Career change as a system administrator
With your experience you can switch to 7 jobs in Germany: 6 with on-the-job training and 1 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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IT security officer
Also: Security engineer
With on-the-job training
As an IT security officer or security engineer, you harden systems, monitor for attacks and put emergency plans in place.
- What you bring:
- You know servers, networks, access rights and backups, and you know where systems can be attacked.
- How to get there:
- Companies and government agencies also train administrators in IT security. You can earn certificates such as CompTIA Security+ or IT-Grundschutz Practitioner in a few days to weeks.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible -
Cloud architect
Also: IT architect
With on-the-job training
As a cloud or IT architect, you plan infrastructures in the cloud and in the data center, select services and set standards.
- What you bring:
- You run servers, networks and services and know what really counts in operations.
- How to get there:
- Employers train experienced administrators. You can earn certificates from cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud after a few weeks to months of study time.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€6,500gross per monthMedian salary
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IT operations team lead
Also: Head of IT
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As a team lead or head of IT, you are responsible for operations, service providers, budget and staff.
- What you bring:
- You know a company's entire IT landscape and have often already mentored colleagues or led projects.
- How to get there:
- Promotion usually happens within your own company or at smaller companies. Courses on IT service management such as ITIL and leadership training take a few days.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€7,647gross per monthMedian salary
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Pre-sales consultant
Also: IT account manager
With on-the-job training
At system integrators and manufacturers, you give customers technical advice, plan solutions and support proposals.
- What you bring:
- You know what problems IT departments have in everyday work and which solutions really work.
- How to get there:
- System integrators and manufacturers give administrators product training. In sales, part of the pay is often performance-based.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleHome office possible€6,745gross per monthMedian salary
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IT service management consultant
Also: IT consultant
With on-the-job training
As an IT service management consultant, you help companies organize their IT operations and introduce processes according to ITIL.
- What you bring:
- You know IT operating procedures, incidents and changes from your own work.
- How to get there:
- Consulting firms and system integrators bring administrators up to speed on projects. You can earn an ITIL certificate in a few days.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible€5,933gross per monthMedian salary
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Database administrator
Also: Data engineer
With on-the-job training
As a database administrator or data engineer, you look after databases and data platforms and build data flows.
- What you bring:
- You already run servers, storage and often databases too, and you know about performance and fault tolerance.
- How to get there:
- Employers train administrators on the job. You can learn SQL and earn vendor certificates, for example for Oracle or Microsoft, in a few weeks.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€5,796gross per monthMedian salary
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Apprentice trainer for IT specialists (Fachinformatiker)
Also: IT trainer
With further training
As an apprentice trainer or IT trainer, you train future IT specialists (Fachinformatiker) or teach skilled staff and prepare them for exams and certificates.
- What you bring:
- You know systems, networks and troubleshooting from hands-on work and can explain things patiently.
- How to get there:
- To train apprentices in a company, you need the trainer aptitude certificate (Ausbildereignung), which you prove by passing an exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Preparation courses are optional, and their length depends on the provider. You also need the professional qualification, for example a relevant vocational or university degree plus work experience. As a trainer at training providers, vendor certificates help, and full-time trainer jobs exist mainly in larger companies and at training providers.*Regulated by law (Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Ordinance on Trainer Aptitude (AEVO)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€4,462gross 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 system administrator without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: IT security officer, Cloud architect, IT operations team lead, Pre-sales consultant, IT service management consultant and Database administrator.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a system administrator?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Apprentice trainer for IT specialists (Fachinformatiker).
What promotion options do I have as a system administrator?
Promotions include, for example: IT operations team lead.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: IT operations team lead (€7,647 gross per month), Pre-sales consultant (€6,745 gross per month) and Cloud architect (€6,500 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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