Career change as an electrical engineer
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
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Electrical installation expert
Also: Inspection engineer at an inspection organization
With on-the-job training
At an inspection organization or as an expert appraiser, you inspect installations in industry, buildings or energy supply and write inspection reports and expert opinions.
- What you bring:
- You know electrical installations, standards and protective measures and quickly spot defects.
- How to get there:
- Inspection organizations hire electrical engineers and train them in-house to become experts; the duration depends on the inspection field. For some inspection tasks, for example under the state inspection ordinances, recognition as a certified inspection expert (Prüfsachverständiger) is also required.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours€6,709gross per monthMedian salary
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Sales engineer
Also: Consultant for renewable energy
With on-the-job training
In technical sales, you advise industry, municipal utilities or planners, prepare quotes and support projects through to commissioning.
- What you bring:
- You understand drives, automation, energy technology or grids and can tailor technical solutions to a customer's needs.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers and plant builders give electrical engineers product and sales training over a few weeks. Expect travel and a performance-based share of the pay.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€6,758gross per monthMedian salary
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Energy industry consultant
Also: Technology consultant
With on-the-job training
At a consultancy, you support municipal utilities, grid operators, industry or authorities with investments, grid planning and digitalization.
- What you bring:
- You know grids, generation plants and storage and understand what the energy transition means technically.
- How to get there:
- Energy and technology consultancies hire electrical engineers with industry experience directly and train them in consulting methods and the energy industry. Expect project work and travel.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible€6,768gross per monthMedian salary
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OT security specialist (operational technology)
Also: IT security consultant for industrial plants
With on-the-job training
As a security specialist for industrial and energy plants, you protect control systems from attacks, assess risks and plan protective measures.
- What you bring:
- You know controllers, control technology and networks in plants and how they work together in operation.
- How to get there:
- Grid operators, industry and consultancies hire engineers with automation knowledge and train them in IT security, often topped up with certificate courses lasting a few days to a few weeks. You should bring good knowledge of network technology or build it up quickly.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically light€5,667gross per monthMedian salary
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Embedded software developer
Also: Software developer for automation
With on-the-job training
You have programmed circuits, controllers or microcontrollers and know the hardware that software has to run on. As an embedded software developer, you write software for devices, vehicles or plants and test it directly on the hardware.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers hire electrical engineers with programming experience in C or C++ directly. You can close gaps in software engineering and testing methods with courses lasting a few weeks. Without programming practice, plan for a longer period of on-the-job training.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contact€5,986gross per monthMedian salary
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Occupational safety specialist
Also: Safety engineer
With vocational training
As an occupational safety specialist, you advise companies on risk assessments, safety briefings and accident prevention, either as an employee or for an inter-company service.
- What you bring:
- You know electrical hazards, protective measures and technical rules and think through risks systematically.
- How to get there:
- Training as an occupational safety specialist takes place in several stages at statutory accident insurance bodies or recognized training providers, usually lasting one to two years alongside work. As an engineer with at least two years of work experience, you meet the entry requirements.*Regulated by law (Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) § 7).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,574gross per monthMedian salary
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Teacher at a vocational school for electrical engineering
Also: Teacher at a technician school
With a degree
As a teacher, you teach future electronics technicians, mechatronics technicians and technicians in theory and lab work.
- What you bring:
- You can explain electrical engineering from the basics to automation.
- How to get there:
- Depending on the state, electrical engineers with a master's or Diplom degree are admitted through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg). You teach from the start and complete the preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) alongside work, usually lasting one to two years. With a bachelor's degree, the route is harder or only possible through an additional degree, depending on the state.*Regulated by law (State law: teacher education acts and alternative-route regulations of the German states).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contact€5,140gross per monthMedian salary
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Patent attorney
Also: Patent assessor
With a degree
As a patent attorney, you file patent applications for inventions, defend intellectual property rights and advise companies in disputes.
- What you bring:
- You understand electrical engineering inventions in detail and can formulate precisely.
- How to get there:
- After your degree and practical technical work, you complete several years of training at a patent law firm or patent department, at the patent office and at the Federal Patent Court, supplemented by legal studies, and then take an exam. The training usually takes about three years, and during the time at the law firm you are already employed.*Regulated by law (Patent Attorney Act (PAO) §§ 5 to 8).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible€7,756gross 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 an electrical engineer without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Electrical installation expert, Sales engineer, Energy industry consultant, OT security specialist (operational technology) and Embedded software developer.
Which retraining or further training suits me as an electrical engineer?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Occupational safety specialist, Teacher at a vocational school for electrical engineering and Patent attorney.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Patent attorney (€7,756 gross per month), Energy industry consultant (€6,768 gross per month) and Sales engineer (€6,758 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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