/573 Art. 10, Chemicals Climate Protection Ordinance (ChemKlimaschutzV) § 6).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,992gross per monthMedian salary

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• Inspector for elevator systems

  Also: Expert for elevator systems

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an expert you inspect elevators for an inspection organization before commissioning and regularly in operation, identify defects and write inspection reports.

  What you bring:

  You know drives, brakes, controls and safety circuits and work exactly according to regulations and inspection records.

  How to get there:

  Approved inspection bodies fill expert jobs for elevators with engineers. Some also hire masters or technicians with several years of experience in elevator construction or drive technology and train them internally over several months. The Act on Installations Requiring Monitoring (Gesetz über überwachungsbedürftige Anlagen) does not prescribe a specific qualification; under § 17, the inspection body must ensure that its inspectors have the necessary knowledge through training, work experience and further training.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours

  €3,979gross per monthMedian salary

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• Occupational safety specialist

  Also: Safety specialist at a grid operator

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an occupational safety specialist you advise grid operators and installation firms, assess hazards, check work procedures and train the employees.

  What you bring:

  You know the dangers of electricity, falls and heavy loads in grid construction from your own experience and know how important the safety rules are.

  How to get there:

  The requirement is generally the master craftsperson exam or a technician qualification followed by work experience. After that comes the training as an occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit) at a statutory accident insurance fund (Berufsgenossenschaft), for example BG ETEM. It runs 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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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.