Career change as an art teacher

Career change paths

• Graphic designer

  Also: Illustrator

  With on-the-job training

  As a graphic designer or illustrator, you design printed matter, logos, illustrations and digital media for agencies, publishers or companies.

  What you bring:

  You have a trained eye for shape, color and composition and work confidently in design.

  How to get there:

  A portfolio of your work is decisive. Courses for graphics software such as InDesign or Illustrator take a few weeks. You can work freelance, and permanent positions exist mainly in agencies and companies.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,000gross per monthMedian salary

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• Art educator at a museum

  Also: Employee in museum education

  With on-the-job training

  In museums, galleries and art associations, you guide visitors, design workshops for school classes and develop education programs.

  What you bring:

  You can explain art, lead groups and run creative workshops.

  How to get there:

  Museums train art educators on the job and often employ them on a freelance basis. Permanent positions in museum education usually require a degree and experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people
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• Head of a youth art school

  Also: Department head at an adult education center (Volkshochschule)

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As head of an art school or youth art school, or as department head at an adult education center, you plan the program and budget, recruit teachers and apply for funding.

  What you bring:

  You know course planning, participants and lecturers from your own teaching.

  How to get there:

  Such positions are advertised and often filled with experienced teachers from the same institution. Part-time further training in cultural or education management, lasting a few months, helps.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,151gross per monthMedian salary

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• Course leader for dance and fitness

  Also: Pilates trainer

  With on-the-job training

  In fitness studios, sports clubs or health centers, you lead courses such as Pilates, dance fitness or back training.

  What you bring:

  Especially from dance and movement, you bring body awareness, musicality and experience with groups.

  How to get there:

  Studios and clubs usually require a trainer license, which you can gain in courses lasting a few days to a few weeks. For prevention courses that health insurance funds subsidize, additional requirements apply to your basic qualification.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demandingLots of contact with people

  €2,910gross per monthMedian salary

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• Cultural project coordinator

  Also: Event planner

  With on-the-job training

  At cultural offices, festivals, agencies or clubs, you plan events and projects and look after funding applications.

  What you bring:

  You have organized exhibitions, performances or courses and know how to bring artists, rooms and audiences together.

  How to get there:

  Cultural organizations and agencies train you on the job in organization and billing, and part-time further training in cultural management lasting a few months helps. Evening and weekend work is often part of the job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically light

  €4,165gross per monthMedian salary

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• In-company trainer

  Also: Learning and development specialist

  With on-the-job training

  In companies or at training providers, you plan training sessions, develop learning programs and support employees in their development.

  What you bring:

  You can structure content well, lead groups and assess learning progress.

  How to get there:

  Companies and education providers also hire teachers and train them on the job in adult education and HR development, and a trainer or coaching certificate can help you get started. If you are a civil servant (verbeamtet), first clarify what leaving the civil service means for your pension.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €4,462gross per monthMedian salary

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• E-learning author

  Also: Instructional designer

  With on-the-job training

  As an e-learning author or instructional designer, you develop digital courses, learning videos and training programs for companies, publishers or education providers.

  What you bring:

  You know how to prepare learning material, set tasks and check learning results.

  How to get there:

  Companies and agencies train teachers on authoring tools and learning platforms. Courses on these usually take a few days to a few weeks. Some positions allow working from home.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,254gross per monthMedian salary

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• Specialist advisor in school supervision

  Also: Policy advisor at a state institute for school quality

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  In school supervision, a school office or a state institute, you advise schools, help develop curricula and further training, and support quality development.

  What you bring:

  You know teaching, curricula and school development from many years of practice.

  How to get there:

  Such positions are usually advertised internally for experienced teachers, often first as a secondment. The school administration of your state makes the selection. You then teach little or not at all.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €7,050gross per monthMedian salary

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• Career advisor

  Also: Study advisor

  With on-the-job training

  As a career or study advisor at the Federal Employment Agency or a university, you advise young people and adults on decisions about training, study and career.

  What you bring:

  You have supported young people in choosing a career and know school qualifications, training paths and degree programs.

  How to get there:

  The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) also hires university graduates with counseling experience as career changers and qualifies them in-house for career guidance. Universities usually advertise positions in study counseling publicly.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,521gross per monthMedian salary

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• Museum educator

  Also: Education officer at a memorial site

  With on-the-job training

  In museums, memorial sites or science centers, you develop tours, workshops and materials for schools and families.

  What you bring:

  You can present content to school classes and groups in a lively way and know the curricula exactly.

  How to get there:

  Museums and memorial sites often hire teachers with a suitable subject, such as history, art or biology, or first commission them on a freelance basis. When you apply, ask whether the position is fixed-term.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people
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• Editor at an education publisher

  Also: Textbook editor (Lektor)

  With on-the-job training

  At an education publisher, you plan textbooks and digital learning media, support author teams and check that the content matches the curricula.

  What you bring:

  You know from teaching which tasks, texts and materials work and which do not.

  How to get there:

  Education publishers hire teachers directly as editors, sometimes after a traineeship (Volontariat). First experience as a textbook author helps with your application.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,237gross per monthMedian salary

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• Art therapist

  Also: Dance therapist

  With further training

  As an art or dance therapist, you work with people in crisis or with illnesses in clinics, rehabilitation facilities or social facilities.

  What you bring:

  You know how painting, creating or movement can help people express themselves.

  How to get there:

  Recognized further training at professional associations or a part-time master's degree takes several years; the exact duration depends on the provider. The title is not protected, but clinics look for recognized qualifications. There are also part-time positions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLots of contact with people
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• Teacher of German as a second language

  Also: Teacher in integration courses

  With further training

  As a teacher of German as a second language, you teach immigrants in integration and vocational language courses.

  What you bring:

  You are confident in teaching adults and can handle mixed groups.

  How to get there:

  For integration courses, you need approval from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge), which among other things requires German at level C1. Without a degree in German as a foreign or second language, the Federal Office may require an additional qualification of 140 lessons, which requires a university degree or a language-related vocational qualification. Some teachers work on a freelance basis.*Regulated by law (Integration Course Ordinance (IntV) § 15(1)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €3,890gross 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.