Career change as a car mechanic
With your experience you can switch to 11 jobs in Germany: 4 with on-the-job training and 7 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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Service advisor at a car dealership
Also: Car salesperson
With on-the-job training
At service reception or in sales you take orders, advise on repairs and vehicles and keep in contact until handover.
- What you bring:
- You can explain technology clearly to customers, assess repairs and know what is feasible in the workshop.
- How to get there:
- You get on-the-job training at the car dealership (Einarbeitung), often as an internal move from the workshop. Chambers, associations and manufacturers offer courses to become a service advisor or car salesperson, usually lasting a few weeks to months and often alongside work.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically lightLots of contact with people€4,200gross per monthMedian salary
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Agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician
Also: Service technician for construction machinery
With on-the-job training
With agricultural and construction machinery the systems are bigger, hydraulics plays a bigger role and you are often out at the customer's.
- What you bring:
- You know engines, hydraulics, electrics and diagnostics on vehicles and work confidently with tools and testers.
- How to get there:
- You get on-the-job training at the specialist company (Einarbeitung), plus manufacturer courses on hydraulics and machine controls; companies also hire automotive mechatronics technicians for this. A qualification of your own comes from a shortened vocational training as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician (Land- und Baumaschinenmechatroniker/Land- und Baumaschinenmechatronikerin).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demanding€3,584gross per monthMedian salary
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Aircraft mechanic
Also: Mechanic in aircraft maintenance
With on-the-job training
In aircraft maintenance even stricter rules apply: every work step is checked and certified.
- What you bring:
- You work exactly to manufacturer specifications, know hydraulics, electrics and diagnostics and document your work carefully.
- How to get there:
- Maintenance companies hire automotive mechatronics technicians and give them several months of training on aircraft technology. English for technical documents and a reliability check for airport access are required. If you later want to release work yourself, you need a license under EU law for aviation personnel (Part-66), which requires modules and years of practice.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€5,464gross per monthMedian salary
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Test mechanic
Also: Mechanic in vehicle testing, Test driver
With on-the-job training
In testing at manufacturers and suppliers you install prototypes and measuring technology, test vehicles on test benches or on the track and document anomalies.
- What you bring:
- You can take vehicles apart, convert them and find faults with diagnostic devices.
- How to get there:
- You get on-the-job training with the manufacturer, supplier or development service provider (Einarbeitung). The journeyman certificate as an automotive mechatronics technician is usually required. For test drives there are additional driver trainings in the company.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€3,527gross per monthMedian salary
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Master motor vehicle technician
Also: Workshop manager, Service manager at a car dealership
With further trainingPromotion
As a workshop manager you plan jobs and staff, take on difficult cases yourself and train new staff.
- What you bring:
- You know diagnosis, repair and workshop routines from daily work and know what customers expect.
- How to get there:
- The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the motor vehicle technician trade 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 workshop or as responsible business manager you need the master qualification or an equivalent entitlement, because the motor vehicle trade requires a license.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
€4,431gross per monthMedian salary
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State-certified technician in vehicle technology
Also: Test technician
With further trainingPromotion
As a technician you work at manufacturers and suppliers in testing, development or technical service.
- What you bring:
- You understand engine, chassis, electrics and diagnostic systems from practice and can narrow down faults systematically.
- How to get there:
- The vocational college for technology (Fachschule für Technik), specialization in vehicle technology or mechanical 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 weekendsLittle customer contact€4,431gross per monthMedian salary
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Motor vehicle expert for damage and valuation
Also: Motor claims adjuster
With further trainingPromotion
As a motor vehicle expert or claims adjuster you assess accident damage and vehicle values and write expert reports for insurers and customers.
- What you bring:
- You quickly recognize on a vehicle which parts are damaged and how it has to be repaired properly.
- How to get there:
- This usually follows the master craftsperson exam, or a technician qualification plus a few years of experience. Chambers and expert associations offer courses to become a motor vehicle expert alongside work, usually lasting a few months. Insurers often hire motor vehicle master craftspeople for claims settlement and give them on-the-job training themselves (Einarbeitung). Main inspections (Hauptuntersuchungen) are a separate, officially regulated area: for that you need a recognition under the Motor Vehicle Experts Act (Kraftfahrsachverständigengesetz), with a master or technician qualification, for example as an inspector with partial authority at a technical inspection body (Technische Prüfstelle).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours€4,431gross per monthMedian salary
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Instructor in the motor vehicle trade
Also: Instructor at an inter-company training facility
With further trainingPromotion
As an instructor you work with trainees in the business or in courses of the chamber and prepare them for the exams.
- What you bring:
- You are skilled in diagnosis and repair in practice and can explain work steps clearly.
- How to get there:
- The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the motor vehicle 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 vehicle knowledge is in demand, for example as a pump operator (Maschinist).
- What you bring:
- You have a technical qualification, know vehicles, engines and tools and work physically and in a team.
- 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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Driving instructor
With further training
As a driving instructor you teach learner drivers safe driving in theory and practice.
- What you bring:
- You know vehicle technology, assistance systems and typical operating mistakes from the workshop and can explain technology clearly.
- How to get there:
- Training at a driving instructor training center takes at least 12 months for class BE, with a practice part at a training driving school. Requirements include a minimum age of 21, a driving license class B held for at least three years and a completed vocational qualification, which you show with the journeyman certificate. Funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) is possible if the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or the Jobcenter approves it.*Regulated by law (Driving Instructors Act (FahrlG) § 2).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€3,977gross per monthMedian salary
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Vehicle fleet manager
Also: Fleet manager
With further trainingPromotion
As a fleet manager at a transport company, haulage firm or municipality you plan the purchase, maintenance and use of the vehicles, manage workshops and service providers and keep an eye on costs and regulations.
- What you bring:
- You know maintenance, inspection deadlines, damage and repair effort of vehicles from the workshop.
- How to get there:
- This usually follows the master craftsperson exam in the motor vehicle technician trade, or a technician qualification plus a few years of experience, often by managing a company's own workshop. Courses in fleet management at chambers and associations take a few days to weeks. Business knowledge is important for these jobs.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€6,004gross 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 a car mechanic without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Service advisor at a car dealership, Agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician, Aircraft mechanic and Test mechanic.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a car mechanic?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Master motor vehicle technician, State-certified technician in vehicle technology, Motor vehicle expert for damage and valuation, Instructor in the motor vehicle trade, Fire officer at a professional fire department, Driving instructor and Vehicle fleet manager.
What promotion options do I have as a car mechanic?
Promotions include, for example: Master motor vehicle technician, State-certified technician in vehicle technology, Motor vehicle expert for damage and valuation, Instructor in the motor vehicle trade and Vehicle fleet manager.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Vehicle fleet manager (€6,004 gross per month), Aircraft mechanic (€5,464 gross per month) and Instructor in the motor vehicle trade (€4,462 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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