Career change as a gardener

Career change paths

• Caretaker

  Also: Grounds caretaker

  With on-the-job training

  As a caretaker at housing companies, schools or municipalities you keep buildings and grounds in order, do small repairs, take care of winter maintenance (snow clearing) and are the contact for tenants or users.

  What you bring:

  You care for green spaces, hedges and trees, handle chainsaws, mowers and small machines and work independently outdoors.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the employer (Einarbeitung). For technical tasks in the building, building services courses of a few weeks help. Larger housing companies and municipalities value a gardener's knowledge for the grounds. On-call duty and winter maintenance can come on top.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,260gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales representative for plants and garden supplies

  Also: Field technical advisor for seeds and plant protection

  With on-the-job training

  In field sales for a tree nursery, wholesaler or manufacturer you advise nurseries, garden centers and landscape gardening companies, present ranges and take orders.

  What you bring:

  You know plants, substrates, fertilizers and plant protection products from practice and know what growing businesses look for.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the company (Einarbeitung), usually a few weeks of product training. A driving license class B and willingness to travel are expected. Anyone who advises on plant protection professionally needs an expertise certificate under § 9 of the Plant Protection Act (Pflanzenschutzgesetz), which gardeners with a qualification can apply for at the responsible authority. 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 hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Department manager in a garden center

  Also: Plant department manager in a DIY and garden store

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a department manager in a garden center you are responsible for the range, orders and care of goods, lead the sales team and advise customers.

  What you bring:

  You know plants, their care and typical customer questions and can care for and present goods properly.

  How to get there:

  You often start as a specialist advisor in the garden center with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) and are promoted to department manager after some time. For the plant departments, qualified gardeners bring the right expertise. Saturday work and spring peaks are part of the job. Later, you can take further training as a certified senior retail specialist (Geprüfter Handelsfachwirt).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsLots of contact with people
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• Group leader for horticulture in a workshop for people with disabilities

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a group leader in a workshop for people with disabilities you work with a group in a nursery or green space care and support each person according to their abilities.

  What you bring:

  You are skilled in planting, care and machinery, and you can demonstrate and guide work steps.

  How to get there:

  Workshops mainly hire gardeners with a qualification and at least two years of work experience. After being hired, you can make up the special-needs education qualification required by the Workshops Ordinance (WVO, § 9) alongside work, for example through the further training to become a certified specialist for work and vocational support (Geprüfte Fachkraft zur Arbeits- und Berufsförderung). A similar path leads to trainer jobs at vocational training centers (Berufsbildungswerke); for that you need trainer aptitude (Ausbildereignung), often also the master craftsperson qualification (Meister).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of time outdoors

  €4,350gross per monthMedian salary

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• Tree inspector

  Also: Tree inspection employee at the parks department

  With on-the-job training

  As a tree inspector you regularly check trees for traffic safety for municipalities, housing companies or expert offices, document damage digitally and determine care measures.

  What you bring:

  You know woody plants, roots, fungal infestation and pruning measures and recognize when a tree is sick or weakened.

  How to get there:

  You take a certification course to become a tree inspector, for example following the rules of the Landscape Development and Landscaping Research Society (FLL). It usually takes a few days and ends with an exam. A vocational qualification in a green profession (such as gardening or forestry) and work experience with trees are expected. Municipalities, housing companies and expert offices hire tree inspectors, often combined with tree care tasks.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLittle customer contactLots of time outdoors

  €3,208gross per monthMedian salary

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• Construction manager in landscape gardening

  Also: Master gardener, landscape gardening

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a construction manager or master craftsperson (Meister) you take site measurements, calculate quotes, plan crews and machines and bill customers and clients for the work.

  What you bring:

  You know earthwork, paving, planting and maintenance and how a landscape gardening site runs.

  How to get there:

  Further training as a master gardener (Gärtnermeister), specialization in landscape gardening: full-time at a vocational college (Fachschule) it usually takes about one year, and alongside work it takes longer. It can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are generally admitted with a qualification as a gardener and work experience, and without a qualification only after several years of work experience. Alternatively, the vocational college leads to state-certified technician in landscape gardening (staatlich geprüfter Techniker im Garten- und Landschaftsbau), which takes 2 years full-time.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with peopleLots of time outdoors
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• State-certified horticulture technician

  Also: Specialist advisor in horticulture

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician or specialist advisor you plan crops and production processes, advise farms on plant protection and growing, or work at chambers, research stations and in trade.

  What you bring:

  You know plants, soils, fertilizing and plant protection from daily work.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for horticulture (Fachschule für Gartenbau) takes 2 years full-time, partly also alongside work, and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Access is usually with a qualification as a gardener and at least one year of work experience; the federal state sets the exact rules. For advisory positions at trade companies, manufacturers and chambers, work experience in production is often expected in addition.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hours

  €4,655gross per monthMedian salary

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• Pest controller

  With further training

  As a pest controller you deal with rats, mice, insects or wood pests in businesses, homes and food businesses, plan prevention and document inspections.

  What you bring:

  You know pathogens, plant protection and the safe handling of products and protective equipment from the nursery.

  How to get there:

  You start at a pest control company with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). To use certain biocides independently, for example some rat poisons, you need expertise (Sachkunde) under the Hazardous Substances Ordinance, which you gain in a recognized course with an exam and renew every 6 years through further training. The vocational qualification comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a pest controller (Schädlingsbekämpfer/Schädlingsbekämpferin), which takes 3 years, or, after 4.5 years of work experience, from the external exam (Externenprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) (§ 45 para. 2 BBiG).*Regulated by law (Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV) § 15c and Annex I number 4.4).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,555gross 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.