Career change as a web designer

Career change paths

• Online marketing specialist

  Also: Marketing officer

  With on-the-job training

  As a marketing officer or online marketing specialist, you plan campaigns, steer agencies, look after social media, newsletters and the website, and evaluate results.

  What you bring:

  You know brand appearances, campaigns and advertising materials and work closely with marketing departments.

  How to get there:

  Companies hire designers with a sense for marketing and train them on the job in planning and evaluation. Courses in online marketing and web analytics take a few weeks. A permanent position in a company often brings more predictability than working at an agency or freelancing.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €5,385gross per monthMedian salary

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• Creative director

  Also: Head of marketing communications

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As creative director or head of marketing communications, you are responsible for the whole appearance of a brand, lead a creative team and steer agencies.

  What you bring:

  As a designer or art director, you have developed campaigns, led teams and freelancers and won over clients.

  How to get there:

  You usually make this step in your own agency or company after some years as an art director. Courses on leadership and project management help. In companies, experience in marketing strategy is often also expected for management positions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €7,900gross per monthMedian salary

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• Lecturer in graphic design

  Also: Course leader at an adult education center (Volkshochschule)

  With on-the-job training

  At private design schools, academies or adult education centers (Volkshochschulen), you teach design, image editing or layout and supervise final projects.

  What you bring:

  You master design, typography and software and can show and explain work steps well.

  How to get there:

  Training providers and design schools mostly use practitioners as freelance lecturers. A trainer course or a course in teaching methods lasting a few weeks helps you get started. This route fits well as a second source of income, but there are also permanent positions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €4,155gross per monthMedian salary

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• Social media manager

  Also: Public relations officer

  With on-the-job training

  As a social media manager or public relations officer, you plan content for associations, authorities or companies, create posts and look after the community.

  What you bring:

  You can prepare content visually and know visual language, video and formats for different channels.

  How to get there:

  Organizations hire designers with a feel for texts and topics. Courses in social media and press work take a few weeks. At authorities and associations, working hours are often more predictable than at agencies.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,318gross per monthMedian salary

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• Frontend developer

  Also: Software developer

  With on-the-job training

  As a frontend or software developer, you build web interfaces and applications in a developer team, often with modern frameworks.

  What you bring:

  You know HTML, CSS and JavaScript and already build interactive websites.

  How to get there:

  Software companies and agencies hire web developers with a good portfolio. If you lack knowledge of frameworks, testing or version control, courses of a few weeks help. A vocational qualification such as IT specialist in application development (Fachinformatiker für Anwendungsentwicklung) is helpful, but not mandatory.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €5,986gross per monthMedian salary

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• IT project manager

  Also: IT product manager

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As an IT project or product manager, you manage web projects and digital products, plan requirements and deadlines and lead a team.

  What you bring:

  You know web projects from concept to launch and know where things get stuck between clients, design and development.

  How to get there:

  Agencies and companies often turn experienced web developers into project managers, and you can earn certificates in project management or Scrum in courses of a few days. You then program less and spend more time in conversations.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €7,647gross per monthMedian salary

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• IT consultant

  Also: Consultant for shop and content management systems

  With on-the-job training

  As an IT consultant, you advise companies on the selection and rollout of web and shop software, gather requirements and support the implementation.

  What you bring:

  You know content management systems, shop systems and interfaces from many projects.

  How to get there:

  Consulting firms and system integrators train web developers in consulting methods and their products, often with vendor certificates. Expect project work at the client's site.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €5,568gross per monthMedian salary

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• ICT trainer

  Also: Digital skills trainer

  With on-the-job training

  As an IT trainer, you train employees, people in retraining (Umschulung) or learners in web development, content management or digital tools.

  What you bring:

  You know web technologies, content management and online tools and can pass on knowledge in a practical way.

  How to get there:

  Training providers and companies use experienced developers as trainers. A trainer or teaching course of a few weeks and the trainer aptitude certificate (Ausbildereignung) help. You can start as a freelance instructor alongside your development work.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,449gross per monthMedian salary

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• UX designer

  Also: Usability engineer

  With further training

  As a UX designer, you study how people use websites, apps and software, develop prototypes and test them with users.

  What you bring:

  For years you have designed interfaces, layouts and user guidance and think visually from the user's point of view.

  How to get there:

  Further training in user experience design usually takes a few months, often with a certificate. A portfolio with your own UX projects matters more for an application than a degree. Employers include, for example, software companies, agencies and digital departments of large companies.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €4,893gross per monthMedian salary

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• Teacher of media design at a vocational school

  Also: Teacher of design technology

  With a degree

  At a vocational school, you teach future media designers, design technology assistants or upper secondary technical school students (Fachoberschüler) in design and media technology.

  What you bring:

  You know media design, printing and digital media from practice and know what agencies expect from junior staff.

  How to get there:

  Some states allow the alternative route into teaching (Seiteneinstieg) with a Diplom or master's degree in design. You then complete a preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) alongside work, usually lasting 18 to 24 months. Each state decides whether your degree is recognized and whether a second subject is needed.*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 lightLittle customer contact

  €5,140gross per monthMedian salary

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• Technical writer

  Also: Information designer

  With further training

  As a technical writer, you create instructions, manuals and online help with illustrations and videos for machines, software or devices.

  What you bring:

  You can make complex content understandable with images, graphics and clear structure.

  How to get there:

  Part-time further training in technical writing with a certificate, for example to the standard of the professional association tekom, usually takes a few months. There are jobs in mechanical engineering, medical technology and software, for example. An interest in technology and good English are expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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

  €4,728gross per monthMedian salary

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• Computer science teacher

  Also: IT teacher at secondary level

  With a degree

  At a secondary school, you teach computer science and a second subject, and you introduce young people to programming and media literacy.

  What you bring:

  You can program and build web applications and understand how digital media work.

  How to get there:

  Depending on the federal state, an alternative route into teaching computer science (Seiteneinstieg) is possible with a university degree in computer science or a related subject. This is followed by a preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) alongside work, usually 18 to 24 months. Without a suitable university degree, this path is generally closed.*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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• Penetration tester

  Also: IT security consultant

  With further training

  As a penetration tester or IT security consultant, you check websites and applications for security gaps and advise developers on how to close them.

  What you bring:

  You know web applications, forms, logins and interfaces from the inside, so you also know their typical weaknesses.

  How to get there:

  To get started, you need in-depth knowledge of networks and attack techniques, which you build over several months through further training and hands-on certificates. Security service providers often hire for junior positions first.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,295gross 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.