Career change as a dance teacher
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 5 with on-the-job training and 3 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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Graphic designer
Also: Illustrator
With on-the-job training
As a graphic designer or illustrator, you design printed matter, logos, illustrations and digital media for agencies, publishers or companies.
- What you bring:
- You have a trained eye for shape, color and composition and work confidently in design.
- How to get there:
- A portfolio of your work is decisive. Courses for graphics software such as InDesign or Illustrator take a few weeks. You can work freelance, and permanent positions exist mainly in agencies and companies.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible€4,000gross per monthMedian salary
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Art educator at a museum
Also: Employee in museum education
With on-the-job training
In museums, galleries and art associations, you guide visitors, design workshops for school classes and develop education programs.
- What you bring:
- You can explain art, lead groups and run creative workshops.
- How to get there:
- Museums train art educators on the job and often employ them on a freelance basis. Permanent positions in museum education usually require a degree and experience.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people -
Head of a youth art school
Also: Department head at an adult education center (Volkshochschule)
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As head of an art school or youth art school, or as department head at an adult education center, you plan the program and budget, recruit teachers and apply for funding.
- What you bring:
- You know course planning, participants and lecturers from your own teaching.
- How to get there:
- Such positions are advertised and often filled with experienced teachers from the same institution. Part-time further training in cultural or education management, lasting a few months, helps.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,151gross per monthMedian salary
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Course leader for dance and fitness
Also: Pilates trainer
With on-the-job training
In fitness studios, sports clubs or health centers, you lead courses such as Pilates, dance fitness or back training.
- What you bring:
- Especially from dance and movement, you bring body awareness, musicality and experience with groups.
- How to get there:
- Studios and clubs usually require a trainer license, which you can gain in courses lasting a few days to a few weeks. For prevention courses that health insurance funds subsidize, additional requirements apply to your basic qualification.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically demandingLots of contact with people€2,910gross per monthMedian salary
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Cultural project coordinator
Also: Event planner
With on-the-job training
At cultural offices, festivals, agencies or clubs, you plan events and projects and look after funding applications.
- What you bring:
- You have organized exhibitions, performances or courses and know how to bring artists, rooms and audiences together.
- How to get there:
- Cultural organizations and agencies train you on the job in organization and billing, and part-time further training in cultural management lasting a few months helps. Evening and weekend work is often part of the job.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Physically light€4,165gross per monthMedian salary
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Art teacher through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg)
Also: Art teacher at a comprehensive school
With a degree
Through the alternative route into teaching (Seiteneinstieg), you teach art at secondary schools.
- What you bring:
- You can teach artistic techniques, lead groups and encourage creativity.
- How to get there:
- With a degree from an art university or a suitable master's degree, some states allow the alternative route; you teach and qualify alongside work, in North Rhine-Westphalia for example for 24 months under the OBAS, ending with the state examination (Staatsprüfung). The state decides whether your degree is recognized and whether you need a second subject.*Regulated by law (State law: teacher education acts and alternative-route regulations of the German states).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€5,466gross per monthMedian salary
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Art therapist
Also: Dance therapist
With further training
As an art or dance therapist, you work with people in crisis or with illnesses in clinics, rehabilitation facilities or social facilities.
- What you bring:
- You know how painting, creating or movement can help people express themselves.
- How to get there:
- Recognized further training at professional associations or a part-time master's degree takes several years; the exact duration depends on the provider. The title is not protected, but clinics look for recognized qualifications. There are also part-time positions.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsLots of contact with people -
Teacher of German as a second language
Also: Teacher in integration courses
With further training
As a teacher of German as a second language, you teach immigrants in integration and vocational language courses.
- What you bring:
- You are confident in teaching adults and can handle mixed groups.
- How to get there:
- For integration courses, you need approval from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge), which among other things requires German at level C1. Without a degree in German as a foreign or second language, the Federal Office may require an additional qualification of 140 lessons, which requires a university degree or a language-related vocational qualification. Some teachers work on a freelance basis.*Regulated by law (Integration Course Ordinance (IntV) § 15(1)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€3,890gross 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 dance teacher without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Graphic designer, Art educator at a museum, Head of a youth art school, Course leader for dance and fitness and Cultural project coordinator.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a dance teacher?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Art teacher through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg), Art therapist and Teacher of German as a second language.
What promotion options do I have as a dance teacher?
Promotions include, for example: Head of a youth art school.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Art teacher through the alternative route (Seiteneinstieg) (€5,466 gross per month), Head of a youth art school (€5,151 gross per month) and Cultural project coordinator (€4,165 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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