Career change as a pizza maker

Career change paths

• Shift leader in a fast food restaurant

  Also: Team leader in system catering

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a shift leader, you assign the crew, ensure speed and quality, take care of the cash register, stock and complaints and are responsible when the restaurant management is absent.

  What you bring:

  You know all the stations of kitchen, counter and drive-through, keep to hygiene and time targets and work under pressure in a team.

  How to get there:

  This is an internal advancement after a few months to a year, with in-house training in leadership, hygiene and cash register accounting. Large chains have their own training programs for this. Reliability and good German skills are usually decisive.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,497gross per monthMedian salary

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• Food production worker

  Also: Machine and plant operator in food technology

  With on-the-job training

  In the food industry, you operate and monitor plants, for example in bakeries, dairies or ready-meal companies, check products and document quality.

  What you bring:

  You keep to hygiene rules and recipes exactly and work quickly and focused in shift operation.

  How to get there:

  You can start as a production worker with a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Shift work is usual. A qualification comes later from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a food technology specialist (Fachkraft für Lebensmitteltechnik) or machine and plant operator (Maschinen- und Anlagenführer/in), also as retraining (Umschulung) or, after several years of practice, through the external exam (Externenprüfung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €2,982gross per monthMedian salary

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• Nursing assistant

  Also: Qualified nursing assistant (Pflegefachassistent)

  With on-the-job training

  In nursing assistance, you support older or sick people with washing, dressing and eating and work closely with the qualified nurses.

  What you bring:

  You work physically, stay friendly in hectic situations and keep to hygiene rules.

  How to get there:

  You can start as a nursing assistant after a basic nursing course (Pflegebasiskurs) of a few weeks. For a qualification, you can do vocational training (Ausbildung) as a nursing assistant (Pflegefachassistentin/Pflegefachassistent). From 2027 this training is uniform nationwide and takes 18 months full-time, with training pay. Later it can be credited towards the training as a registered nurse.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,296gross per monthMedian salary

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• Fresh counter salesperson

  Also: Specialist salesperson in the food trade

  With on-the-job training

  At the service counter of a supermarket or in a bakery, you advise customers, portion and present goods and watch freshness and cooling.

  What you bring:

  You handle food and hygiene rules confidently, work quickly at the cash register and stay friendly with lots of customers.

  How to get there:

  You can start with a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often with in-house training for meat and cheese counters. A qualification comes from vocational training (Ausbildung) as a salesperson (Verkäufer/in; 2 years) or specialist salesperson in the food trade (Fachverkäufer/in im Lebensmittelhandwerk; 3 years). You can also get it through the external exam (Externenprüfung) after several years of practice.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,000gross per monthMedian salary

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• Restaurant manager in system catering

  Also: Deputy restaurant manager

  With further trainingPromotion

  As restaurant manager, you are responsible for staff planning, hiring, hygiene, cost of goods and the key figures of a whole restaurant.

  What you bring:

  You know the processes of a fast food restaurant from goods receipt to the cash register and know where time, goods and staff are lost.

  How to get there:

  Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a system catering specialist (Fachmann/Fachfrau für Systemgastronomie) takes 3 years and can be shortened on request with the Abitur (upper secondary school-leaving certificate) or a completed vocational training. After 4.5 years of practice in system catering, the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is also possible without training (§ 45 para. 2 BBiG). Large chains also further train shift leaders through their own restaurant management programs. Later the IHK further training as a certified hospitality specialist (Geprüfte/r Fachwirt/in im Gastgewerbe) is possible.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift work

  €3,956gross per monthMedian salary

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• Cook

  Also: Kitchen specialist

  With retrainingPromotion

  In the training, you learn fresh cooking, sauces, meat and fish, costing and menu planning for restaurant, canteen or hotel.

  What you bring:

  You work quickly, cleanly and by recipe, know hygiene rules, cooking times and operations at peak times.

  How to get there:

  Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a cook (Koch/Köchin) takes 3 years, with training pay. Alternatively there is the two-year training as a kitchen specialist (Fachkraft Küche), on which you can build the cook training. After 4.5 years of kitchen practice, the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) as a cook is also possible without training (§ 45 para. 2 BBiG), and the IHK decides whether your practice is recognized. The Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter can fund retraining (Umschulung) if the requirements are met.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,058gross per monthMedian salary

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• Warehouse specialist

  Also: Warehouse logistics specialist

  With retraining

  In warehouse logistics, you receive goods, store them, pick orders and prepare shipping, often with a scanner and forklift.

  What you bring:

  You receive deliveries, check quantities and shelf life and pay attention to the cold chain and order in the warehouse.

  How to get there:

  Vocational training (Ausbildung) as a warehouse specialist (Fachlagerist/in) takes 2 years, and as a warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik) 3 years. You can also do it as retraining (Umschulung), which the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter can fund. Warehouses also hire people without a qualification and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You get the forklift license in a course of a few days.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,235gross per monthMedian salary

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• Security guard

  Also: Property protection worker

  With further training

  In the security service, you check access points, do rounds in properties or secure events and respond correctly to disruptions.

  What you bring:

  You stay calm even with crowds and difficult guests, keep to fixed routines and work reliably in shifts.

  How to get there:

  Briefing under § 34a GewO (Unterrichtung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) takes 40 teaching hours, plus a reliability check by the authority. For inspection rounds in publicly accessible areas, protection against shoplifters or admission to discos, you need the expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) at the IHK instead. Later the training as a specialist for protection and security (Fachkraft für Schutz und Sicherheit) is possible.*Regulated by law (Trade Regulation Code (GewO) § 34a, Security Services Ordinance (BewachV)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,200gross 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.