Career change as a massage therapist
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 4 with on-the-job training and 4 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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Medical device consultant
Also: Field sales representative for therapy and rehabilitation technology
With on-the-job training
As a medical device consultant, you present therapy and rehabilitation devices in practices and clinics, instruct the staff in handling and take feedback on faults and risks.
- What you bring:
- You know therapy devices, treatment tables, aids and the procedures in practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities from daily work.
- How to get there:
- Under medical device law, your medical training meets the expertise requirement for a medical device consultant as soon as the manufacturer has trained you on the respective products. The on-the-job training usually takes a few weeks, and regular product training follows. A driving license and willingness to travel are expected, and sales targets are usually part of it.*Regulated by law (Medical Devices Law Implementation Act (MPDG) § 83).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people€5,550gross per monthMedian salary
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Head of a medicinal spa (Heilbad)
Also: Spa manager
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As head of the therapy or spa area in a thermal spa, a spa resort or hotel, you plan offers and rotas, lead the team, buy supplies and are responsible for quality and profitability.
- What you bring:
- You know massage, heat and water treatments, hygiene rules and dealing with patients and guests from practice.
- How to get there:
- This is usually a promotion after several years in the company, often first as team lead or deputy, with training in staff management and cost calculation. Business knowledge comes from courses in spa and wellness management alongside work at private providers. The positions are concentrated in spa towns and larger hotels.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsPhysically light€3,740gross per monthMedian salary
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Practice manager in a therapy center
Also: Practice manager in a physiotherapy practice
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As a practice manager, you organize appointments, rotas and billing, take care of quality management and purchasing and relieve the practice management.
- What you bring:
- You know prescriptions, appointment planning and the procedures of a therapy practice from registration to billing with the insurance funds.
- How to get there:
- This is usually an internal promotion in larger practices and therapy centers, with training in billing and organization. A recognized qualification comes from the upgrading course for certified senior specialist in health and social services (Geprüfter Fachwirt im Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen, IHK) alongside work, eligible for funding through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With your health profession regulated by federal law, you are admitted after one year of relevant work practice.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office -
Trainer in a health studio
Also: Instructor for rehabilitation sports
With on-the-job training
As a trainer in a health studio or rehabilitation center, you look after people during machine training, lead prevention and rehabilitation sports groups and create training plans.
- What you bring:
- You know anatomy, muscles and complaints of the musculoskeletal system and know how load is dosed.
- How to get there:
- You can start with trainer licenses from private providers or licenses from the sports associations, for example for rehabilitation sports, usually a few weeks to months. Working hours are often in the evening and on weekends.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demandingLots of contact with people€2,910gross per monthMedian salary
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Physiotherapist
With further trainingPromotion
As a physiotherapist, you also take on remedial gymnastics, movement therapy and targeted training and can provide a much wider range of treatments.
- What you bring:
- You already treat patients on a doctor's prescription and know anatomy, findings and manual techniques.
- How to get there:
- As a masseur and medical bath attendant, you can shorten the three-year training on request to 18 months, or to 12 months after at least five years of work. It ends with a state supplementary exam, and the shortened form is also possible part-time. Whether tuition fees apply depends on the federal state and school.*Regulated by law (Masseur and Physiotherapist Act (MPhG) §§ 1, 9, 12).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of contact with people€3,435gross per monthMedian salary
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Alternative practitioner (Heilpraktiker)
With further training
As an alternative practitioner (Heilpraktiker), you may examine and treat independently without a doctor's prescription, for example with manual methods or natural medicine, usually in your own practice.
- What you bring:
- You know anatomy, clinical pictures and manual treatment techniques and work directly with patients every day.
- How to get there:
- The permit requires that you are at least 25 years old, have at least a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss), are reliable and healthy enough and pass the knowledge check at the public health office (Gesundheitsamt) with a written and an oral part. A training is not required, and preparation in courses of one to two years is usual. The alternative practitioner permit limited to physiotherapy is generally open only to physiotherapists, so the general permit is the one that applies to you. Statutory health insurance funds do not usually cover the treatments, and you mostly work self-employed.*Regulated by law (Alternative Practitioners Act (HeilprG) § 1, First Implementing Ordinance to the Alternative Practitioners Act § 2).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people -
Podiatrist (Podologe)
With vocational training
As a podiatrist, you treat feet medically, mainly in people with diabetes, care for calluses, nail changes and pressure points and make nail correction braces and relief pads.
- What you bring:
- You work precisely with your hands, know anatomy, circulation and hygiene and treat patients on prescription.
- How to get there:
- You train at a state-recognized school, 2 years full-time or at most 4 years part-time, ending with a state exam. Admission is with an intermediate school certificate, or with a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) and at least two years of vocational training, which you bring. Whether tuition fees apply depends on the federal state and school.*Regulated by law (Podiatrist Act (PodG) §§ 1, 4, 5).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people -
Registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann)
With vocational training
As a registered nurse, you care for and monitor people in the hospital, in a care home or at home, plan the care and work closely with doctors.
- What you bring:
- You work close to the body with sick, elderly and freshly operated people and know anatomy, clinical pictures and hygiene rules.
- How to get there:
- You complete generalist training, 3 years full-time or at most 5 years part-time, with a training allowance. Admission is with an intermediate school certificate, or with a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) and at least two years of vocational training. Equivalent training can be credited on request, and shift and weekend duties are part of the job.*Regulated by law (Nursing Professions Act (PflBG) §§ 1, 6, 11, 12).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people€4,421gross 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 massage therapist without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Medical device consultant, Head of a medicinal spa (Heilbad), Practice manager in a therapy center and Trainer in a health studio.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a massage therapist?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Physiotherapist, Alternative practitioner (Heilpraktiker), Podiatrist (Podologe) and Registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann).
What promotion options do I have as a massage therapist?
Promotions include, for example: Physiotherapist, Head of a medicinal spa (Heilbad) and Practice manager in a therapy center.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Medical device consultant (€5,550 gross per month), Registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann) (€4,421 gross per month) and Head of a medicinal spa (Heilbad) (€3,740 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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