Career change as a mechatronics technician

Career change paths

• Commissioning technician

  Also: Maintenance technician

  With on-the-job training

  As a commissioning technician you commission machines and systems at the customer's, set up drives and controls and train the operating staff; in maintenance you keep production systems running.

  What you bring:

  You know drives, motors, sensors and control cabinets and proceed systematically when there are faults.

  How to get there:

  Machine and plant builders give qualified electricians (Elektrofachkräfte) a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in their systems and controls; you can add knowledge of programmable logic controllers through courses of a few weeks. Commissioning often means travel, also abroad, so English skills are needed. In maintenance you usually work in shifts at a fixed location.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demanding

  €4,191gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Electronics technician for energy and building technology

  Also: Service technician for charging infrastructure

  With on-the-job training

  At an electrical business you install and test charging stations, photovoltaic and storage systems or building installations and take over maintenance and fault service.

  What you bring:

  You work confidently with three-phase current, protective measures and measuring devices and know motors and controls.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at the specialist company (Einarbeitung), usually a few months, to learn installation standards and testing under VDE. Manufacturer courses for inverters, storage and charging technology usually take a few days. Anyone who wants to advance in the crafts can later take the master craftsperson exam in the electrical technician trade.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,675gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Technical sales representative, drive technology

  Also: Application technician for electric motors and frequency converters

  With on-the-job training

  At the manufacturer or dealer you advise industrial and craft customers, lay out drives, prepare offers and help with technical questions and complaints.

  What you bring:

  You know from the workshop which motors, gearboxes and frequency converters suit which application and why drives fail.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the manufacturer or distributor (Einarbeitung), often first in inside sales, usually with a few weeks to months of product training. English is sometimes expected, and further training as a technician or an additional business qualification improves your chances.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Robot programmer

  Also: Robotics commissioning technician

  With on-the-job training

  In automation you program industrial robots, set up robot cells, optimize processes and fix faults.

  What you bring:

  You understand mechanics, drives and pneumatics of systems and can look for faults systematically.

  How to get there:

  You take programming courses from the robot manufacturers or training providers, usually a few days to weeks per control system, plus on-the-job training on the systems in the company or at the plant builder (Einarbeitung). Basic knowledge of electrical and control technology is needed. As a commissioning technician you are often on installation at customers.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €5,237gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Technical sales representative

  Also: Application engineer in sales

  With on-the-job training

  In technical sales, you advise customers, clarify requirements, prepare offers with the engineering department and support projects up to delivery.

  What you bring:

  You can explain technical solutions in an understandable way and know what customers in mechanical engineering care about in terms of performance, maintenance and service life.

  How to get there:

  Manufacturers and dealers train technicians with product and sales training over a few months. A confident manner, willingness to travel and often good English are in demand. A class B driving license is usually required.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Expert for machines and plants

  Also: Claims adjuster in technical insurance

  With on-the-job training

  As an expert or claims adjuster, you assess machine damage for insurers, leasing companies or courts, evaluate repair options and residual values and write expert reports.

  What you bring:

  You can tell wear, operating errors and design defects on machines apart and describe technical connections objectively.

  How to get there:

  Expert offices and insurers train technicians with work experience themselves, often supplemented by courses of a few weeks at training providers or expert associations. You only become publicly appointed and sworn in after several years of practice, and the chamber decides after checking your special expertise.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hours

  €6,614gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Technical buyer

  Also: Supplier manager

  With on-the-job training

  As a technical buyer, you obtain offers, compare suppliers, negotiate terms and clarify technical questions with design and quality assurance.

  What you bring:

  You read drawings, tolerances and material specifications and can judge whether a supplied part fits technically.

  How to get there:

  Industrial companies usually train technicians in purchasing over a few months. You can add business basics in courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or training providers. Later, a business upgrading course at the IHK is an option, for example in purchasing and logistics.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €5,204gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Technical facility manager

  Also: Head of building services

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a technical facility manager, you manage building services, maintenance contractors and inspection deadlines for large buildings such as office complexes, clinics or shopping centers.

  What you bring:

  You understand systems such as ventilation, heating, elevators or compressed air technically and can plan maintenance and upkeep.

  How to get there:

  Facility management service providers and large real estate companies hire technicians with maintenance experience and train them in building services and operator duties. Training providers offer courses on building services and operator responsibility alongside work in a few weeks.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically light
  View job

• Certified industrial foreman, electrical engineering

  Also: Master electrical machine builder

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master craftsperson (Meister) you lead a workshop or maintenance group, plan jobs and staff, train new staff and are responsible for quality and occupational safety.

  What you bring:

  You know motors, generators, drives and controls and find faults in electrical and mechanical systems.

  How to get there:

  You take further training as a certified industrial foreman, specialization electrical engineering (Geprüfter Industriemeister Fachrichtung Elektrotechnik), at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), usually about 2 years alongside work, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a qualification in an electrical trade you are admitted directly to the first exam part, and to the second after another year of work experience. In the crafts, the master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) in the electrical machine builder trade (Elektromaschinenbauer-Handwerk) is the corresponding path.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €5,364gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• State-certified electrical engineering technician

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician you plan and engineer drives and systems, create circuit diagrams and programs, commission systems or look after maintenance.

  What you bring:

  You understand electrical machines, drives, frequency converters and controls from practice.

  How to get there:

  The vocational college for technology (Fachschule für Technik), specialization in electrical engineering, for example with a focus on energy or automation technology, 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 qualification in an electrical trade and at least one year of work experience; the federal state sets the exact rules.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLittle customer contact

  €5,301gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Service technician for heat pumps

  Also: Service technician for refrigeration and air conditioning systems

  With further training

  As a service technician you commission heat pumps and air conditioners, service them, look for faults in the electrics and refrigerant circuit and replace components.

  What you bring:

  You know compressor motors, fans, pumps, frequency converters and controls and so a large part of the technology in heat pumps and air conditioners.

  How to get there:

  For work on the refrigerant circuit with fluorinated refrigerants you need an expertise certificate (Sachkundebescheinigung): a course with a theoretical and practical exam, usually a few days to two weeks. The requirement is a technical or trade vocational qualification that fits the work, which the examining body assesses. After that you get on-the-job training at the specialist company or the manufacturer (Einarbeitung). A qualification of your own comes from a shortened vocational training as a refrigeration mechatronics technician (Mechatroniker/Mechatronikerin für Kältetechnik).*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) 2024/573 Art. 10, Chemicals Climate Protection Ordinance (ChemKlimaschutzV) § 6).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,992gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Instructor for electrical trades

  Also: Instructor in a training workshop

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an instructor you work with trainees in the training workshop and the company, plan exercises and projects and prepare them for their exams.

  What you bring:

  You know electrical engineering and mechanics from practice and can demonstrate and explain circuits, measurements and assembly work well.

  How to get there:

  Under the Vocational Training Act you need your vocational qualification, work experience and the trainer aptitude exam (Ausbildereignungsprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The course for it takes a few weeks, also alongside work. In the crafts, the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) generally requires the master craftsperson exam for trainers. Full-time jobs exist mainly in large companies and training centers.*Regulated by law (Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Trainer Aptitude Ordinance (AEVO); Crafts Code (HwO) § 22b).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLittle customer contact

  €4,462gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Occupational safety specialist

  Also: Safety supervisor

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an occupational safety specialist you advise the company, assess hazards, investigate accidents and train employees.

  What you bring:

  You know hazards at machines, in maintenance and installation from your own experience and know how protective devices work.

  How to get there:

  The requirement is generally the master craftsperson exam, for example as a certified industrial foreman (Industriemeister), 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). 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 weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €4,948gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Power plant operator

  Also: Plant operator in a combined heat and power plant

  With further training

  As a power plant operator you monitor systems in heating, waste-to-energy or industrial power plants, run them from the control room and take care of faults on site.

  What you bring:

  You know pumps, fittings, pipelines and drives from maintenance and can narrow down faults systematically.

  How to get there:

  You start with on-the-job training in shift work (Einarbeitung), plus the further training as a certified power plant operator (Geprüfter Kraftwerker) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or a power plant school, which takes about one to two years alongside work. A qualification in a metal or electrical trade and work experience are usually required. Rotating shifts with night and weekend work are the rule.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLittle customer contact

  €5,720gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

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.