Career change as a cellar master

Career change paths

• Landscape gardening employee

  Also: Tree nursery employee

  With on-the-job training

  In landscape gardening or a tree nursery you build gardens and green spaces, care for woody plants and usually have a more even workload across the year.

  What you bring:

  You can prune, plant and care for trees and shrubs and like working outdoors.

  How to get there:

  Landscape gardening and construction companies (GaLaBau) and tree nurseries usually give people from fruit and wine growing on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) right away, and experience with pruning and machinery is an advantage. For a qualification of your own, you can do vocational training (Ausbildung) as a gardener (Gärtner/Gärtnerin), often shortened with previous experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of time outdoors

  €3,208gross per monthMedian salary

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• Specialist advisor in agricultural trade

  Also: Field sales representative for plant protection and fertilizers

  With on-the-job training

  In agricultural trade or at a manufacturer you advise farms on plant protection, fertilizer and needs and take orders.

  What you bring:

  You know what problems fruit and wine growing farms have with pests, fertilizing and technology.

  How to get there:

  Agricultural dealers and manufacturers give practitioners product courses over a few weeks to months as on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You need the plant protection expertise certificate (Sachkundenachweis Pflanzenschutz) for advising, and you already have it if you have applied plant protection products yourself in growing. A driving license class B is almost always expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Quality inspector for fruit and vegetables

  Also: Incoming goods inspector, fruit trade

  With on-the-job training

  In wholesale, at producer organizations or cold stores you check deliveries against trade standards, document defects and release goods, usually indoors instead of in the field.

  What you bring:

  You recognize ripeness, variety authenticity and damage on fruit at a glance.

  How to get there:

  Wholesalers and producer organizations give people from fruit growing a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in standards and testing procedures. Professional associations and inspection bodies offer courses on marketing standards.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Little customer contact

  €3,565gross per monthMedian salary

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• Caretaker with green space care

  Also: Property caretaker

  With on-the-job training

  As a caretaker at housing companies, schools or businesses you keep buildings and grounds in good shape, with regular working hours instead of harvest season.

  What you bring:

  You can care for green spaces and woody plants, operate machines and do small repairs yourself.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the employer (Einarbeitung). For heating and electrics, building services courses of a few weeks help. Winter maintenance (snow clearing) and on-call duty can come on top.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demanding

  €3,250gross per monthMedian salary

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• Buyer of fruit and vegetables in wholesale

  Also: Wine buyer

  With on-the-job training

  In wholesale or food retail you buy fruit or wine from farms and cooperatives, negotiate quantities and qualities and plan the season.

  What you bring:

  You know growing regions, varieties, harvest progress and qualities and can judge what a grower can deliver.

  How to get there:

  Trading companies give specialists from growing a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in purchasing, costing and merchandise management. You can add basic business knowledge in courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or training providers.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Pharma production worker

  Also: Pharmaceutical production operator, Chemical plant operator

  With on-the-job training

  In pharmaceutical and chemical production, exactly this care and working to fixed regulations is in demand.

  What you bring:

  You work under strict hygiene rules, document batches and operate mixing, filling or packaging plants.

  How to get there:

  You can start as a production worker with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) and training in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Shift work is usual. A qualification comes from retraining (Umschulung) as a pharmaceutical production operator (Pharmakant/in) or chemical plant operator (Chemikant/in), which usually takes a good 2 years and is often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,942gross per monthMedian salary

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• Farm manager in fruit growing

  Also: Master winegrower

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a farm manager or master craftsperson (Meister) you plan the growing and the seasonal workers, take charge of machinery and marketing, and run a farm or part of one.

  What you bring:

  You know the growing, pruning, plant protection and harvest of fruit, grapes or hops through the whole year.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) as a master gardener (Gärtnermeister) specializing in fruit growing or as a master winegrower (Winzermeister) usually takes 1 to 2 years alongside work, through vocational colleges and the responsible body, and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with a vocational qualification and at least two years of work experience, or with at least five years of work experience in horticulture or viticulture.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsPhysically demandingLots of time outdoors
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• Technician for viticulture and oenology

  Also: Fruit growing advisor

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician or advisor you support farms with growing, plant protection and quality, or you work in research stations and wineries.

  What you bring:

  You know varieties, soils, diseases and harvest times from practice and can interpret what you observe in the crop.

  How to get there:

  You take further training to become a state-certified technician (staatlich geprüfter Techniker) at a vocational college (Fachschule) for viticulture, fruit growing or horticulture. It usually takes 2 years full-time and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). It is offered only at a few locations, mostly in the growing regions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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• Agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician

  Also: Service technician for agricultural technology

  With retraining

  In an agricultural technology workshop you service and repair machines for fruit, wine and arable farming and, when there are breakdowns, you are also out on the farms.

  What you bring:

  You know tractors, sprayers, harvesters and irrigation and repair a lot yourself.

  How to get there:

  You can do vocational training (Ausbildung) or retrain (Umschulung) as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician (Land- und Baumaschinenmechatroniker/Land- und Baumaschinenmechatronikerin). Retraining usually takes a good 2 years. Workplaces include agricultural technology workshops, and with previous experience some companies first hire you as a helper.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,584gross per monthMedian salary

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• Shift leader in food production

  Also: Certified industrial foreman (Industriemeister) in food

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a shift leader or industrial foreman (Industriemeister), you plan staff and production, ensure quality and hygiene and train new colleagues.

  What you bring:

  You know plants, recipes, hygiene regulations and shift operation in food production first-hand.

  How to get there:

  Upgrading course to become a certified industrial foreman in the field of food (Geprüfte/r Industriemeister/in Fachrichtung Lebensmittel, IHK). It usually takes about 2 years part-time alongside work and is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with a qualification in a food occupation, with another qualification after one year of practice, or without a qualification after 4 years of work experience. For the second part of the exam, another year of practice is added in each case.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,102gross per monthMedian salary

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• Food technician

  Also: Technician in product development

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a food technician, you work in quality assurance, production planning or product development.

  What you bring:

  You understand how plants, raw materials and recipes work together and what can go wrong with hygiene and quality.

  How to get there:

  Study food technology at a technical college (Fachschule für Lebensmitteltechnik): 2 years full-time or about 4 years part-time alongside work. It is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You usually need a relevant vocational training, for example as a food technology specialist (Fachkraft für Lebensmitteltechnik), and at least one year of practice. Without training, some states admit you only after several years of relevant work, and each federal state sets the exact rules.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLittle customer contact

  €4,327gross per monthMedian salary

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• Food inspector

  With further trainingPromotion

  In official food control, you inspect businesses, take samples and make sure violations are corrected.

  What you bring:

  You know hygiene regulations, self-checks and typical weak points in food businesses from practice.

  How to get there:

  First you need a further training exam in a food occupation, for example as a certified industrial foreman in food (Industriemeister/in Lebensmittel), or a qualification as a state-certified technician (staatlich geprüfte/r Techniker/in) in a food occupation. Without a vocational qualification, you reach the foreman level only after several years of practice. After that comes a course of at least 24 months in food control. The jobs are usually advertised by districts and cities, and altogether this is a path of several years.*Regulated by law (Food Inspector Ordinance (LKonV) §§ 2, 3).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekends

  €3,908gross per monthMedian salary

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• Warehouse logistics specialist

  Also: Warehouse specialist

  With retraining

  In the warehouse, you take care of goods receipt, storage, picking and shipping, often in a chilled or frozen warehouse.

  What you bring:

  You know raw materials, batches, best-before dates and the rules for chilled goods from production.

  How to get there:

  Retraining (Umschulung) as a warehouse specialist (Fachlagerist/in) usually takes about 16 months, and as a warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik) usually 2 years. Both are often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). The forklift license is usually included.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,235gross per monthMedian salary

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• Sewage treatment plant worker

  Also: Waterworks operator

  With retraining

  At sewage treatment plants and in waterworks, you control and maintain treatment, take samples and respond to fault messages.

  What you bring:

  You monitor plants, pumps and measured values, know cleaning processes and work carefully to plan.

  How to get there:

  The way in is vocational training (Ausbildung) or retraining (Umschulung) as an environmental technologist for wastewater management or for water supply (Umwelttechnologe/Umwelttechnologin für Abwasserbewirtschaftung oder für Wasserversorgung; formerly Fachkraft für Abwassertechnik or Wasserversorgungstechnik). Training takes 3 years and retraining usually about 2 years, and it is often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). Municipalities and special-purpose associations sometimes also hire technically experienced people with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) and courses run by industry associations. On-call duty is usual.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €4,070gross per monthMedian salary

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• Baker

  With retrainingPromotion

  As a baker, you make bread, rolls and fine pastries yourself, control dough handling and the baking process and take on responsible tasks in the trade and industry.

  What you bring:

  If you work in a large bakery, you know doughs, proofing times, ovens and hygiene rules from working at the plants.

  How to get there:

  Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a baker (Bäcker/in) takes 3 years, or you can do retraining (Umschulung). Funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) is possible if the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter approves it. With 4.5 years of relevant practice, you can also be admitted to the journeyman exam (Gesellenprüfung) without training (§ 37 para. 2 HwO), and the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) decides whether your work is recognized. The working day usually starts very early in the morning.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding

  €3,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Dairy technologist

  With retrainingPromotion

  As a dairy technologist, you control the production of cheese, yogurt, butter or milk powder, monitor processes and quality and take care of plants and documentation.

  What you bring:

  If you operate plants at a dairy, you know hygiene, cleaning, temperatures and the processes of milk processing.

  How to get there:

  Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a dairy technologist (Milchtechnologe/Milchtechnologin) takes 3 years, and you can also do it as retraining (Umschulung). After 4.5 years of relevant practice at the dairy, the final exam is also possible without training (§ 45 para. 2 BBiG), and the responsible body decides whether your work is recognized. Later the upgrading course to become a dairy master craftsperson (Molkereimeister/in) is possible.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,611gross 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.