Career change as a miller
With your experience you can switch to 11 jobs in Germany: 2 with on-the-job training and 9 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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Food quality inspector
Also: Quality assurance specialist
With on-the-job training
In quality assurance, you take samples, test and taste them and document the results.
- What you bring:
- You know the products of your line, see deviations in color, consistency or weight immediately and know when a batch is wrong.
- How to get there:
- You move within the company with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often after some years in production. Training on hygiene, HACCP and sampling usually takes a few days. For laboratory work, training as a food technology specialist (Fachkraft für Lebensmitteltechnik) or laboratory experience is often expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsLittle customer contact€3,565gross per monthMedian salary
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Pharma production worker
Also: Pharmaceutical production operator, Chemical plant operator
With on-the-job training
In pharmaceutical and chemical production, exactly this care and working to fixed regulations is in demand.
- What you bring:
- You work under strict hygiene rules, document batches and operate mixing, filling or packaging plants.
- How to get there:
- You can start as a production worker with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) and training in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Shift work is usual. A qualification comes from retraining (Umschulung) as a pharmaceutical production operator (Pharmakant/in) or chemical plant operator (Chemikant/in), which usually takes a good 2 years and is often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workLittle customer contact€4,942gross per monthMedian salary
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Shift leader in food production
Also: Certified industrial foreman (Industriemeister) in food
With further trainingPromotion
As a shift leader or industrial foreman (Industriemeister), you plan staff and production, ensure quality and hygiene and train new colleagues.
- What you bring:
- You know plants, recipes, hygiene regulations and shift operation in food production first-hand.
- How to get there:
- Upgrading course to become a certified industrial foreman in the field of food (Geprüfte/r Industriemeister/in Fachrichtung Lebensmittel, IHK). It usually takes about 2 years part-time alongside work and is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with a qualification in a food occupation, with another qualification after one year of practice, or without a qualification after 4 years of work experience. For the second part of the exam, another year of practice is added in each case.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workLittle customer contact€4,102gross per monthMedian salary
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Food technician
Also: Technician in product development
With further trainingPromotion
As a food technician, you work in quality assurance, production planning or product development.
- What you bring:
- You understand how plants, raw materials and recipes work together and what can go wrong with hygiene and quality.
- How to get there:
- Study food technology at a technical college (Fachschule für Lebensmitteltechnik): 2 years full-time or about 4 years part-time alongside work. It is eligible for Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You usually need a relevant vocational training, for example as a food technology specialist (Fachkraft für Lebensmitteltechnik), and at least one year of practice. Without training, some states admit you only after several years of relevant work, and each federal state sets the exact rules.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsLittle customer contact€4,327gross per monthMedian salary
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Food inspector
With further trainingPromotion
In official food control, you inspect businesses, take samples and make sure violations are corrected.
- What you bring:
- You know hygiene regulations, self-checks and typical weak points in food businesses from practice.
- How to get there:
- First you need a further training exam in a food occupation, for example as a certified industrial foreman in food (Industriemeister/in Lebensmittel), or a qualification as a state-certified technician (staatlich geprüfte/r Techniker/in) in a food occupation. Without a vocational qualification, you reach the foreman level only after several years of practice. After that comes a course of at least 24 months in food control. The jobs are usually advertised by districts and cities, and altogether this is a path of several years.*Regulated by law (Food Inspector Ordinance (LKonV) §§ 2, 3).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekends€3,908gross per monthMedian salary
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Industrial mechanic
Also: Maintenance technician
With retrainingPromotion
In maintenance, you service and repair the machines yourself and keep production running.
- What you bring:
- You know your plants exactly, fix small faults and know which parts wear often.
- How to get there:
- Retraining (Umschulung) as an industrial mechanic (Industriemechaniker) usually takes a good 2 years and is often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). Food companies look for maintenance technicians who already know the hygiene rules in the production area.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€4,205gross per monthMedian salary
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Warehouse logistics specialist
Also: Warehouse specialist
With retraining
In the warehouse, you take care of goods receipt, storage, picking and shipping, often in a chilled or frozen warehouse.
- What you bring:
- You know raw materials, batches, best-before dates and the rules for chilled goods from production.
- How to get there:
- Retraining (Umschulung) as a warehouse specialist (Fachlagerist/in) usually takes about 16 months, and as a warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik) usually 2 years. Both are often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). The forklift license is usually included.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€3,235gross per monthMedian salary
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Sewage treatment plant worker
Also: Waterworks operator
With retraining
At sewage treatment plants and in waterworks, you control and maintain treatment, take samples and respond to fault messages.
- What you bring:
- You monitor plants, pumps and measured values, know cleaning processes and work carefully to plan.
- How to get there:
- The way in is vocational training (Ausbildung) or retraining (Umschulung) as an environmental technologist for wastewater management or for water supply (Umwelttechnologe/Umwelttechnologin für Abwasserbewirtschaftung oder für Wasserversorgung; formerly Fachkraft für Abwassertechnik or Wasserversorgungstechnik). Training takes 3 years and retraining usually about 2 years, and it is often eligible for funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). Municipalities and special-purpose associations sometimes also hire technically experienced people with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) and courses run by industry associations. On-call duty is usual.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact€4,070gross per monthMedian salary
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Baker
With retrainingPromotion
As a baker, you make bread, rolls and fine pastries yourself, control dough handling and the baking process and take on responsible tasks in the trade and industry.
- What you bring:
- If you work in a large bakery, you know doughs, proofing times, ovens and hygiene rules from working at the plants.
- How to get there:
- Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a baker (Bäcker/in) takes 3 years, or you can do retraining (Umschulung). Funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) is possible if the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter approves it. With 4.5 years of relevant practice, you can also be admitted to the journeyman exam (Gesellenprüfung) without training (§ 37 para. 2 HwO), and the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) decides whether your work is recognized. The working day usually starts very early in the morning.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding€3,200gross per monthMedian salary
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Dairy technologist
With retrainingPromotion
As a dairy technologist, you control the production of cheese, yogurt, butter or milk powder, monitor processes and quality and take care of plants and documentation.
- What you bring:
- If you operate plants at a dairy, you know hygiene, cleaning, temperatures and the processes of milk processing.
- How to get there:
- Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a dairy technologist (Milchtechnologe/Milchtechnologin) takes 3 years, and you can also do it as retraining (Umschulung). After 4.5 years of relevant practice at the dairy, the final exam is also possible without training (§ 45 para. 2 BBiG), and the responsible body decides whether your work is recognized. Later the upgrading course to become a dairy master craftsperson (Molkereimeister/in) is possible.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Shift workLittle customer contact€4,611gross per monthMedian salary
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Kitchen specialist
Also: Cook in institutional catering
With retraining
In canteens, hospitals, school and central kitchens you prepare and cook food, year-round and often with working hours during the day.
- What you bring:
- You process large quantities of fruit and vegetables, work to fixed recipes and know hygiene rules and cold chains.
- How to get there:
- Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a kitchen specialist (Fachkraft Küche) takes 2 years, and as a cook (Koch/Köchin) 3 years. Both also exist as shortened retraining (Umschulung), which the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or the Jobcenter can fund if the requirements are met. Large kitchens also hire kitchen staff and give them on-the-job training; they can later earn the qualification after several years of work experience through the external exam (Externenprüfung).*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demanding€3,058gross 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 miller without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Food quality inspector and Pharma production worker.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a miller?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Shift leader in food production, Food technician, Food inspector, Industrial mechanic, Warehouse logistics specialist, Sewage treatment plant worker, Baker, Dairy technologist and Kitchen specialist.
What promotion options do I have as a miller?
Promotions include, for example: Shift leader in food production, Food technician, Food inspector, Industrial mechanic, Baker and Dairy technologist.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Pharma production worker (€4,942 gross per month), Dairy technologist (€4,611 gross per month) and Food technician (€4,327 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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