Career change as a winemaker

Career change paths

• Landscape gardening employee

  Also: Tree nursery employee

  With on-the-job training

  In landscape gardening or a tree nursery you build gardens and green spaces, care for woody plants and usually have a more even workload across the year.

  What you bring:

  You can prune, plant and care for trees and shrubs and like working outdoors.

  How to get there:

  Landscape gardening and construction companies (GaLaBau) and tree nurseries usually give people from fruit and wine growing on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) right away, and experience with pruning and machinery is an advantage. For a qualification of your own, you can do vocational training (Ausbildung) as a gardener (Gärtner/Gärtnerin), often shortened with previous experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of time outdoors

  €3,208gross per monthMedian salary

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• Specialist advisor in agricultural trade

  Also: Field sales representative for plant protection and fertilizers

  With on-the-job training

  In agricultural trade or at a manufacturer you advise farms on plant protection, fertilizer and needs and take orders.

  What you bring:

  You know what problems fruit and wine growing farms have with pests, fertilizing and technology.

  How to get there:

  Agricultural dealers and manufacturers give practitioners product courses over a few weeks to months as on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You need the plant protection expertise certificate (Sachkundenachweis Pflanzenschutz) for advising, and you already have it if you have applied plant protection products yourself in growing. A driving license class B is almost always expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Quality inspector for fruit and vegetables

  Also: Incoming goods inspector, fruit trade

  With on-the-job training

  In wholesale, at producer organizations or cold stores you check deliveries against trade standards, document defects and release goods, usually indoors instead of in the field.

  What you bring:

  You recognize ripeness, variety authenticity and damage on fruit at a glance.

  How to get there:

  Wholesalers and producer organizations give people from fruit growing a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in standards and testing procedures. Professional associations and inspection bodies offer courses on marketing standards.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Little customer contact

  €3,565gross per monthMedian salary

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• Caretaker with green space care

  Also: Property caretaker

  With on-the-job training

  As a caretaker at housing companies, schools or businesses you keep buildings and grounds in good shape, with regular working hours instead of harvest season.

  What you bring:

  You can care for green spaces and woody plants, operate machines and do small repairs yourself.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training from the employer (Einarbeitung). For heating and electrics, building services courses of a few weeks help. Winter maintenance (snow clearing) and on-call duty can come on top.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically demanding

  €3,250gross per monthMedian salary

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• Buyer of fruit and vegetables in wholesale

  Also: Wine buyer

  With on-the-job training

  In wholesale or food retail you buy fruit or wine from farms and cooperatives, negotiate quantities and qualities and plan the season.

  What you bring:

  You know growing regions, varieties, harvest progress and qualities and can judge what a grower can deliver.

  How to get there:

  Trading companies give specialists from growing a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in purchasing, costing and merchandise management. You can add basic business knowledge in courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or training providers.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Farm manager in fruit growing

  Also: Master winegrower

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a farm manager or master craftsperson (Meister) you plan the growing and the seasonal workers, take charge of machinery and marketing, and run a farm or part of one.

  What you bring:

  You know the growing, pruning, plant protection and harvest of fruit, grapes or hops through the whole year.

  How to get there:

  The master craftsperson exam (Meisterprüfung) as a master gardener (Gärtnermeister) specializing in fruit growing or as a master winegrower (Winzermeister) usually takes 1 to 2 years alongside work, through vocational colleges and the responsible body, and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted with a vocational qualification and at least two years of work experience, or with at least five years of work experience in horticulture or viticulture.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsPhysically demandingLots of time outdoors
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• Technician for viticulture and oenology

  Also: Fruit growing advisor

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a technician or advisor you support farms with growing, plant protection and quality, or you work in research stations and wineries.

  What you bring:

  You know varieties, soils, diseases and harvest times from practice and can interpret what you observe in the crop.

  How to get there:

  You take further training to become a state-certified technician (staatlich geprüfter Techniker) at a vocational college (Fachschule) for viticulture, fruit growing or horticulture. It usually takes 2 years full-time and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). It is offered only at a few locations, mostly in the growing regions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

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• Agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician

  Also: Service technician for agricultural technology

  With retraining

  In an agricultural technology workshop you service and repair machines for fruit, wine and arable farming and, when there are breakdowns, you are also out on the farms.

  What you bring:

  You know tractors, sprayers, harvesters and irrigation and repair a lot yourself.

  How to get there:

  You can do vocational training (Ausbildung) or retrain (Umschulung) as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician (Land- und Baumaschinenmechatroniker/Land- und Baumaschinenmechatronikerin). Retraining usually takes a good 2 years. Workplaces include agricultural technology workshops, and with previous experience some companies first hire you as a helper.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demanding

  €3,584gross 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.