Career change as a bricklayer

Career change paths

• Field technical advisor, building materials

  Also: Application technician at a building materials manufacturer

  With on-the-job training

  At the manufacturer or in the building materials trade you advise construction companies and planners, demonstrate products on the site and help with complaints.

  What you bring:

  You know from practice which bricks, mortars and plasters are processed how and where things get stuck on construction sites.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the manufacturer or dealer (Einarbeitung) with product training, usually for a few weeks to months. A journeyman certificate and driving license class B are generally expected, and for application technology often also a master or foreman qualification. Look for permanent employment, because as a self-employed sales agent you usually work only on commission.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Caretaker

  Also: Property caretaker at a housing company

  With on-the-job training

  As a caretaker at housing companies, schools or hospitals you keep buildings in good shape and also take care of technology, grounds and winter maintenance (snow clearing).

  What you bring:

  You can lay bricks and plaster, and you can properly repair damage to walls, stairs and outdoor areas.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the employer (Einarbeitung). The journeyman certificate is an advantage, and for heating and electrics, building services courses of a few weeks help. The work is usually less strenuous than in construction, and on-call duty can come on top.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,260gross per monthMedian salary

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• Tower crane operator

  Also: Crane operator on the construction site

  With on-the-job training

  As a crane operator you lift bricks, formwork and prefabricated parts to where the crew needs them and work mainly in the cab or with a radio remote control.

  What you bring:

  You know the routines on the shell construction site, slinging loads and communicating with the crane from practice.

  How to get there:

  You take a crane operator course following DGUV Principle 309-003 at a training provider, for tower cranes usually a few days to two weeks. You also need proof that you are medically fit and written authorization from the company. Construction companies also qualify their own people for it.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLittle customer contact

  €4,153gross per monthMedian salary

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• Certified site foreman

  Also: Master bricklayer and concrete builder

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a site foreman (Polier) or master craftsperson (Meister) you assign the people, ensure deadlines, quality and occupational safety and coordinate with the site management.

  What you bring:

  You know shell construction routines, read plans and know how crew, material and crane work together.

  How to get there:

  You can take further training to become a works foreman (Werkpolier) and certified site foreman (Geprüfter Polier) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or a training center of the construction industry, possible alongside work. Alternatively, you can take the master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the bricklayer and concrete builder trade, which takes about one year full-time and 2 to 3 years alongside work. Foreman and master further training can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted to the master exam with the journeyman certificate (Gesellenbrief); for the foreman exam you additionally need work experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Little customer contactLots of time outdoors

  €5,136gross per monthMedian salary

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• State-certified construction technician

  Also: Building energy consultant

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a construction technician you prepare measurements and tenders, calculate costs and supervise the work; as an energy consultant you assess buildings for renovation.

  What you bring:

  You know from practice how masonry, concrete and insulation are carried out and where mistakes arise on the site.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for construction technology (Fachschule für Bautechnik) 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. With a master or technician qualification, further training to become a building energy consultant is also possible.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours

  €5,500gross per monthMedian salary

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• Occupational safety specialist

  Also: Safety specialist in construction

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an occupational safety specialist you advise construction companies, walk the sites, assess hazards and train the employees.

  What you bring:

  You know the dangers on the construction site from your own experience, from fall edges to scaffolding to crane work.

  How to get there:

  The requirement is generally the master craftsperson exam or a technician qualification followed by work experience. After that comes the training as an occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit) at a statutory accident insurance fund (Berufsgenossenschaft), for example BG BAU. It runs alongside work in several stages, with in-person and self-study phases.*Regulated by law (Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) § 7, DGUV Regulation 2 § 4).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,948gross per monthMedian salary

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• Building expert

  Also: Claims adjuster in field service for a building insurer

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an expert or claims adjuster you assess damage on site, estimate the effort of renovation and write expert reports and damage reports.

  What you bring:

  You recognize cracks, moisture damage and execution errors in masonry and know how they are properly fixed.

  How to get there:

  This usually follows the master craftsperson exam or a technician qualification and several years of work experience. Chambers of crafts and training providers offer courses for building experts alongside work. Insurers give new adjusters on-the-job training themselves (Einarbeitung). To become publicly appointed and sworn, the chamber must first check your special expertise.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people
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• Instructor at an inter-company training center of the construction industry

  Also: Training master in the bricklaying trade

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an instructor you show trainees in the workshop and on the training site how it is done properly and prepare them for the exam.

  What you bring:

  You are skilled in masonry, formwork and concrete work in practice and can demonstrate techniques well.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the bricklayer and concrete builder 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). At training businesses in the construction industry, under the Vocational Training Act, a journeyman certificate, work experience and the trainer aptitude exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) are also enough. Full-time instructor jobs exist mainly at inter-company training centers.*Regulated by law (Crafts Code (HwO) § 22b; Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Trainer Aptitude Ordinance (AEVO)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €5,075gross per monthMedian salary

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• Construction design technician

  With retraining

  As a construction design technician you create plans and digital building models on the computer, for architecture or engineering offices and construction firms.

  What you bring:

  You read floor plans, sections and details every day and know how what is drawn is carried out on the site.

  How to get there:

  Retraining (Umschulung) as a construction design technician (Bautechnischer Konstrukteur/Bautechnische Konstrukteurin, formerly Bauzeichner) usually takes about 2 years and can often be funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). Alternatively, you can do a shortened vocational training in an office; the regular training takes 3 years. The work is physically much lighter, but you need to enjoy working at a screen.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €4,947gross 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.