Career change as a ship mechanic

Career change paths

• Dispatcher at an inland shipping company

  Also: Port operations clerk

  With on-the-job training

  In dispatching, you plan ships, cargoes and berths, keep in touch with skippers, ports and customers and work in an office on land.

  What you bring:

  You know how long cargo and trips really take, what happens at low water and what a crew needs.

  How to get there:

  Shipping companies, ports and logistics companies give people with experience on board a few weeks to months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in planning and software. Confident use of the PC is expected. Retraining (Umschulung) as a clerk for freight forwarding and logistics services (Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung), usually about 2 years, gives you your own qualification.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightIn an office

  €4,955gross per monthMedian salary

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• Container gantry crane operator

  Also: Crane operator in the port

  With on-the-job training

  As a crane operator in the port, you move containers and general cargo between ship, warehouse and vehicles, precisely and in shift work.

  What you bring:

  You know cargo, rigging, ship movements and safety rules for loading and unloading.

  How to get there:

  Port operators train crane and container gantry operators in their own courses, usually over a few weeks to months with a practical exam. Fitness examinations are part of it. Work is often around the clock in rotating shifts.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €4,153gross per monthMedian salary

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• Ship maintenance worker at a shipyard

  Also: Service technician for ship engines and deck machinery

  With on-the-job training

  In shipyards and service companies, you service and repair drives, hydraulics and deck machinery and work on land instead of for weeks on board.

  What you bring:

  You maintain winches, pumps, engines and deck equipment on board and know their weak points.

  How to get there:

  Shipyards and service companies give technically skilled deckhands a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), plus manufacturer training. Retraining (Umschulung) as an industrial mechanic (Industriemechaniker/in), usually just over 2 years, gives you your own qualification.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €4,911gross per monthMedian salary

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• Shift supervisor at a power plant

  Also: Power plant operator at a combined heat and power plant

  With on-the-job training

  In a power plant or combined heat and power plant, you steer and monitor similar plants on land, without being away from home for months.

  What you bring:

  On board, you run the main engine, generators, boilers and auxiliary plants and are used to watch duty and fast fault repair.

  How to get there:

  Energy suppliers and municipal utilities usually train marine engineering officers on their plants over a few months, and your certificate of competency (Befähigungszeugnis) and sea time are valued as experience. The work is mostly in shifts (Schichtdienst).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLittle customer contact

  €5,470gross per monthMedian salary

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• Service technician for large diesel engines

  Also: Technical inspector at a shipping company

  With on-the-job training

  At engine manufacturers, shipyards or shipping companies, you look after machinery plants, plan repairs and support crews with technical problems.

  What you bring:

  You know ship propulsion, pumps and separators and their maintenance down to the detail.

  How to get there:

  Manufacturers, shipyards and shipping companies hire experienced ship officers directly and train them on their products and procedures, usually over a few weeks to months. Expect trips to ships in ports and shipyards. You usually already have good English from seafaring.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €5,034gross per monthMedian salary

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• Maintenance technician in industry

  Also: Operations technician

  With on-the-job training

  In industrial companies, clinics or large buildings, you are responsible as an operations or maintenance technician for machines, building services and maintenance plans.

  What you bring:

  On board, you keep a whole technical plant running with few staff and plan maintenance in advance.

  How to get there:

  Industry and building operators usually train marine engineers in their plants and regulations over a few weeks to months. For electrical tasks, a course as a qualified electrician for defined tasks (Elektrofachkraft für festgelegte Tätigkeiten) may be necessary.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €4,563gross per monthMedian salary

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• Marine damage surveyor (Havariesachverständige/r)

  Also: Expert for machinery damage on ships

  With on-the-job training

  As a marine damage surveyor, you inspect damage to ships and machinery, clarify the cause, estimate the repair effort and write expert reports for insurers or shipping companies.

  What you bring:

  You know ship technology, regulations and typical damage to machinery and hull from your own experience.

  How to get there:

  Expert offices and insurers train experienced engineering officers over several months in expert reporting and rules. Which qualifications and how much sea time are required is set by the employer.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  €5,261gross per monthMedian salary

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• Shift supervisor at a waste incineration plant

  Also: Operations technician in water treatment

  With on-the-job training

  In waste incineration plants or waterworks, you steer similar processes, lead a shift team and take care of maintenance and faults.

  What you bring:

  You know boilers, exhaust gas cleaning, fresh water production and wastewater treatment from shipboard operation.

  How to get there:

  Waste disposal companies, municipal utilities and water associations train marine engineers on their plants over a few months. The work is in shifts (Schichtdienst) or with on-call duty, but you are on land every day.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLittle customer contact
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• Master of an inland vessel

  Also: Helmsman

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a helmsman or skipper (Schiffsführer), you run the ship, plan trips and loading and bear responsibility for the crew and safety.

  What you bring:

  You know the ship, maneuvers, cargo and waterway from daily work on deck.

  How to get there:

  In inland shipping, you earn the Union certificate (Unionspatent) as a skipper (Schiffsführer/in) with at least 540 days of sailing time, a radio operator's certificate and a passed official exam; for stretches with special risks (Risikostrecken) you need an additional authorization. In sea shipping, the certificate of competence as a navigational watch officer requires at least two years of training at a technical college for navigation (Fachschule für Seefahrt) and, before that, a qualification as a ship mechanic (Schiffsmechaniker/in) or training as a navigational officer assistant with sea time.*Regulated by law (Inland Waterway Vessel Personnel Ordinance (BinSchPersV) §§ 11, 37, 42; for sea shipping Seafarers' Certification Ordinance (See-BV) §§ 29, 30).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLittle customer contact

  €3,810gross per monthMedian salary

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• Train driver

  Also: Locomotive driver in freight transport

  With further training

  As a train driver (Triebfahrzeugführer), you drive freight or passenger trains, check your vehicle before the trip and are home in the evening more often than in shipping.

  What you bring:

  You are used to shift work, responsibility for cargo and strict safety rules.

  How to get there:

  Railway companies train career changers in a functional training, usually 9 to 18 months depending on the company and area of work, with an exam for the train driver license and the additional certificate. Beforehand, doctors and psychologists check your fitness. The training is often paid by the employer or through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*Regulated by law (Train Driver License Ordinance (TfV) § 5).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €4,322gross per monthMedian salary

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• Professional driver in container transport

  Also: Truck driver in local transport

  With further training

  As a truck driver, you drive containers and other goods between ports, terminals and customers, and in local transport you are usually home in the evening.

  What you bring:

  You know load securing, dangerous goods rules and ports and work independently.

  How to get there:

  You need a driving license class C or CE and the accelerated basic qualification (Grundqualifikation) with an exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Together they usually take a few months. Funding with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) is possible if the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or Jobcenter approves it. For dangerous goods, you also need ADR training of a few days.*Regulated by law (Driving License Ordinance (FeV) § 6, Professional Driver Qualification Act (BKrFQG) §§ 2, 3, Professional Driver Qualification Ordinance (BKrFQV) § 2).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  €3,262gross per monthMedian salary

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• Warehouse logistics specialist

  Also: Warehouse specialist

  With retraining

  In warehouses and transshipment companies, you receive goods, book them in the system, store them and put deliveries together, with a fixed workplace on land.

  What you bring:

  You know cargo, stowing, securing and loading documents from shipping.

  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) about 2 years. Both are often funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). 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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• Trainer for ship mechanics (Schiffsmechaniker)

  Also: Trainer at a maritime training center

  With vocational training

  As a trainer, you prepare the next generation and crews for exams and emergencies.

  What you bring:

  You know the engine room, the safety drills and the responsibility on board from many years of practice.

  How to get there:

  Under the Maritime Vocational Training Ordinance (See-BAV), trainers of ship mechanics (Schiffsmechaniker) must be ship officers or ship mechanics and prove training in vocational and work pedagogy for seafaring. Positions exist at shipping companies, training providers and training centers on the coast.*Regulated by law (Maritime Vocational Training Ordinance (See-BAV) § 7).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekends

  €5,075gross per monthMedian salary

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• Occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit)

  Also: Safety officer in industry

  With further training

  As an occupational safety specialist, you assess risks in companies, advise managers and check protective measures.

  What you bring:

  On board, you led safety drills, handled hazardous substances and signed off high-risk work.

  How to get there:

  Training as an occupational safety specialist at statutory accident insurance institutions (Berufsgenossenschaften) or training providers runs alongside work in several stages, and the length depends on the provider. You need an engineering or technician qualification, for example in marine engineering (Schiffsbetriebstechnik), or a master craftsperson (Meister) qualification, followed by at least two years of work practice.*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

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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.