Career change as an air traffic controller
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 6 with on-the-job training and 2 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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Operations controller at an airline
Also: Dispatcher in a traffic control center
With on-the-job training
In the operations control of an airline or the control center of a transport company, you re-plan rotations, react to faults and coordinate with crews, technology and ground services.
- What you bring:
- You know airspace, flight schedules, weather and chains of delays and make reliable decisions quickly.
- How to get there:
- Airlines and transport companies train new staff in systems and procedures over a few weeks to months, and your aviation experience is a clear advantage there. The work usually runs in shifts (Schichtdienst) around the clock.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€4,231gross per monthMedian salary
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Safety manager at an airport
Also: Staff member in the safety management of an airline
With on-the-job training
In safety management, you evaluate incidents, assess risks, propose measures and prepare audits and reports to the authorities.
- What you bring:
- You know reporting systems, incident investigations and the safety culture of aviation from your own practice.
- How to get there:
- Airports and airlines train specialists from air traffic control in their safety management system, often supplemented by courses on safety management of a few days to weeks. Very good English is expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€4,948gross per monthMedian salary
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Case officer at an aviation authority
Also: Aviation supervision officer
With on-the-job training
At federal or state aviation authorities, you check procedures and permits, monitor compliance with regulations and process violations.
- What you bring:
- You know the rules of air traffic, air traffic control procedures and the cooperation with airports and pilots precisely.
- How to get there:
- Aviation authorities hire experienced specialists from air traffic control as employees under a collective pay agreement (Tarif) and train them in law and administrative procedures. Positions are advertised individually, and separate career rules apply for becoming a civil servant (Verbeamtung).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€3,822gross per monthMedian salary
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Airport duty manager
Also: Shift supervisor in an airport control center
With on-the-job training
As a duty manager or shift supervisor in the airport control center, you steer ongoing operations, coordinate ground services, fire brigade and authorities and decide during faults and emergencies.
- What you bring:
- You keep an eye on many movements at the same time, set priorities and communicate clearly under time pressure.
- How to get there:
- Airport operators train managers with aviation experience over a few months in procedures, emergency plans and systems. The positions are at the large commercial airports and involve shift work (Schichtdienst).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically light€4,221gross per monthMedian salary
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Trainer for teamwork in control centers and cockpits
Also: Trainer for simulation training
With on-the-job training
As a trainer, you develop and lead training on communication, decisions and teamwork for control centers, clinics, industry or aviation.
- What you bring:
- You know from your own experience how errors arise under stress and how teams work together in critical situations.
- How to get there:
- Training providers and companies use experienced practitioners after a trainer course, which takes a few weeks to months depending on the provider. You can work freelance as a trainer, and permanent positions exist more at large companies and academies.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,254gross per monthMedian salary
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Specialist consultant for air traffic control systems
Also: Operational expert at a manufacturer of control center technology
With on-the-job training
At manufacturers of air traffic control and control center technology, you advise customers, describe requirements from the user's point of view, support tests and train users.
- What you bring:
- You work with radar, flight data systems and radio technology every day and know what controllers need from their tools.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers hire experienced controllers as specialist consultants and train them in products and project procedures. Very good English and willingness to travel are expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,550gross per monthMedian salary
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Train dispatcher (Fahrdienstleiter)
Also: Train traffic controller (Zugverkehrssteuerer)
With vocational training
As a train dispatcher, you set switches and signals in the signal box, clear trains to proceed and manage operations during faults and construction work.
- What you bring:
- You are used to directing traffic according to fixed rules, following radio and speech procedures exactly and keeping the overview in stressful situations.
- How to get there:
- Infrastructure operators such as Deutsche Bahn train career changers in a paid function training course (Funktionsausbildung) with an exam, and the company sets its length. Under the Railway Construction and Operating Regulations (EBO), you must be at least 18 years old and medically fit as a train dispatcher, which a railway doctor checks. Shift work (Schichtdienst) is part of the job.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contact€3,929gross per monthMedian salary
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Airline pilot
Also: Business aviation pilot
With vocational training
As a pilot, you fly aircraft in scheduled, charter or business travel and work closely with air traffic control in the cockpit.
- What you bring:
- You know airspace structure, radio telephony, weather and procedures from the air traffic control point of view and already think in flight procedures.
- How to get there:
- You train at an approved flight school for a commercial pilot license with instrument rating and airline transport pilot theory, or for a multi-crew pilot license. The full airline transport pilot license requires at least 1,500 flight hours. Beforehand, you need a class 1 aviation medical certificate, and airlines and flight schools usually require aptitude tests. The length depends on the school and the training format, and the training is very expensive if an airline does not cover it.*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Art. 3, Annex I (Part-FCL)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically light€11,733gross 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 air traffic controller without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Operations controller at an airline, Safety manager at an airport, Case officer at an aviation authority, Airport duty manager, Trainer for teamwork in control centers and cockpits and Specialist consultant for air traffic control systems.
Which retraining or further training suits me as an air traffic controller?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Train dispatcher (Fahrdienstleiter) and Airline pilot.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Airline pilot (€11,733 gross per month), Specialist consultant for air traffic control systems (€5,550 gross per month) and Trainer for teamwork in control centers and cockpits (€5,254 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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