Career change as a judicial officer (Rechtspfleger)

Career change paths

• Claims handler in legal expenses or liability insurance

  Also: Claims recovery clerk

  With on-the-job training

  At insurers you review benefit cases, correspond with lawyers and customers, decide on cost coverage and settle claims.

  What you bring:

  You know contracts, liability questions, fees and court proceedings, and you are confident writing legal submissions and letters.

  How to get there:

  Legal expenses and liability insurers also hire paralegals and judicial clerks (Rechtsanwalts- und Justizfachangestellte) and give them a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in insurance terms and systems. Regular working hours and working from home are possible.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,797gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Objections clerk at a health insurance fund

  Also: Recourse clerk at a social insurance provider

  With on-the-job training

  At health insurance funds, pension insurance providers or employers' liability insurance associations you process objections, assert claims for compensation against third parties and prepare proceedings before the social court.

  What you bring:

  You are confident with laws, files and deadlines and know objection and court procedures.

  How to get there:

  Social insurance providers hire assistants from law firms and the judiciary and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in social law and specialist procedures, often with internal courses lasting several months. Jobs are usually advertised as positions under collective pay agreements (Tarif) with regular working hours.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €3,964gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Clerk in the fines office

  Also: Clerk in the public order office

  With on-the-job training

  In fines offices and public order offices you process proceedings, review objections, issue permits and hand cases over to courts or enforcement.

  What you bring:

  You know procedures, service of documents, deadlines and enforcement, and you write clear notices and letters.

  How to get there:

  Municipalities hire assistants from the judiciary and law firms as employees under collective pay agreements (Tarif) and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in specialist procedures. Employers often let you take administrative course I (Verwaltungslehrgang I) alongside the job. If you are a judicial clerk (Justizfachangestellte), you can also switch within the public service through internal job postings.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €3,822gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Loan workout clerk at a bank

  Also: Receivables management clerk

  With on-the-job training

  At banks and savings banks you look after non-performing loans, negotiate installment payments, realize collateral and carry out compulsory enforcement.

  What you bring:

  You know dunning procedures, compulsory enforcement and insolvency from hands-on experience, and you are confident with enforceable titles, deadlines and courts.

  How to get there:

  Banks, savings banks and receivables service providers give paralegals and judicial clerks (Rechtsanwalts- und Justizfachangestellte) a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in lending business and systems. There you compete with trained bank clerks, but your experience with enforcement is useful there.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €5,219gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Legal assistant in a corporate legal department

  Also: Assistant in contract management

  With on-the-job training

  In the legal department of a company you support in-house counsel, manage contracts and deadlines, prepare board meetings and look after files and registers.

  What you bring:

  You know legal processes, written submissions and deadline control, and you work carefully with confidential documents.

  How to get there:

  Companies with their own legal department hire paralegals (Rechtsanwalts- und Notarfachangestellte) and give them a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in contract databases and internal processes. Some companies want good English.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,421gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• HR officer specializing in employment law

  Also: HR business partner

  With on-the-job training

  In HR, you advise managers on employment contracts, dismissals and works agreements (Betriebsvereinbarungen) and negotiate with the works council (Betriebsrat).

  What you bring:

  You know employment law, contracts and negotiations and work carefully.

  How to get there:

  Companies also hire lawyers for HR roles. You learn HR processes and payroll questions during on-the-job training.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €5,769gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Compliance consultant

  Also: Contract manager

  With on-the-job training

  As a compliance consultant or contract manager, you build compliance frameworks in the company, train employees and manage contracts in large projects.

  What you bring:

  You can interpret rules, recognize risks and formulate clearly.

  How to get there:

  Companies and consulting firms train lawyers in their industry. Various providers offer certificate courses for compliance officers alongside work, and the length depends on the provider.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €6,768gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Ministry policy officer

  Also: Policy officer of a parliamentary group

  With on-the-job training

  As a policy officer in a ministry, state parliament or parliamentary group, you prepare legislative projects, write briefing papers and advise members of parliament or the ministry's leadership.

  What you bring:

  You can read laws, draft texts and assess their consequences.

  How to get there:

  For the higher civil service (höherer Dienst), ministries usually hire fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen) or applicants with a master's degree; parliamentary groups and members of parliament are more flexible. You receive on-the-job training.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €6,457gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Head of a legal office

  Also: Head of department (Dezernent) in a state authority

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As head of a legal office or head of department (Dezernent), you lead a team and are responsible for decisions, objection proceedings and court cases.

  What you bring:

  You know administrative law, procedures and the work of government agencies.

  How to get there:

  Depending on the management position in the higher civil service (höherer Verwaltungsdienst), the states and municipalities require both state law exams. After a few years as a desk officer or section head, you can move up.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €9,455gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Lecturer at a university of applied sciences for public administration

  Also: Lecturer for special tasks (Lehrkraft für besondere Aufgaben) in law

  With on-the-job training

  At administrative universities, universities of applied sciences or academies, you teach law to future civil servants (Beamte), business lawyers or certified senior specialists (Fachwirte).

  What you bring:

  You can explain areas of law in a structured way and prepare cases with practical relevance.

  How to get there:

  Administrative universities and universities of applied sciences hire lawyers with practical experience as lecturers or lecturers for special tasks. For professorships, a doctorate (Promotion) is usually needed. Teaching assignments alongside your job are a good way in.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €6,119gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Managing director of an association

  Also: Managing director of a chamber

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As managing director, you represent the members' interests to politicians and government agencies and run the head office.

  What you bring:

  Associations and chambers combine law, position papers and committee work, which you know from your work.

  How to get there:

  The route often leads through a position as desk officer or in-house counsel (Justiziar) in the association. Management positions are filled through job postings or recruitment firms.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €6,815gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Certified senior legal specialist (Rechtsfachwirt)

  Also: Head of law firm office

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a senior legal specialist or office manager you run the firm's office, lead employees, bill cases and handle demanding matters on your own.

  What you bring:

  You know deadlines, case procedures, fee law and compulsory enforcement from daily work at a law firm.

  How to get there:

  Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified senior legal specialist (Rechtsfachwirt), with the exam at the Bar Association (Rechtsanwaltskammer). The duration depends on the provider, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are generally admitted after passing the final exam as paralegal (Rechtsanwalts- oder Notarfachangestellte) and a few years of work experience. For notary offices there is the equivalent certified senior notary specialist (Notarfachwirt).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office
  View job

• Property manager

  Also: Condominium property administrator

  With further training

  In a property management firm you look after residential complexes, prepare owners' meetings and statements, and take care of contracts, defects and claims.

  What you bring:

  You know contract law, dunning and deadlines, and you communicate confidently with owners, tenants and lawyers.

  How to get there:

  Property management firms give assistants from law firms on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Regular further training is mandatory for this work, and to run your own property management business you need a permit from the responsible authority. For managing condominiums, a certified property manager (zertifizierter Verwalter) generally has to be appointed, and you take the exam for this at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK); the IHK and training providers offer preparation courses.*Regulated by law (Trade Regulation Act (GewO) § 34c (1) and (2a); Condominium Act (WEG) §§ 19 (2) no. 6, 26a).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €3,940gross per monthMedian salary

  View job

• Tax adviser

  Also: Tax adviser for corporate tax law

  With further training

  As a tax adviser (Steuerberater), you advise companies and private individuals, prepare returns and represent clients before the tax office (Finanzamt).

  What you bring:

  You can interpret laws precisely and solve complex cases in a structured way, and tax law is a legal field.

  How to get there:

  With a law degree, you are admitted to the tax adviser exam (Steuerberaterprüfung) once you have worked in tax matters for two or three years after your degree, depending on the standard length of your degree program. You usually prepare for the exam in courses alongside work, and the length depends on the provider.*Regulated by law (Tax Advisory Act (StBerG) §§ 35, 36).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible

  €7,924gross 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.