Career change as a lifeguard

Career change paths

• Road inspection officer

  Also: Fines office caseworker

  With on-the-job training

  At the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität) you check trucks and buses for driving and rest times, load and tolls; in the fines office you handle hearings, objections and notices.

  What you bring:

  From traffic enforcement you know road traffic law, offenses and the procedure for administrative offenses.

  How to get there:

  The Federal Office trains new inspectors in-house over several months in social regulations, road haulage law and dangerous goods law. A completed vocational qualification is usually expected, and shift work and changing inspection sites are usual. Fines offices often give employees from traffic enforcement a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), and for permanent jobs administrative course I (Verwaltungslehrgang I) is sometimes expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift work

  €3,715gross per monthMedian salary

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• Swimming instructor

  Also: Instructor for lifeguards

  With on-the-job training

  As a swimming instructor you teach children and adults to swim or train lifeguards, in swim schools, clubs or pools.

  What you bring:

  As a lifeguard you swim confidently, know rescue techniques and know how to keep an eye on children and weak swimmers in the water.

  How to get there:

  There is no legally regulated qualification. Swim schools and pools usually expect the lifeguard badge in silver and a license as a sports instructor (Übungsleiter) or instructor from the German Life Saving Association (DLRG), the water rescue service (Wasserwacht) or the swimming association, which you earn in courses over a few weekends. There are also part-time or freelance jobs; permanent jobs are mostly in larger swim schools and municipal pools.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demandingLots of contact with people
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• First aid instructor

  With on-the-job training

  As a first aid instructor you train employees in companies, driving license applicants and first aiders in courses.

  What you bring:

  From pool supervision, the medical service or civil protection you know first aid and resuscitation from practice and operations and can explain them in a practical way.

  How to get there:

  You take a course to become a first aid instructor at an aid organization or an authorized training body, usually a few weeks in modules. A medical service qualification, for example as an emergency medical technician (Rettungssanitäter), is generally required. Permanent full-time jobs are mostly at aid organizations and larger providers; you can also work freelance as an instructor.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €5,254gross per monthMedian salary

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• Public order office caseworker

  Also: Trade office caseworker

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a caseworker you review applications for permits and licenses, for example for businesses, events or special uses, and issue official notices.

  What you bring:

  From the public order service or traffic enforcement you know local rules, administrative offenses and warning procedures and know how violations are documented.

  How to get there:

  The usual path is administrative course I (Verwaltungslehrgang I), also called Angestelltenlehrgang I depending on the state, at a study institute for public administration (Studieninstitut), usually over one to two years alongside work. Municipalities also send their own employees there and give them time off for it. Alternatively, after at least 4.5 years of suitable work you can take the final exam as an administrative specialist (Verwaltungsfachangestellter) as an external candidate; the responsible body decides whether your work counts.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €3,822gross per monthMedian salary

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• Police officer (Polizeimeister)

  Also: Police officer in the mid-level civil service

  With a degreePromotion

  With the police, you also handle patrol duty with full police powers, traffic accidents, arrests and taking reports.

  What you bring:

  You are used to enforcing rules on patrol, establishing identities and staying calm in conflicts.

  How to get there:

  You can join without a degree at the Federal Police and in some federal states through the mid-level civil service; at the Federal Police the training takes 2.5 years as a civil servant on revocable status (Beamtenverhältnis auf Widerruf). Age limits are strict: at the Federal Police you must be younger than 28 when you are hired. An aptitude test, sports test and medical examination are also required.*Regulated by law (Federal Police Career Ordinance (BPolLV) §§ 5, 6; career law of the federal states).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,669gross per monthMedian salary

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• Correctional officer

  Also: Civil servant in the general correctional service

  With vocational training

  In the prison system you supervise and look after prisoners, check cells and oversee daily life in the institution.

  What you bring:

  You carry out checks, enforce instructions and deal with difficult and aggressive people without losing your calm.

  How to get there:

  Training takes place as a civil servant on revocable status (Beamtenverhältnis auf Widerruf) and usually lasts about 2 years, depending on the federal state, with pay. The requirement is usually an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss) or a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) with a completed vocational qualification. You also need to pass a sports test and a medical examination and meet maximum age limits, which each state sets itself.*Regulated by law (Training and examination regulations of the federal states for the general correctional service).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding

  €4,041gross per monthMedian salary

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• Emergency medical technician

  Also: Paramedic

  With further training

  In the emergency medical service you care for patients in an emergency and take them safely to the hospital.

  What you bring:

  As a lifeguard or in civil protection, you have practiced first aid, resuscitation and handling injured people, and you have often already used these skills.

  How to get there:

  Emergency medical technician (Rettungssanitäter): a course under state law, usually 520 hours, about 3 months full-time. Paramedic (Notfallsanitäter): training of 3 years with training pay; access is with an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss) or with a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) and at least two years of vocational training. For the ambulance, a driving license class C1 is often required.*Regulated by law (Paramedic Act (NotSanG) § 8; for emergency medical technicians, the emergency services acts of the federal states).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,175gross per monthMedian salary

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• Certified master for swimming pool operations

  Also: Swimming pool manager

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a master for swimming pool operations (Meister für Bäderbetriebe) you manage a pool or a shift, plan staff, monitor water treatment and technology and train new staff.

  What you bring:

  From pool supervision you know rescue, first aid, pool rules and the routines in a swimming pool.

  How to get there:

  First you need the qualification as a swimming pool operations specialist (Fachangestellter für Bäderbetriebe), through vocational training (Ausbildung) of 3 years or through the external exam (Externenprüfung) after at least 4.5 years of work at a pool. You are then admitted to the master exam (Meisterprüfung) with 2 years of suitable work experience. Preparation courses are usually alongside work and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift work
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• Fire officer at a professional fire department

  Also: Industrial firefighter

  With further training

  At a professional or industrial fire brigade you fight fires, rescue people in accidents and technical emergencies and often also work in the emergency medical service.

  What you bring:

  From civil protection, water rescue or the public order service you know shift work, securing danger spots and working with the fire service and emergency medical service.

  How to get there:

  Professional fire departments usually hire applicants for the mid-level service who have a completed vocational qualification suitable for the fire service, often from crafts or technology. Training as a fire officer (Brandmeister) then takes about 18 months to 2 years depending on the state, as a civil servant. A sports test, medical examination and age limits also apply. Industrial fire brigades of large industrial companies also train in the three-year occupation of industrial firefighter (Werkfeuerwehrmann/Werkfeuerwehrfrau).*Regulated by law (Career and training regulations of the federal states for the technical fire service).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,118gross 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.