Around 5.57 million Germans work in skilled trades. No wonder, because in many cases the industry offers you good future prospects, low unemployment rates and a huge selection of professions. Are you looking for a job in the craft? Or would you like to know more about the industry? We introduce you to the five professions that the Workbery users in our database have most often. You will find out how much you earn, how you can increase your salary and what the main tasks are.
More than 130 professions are part of the craft. Among them you will also find many unusual jobs such as B. thermometer maker, gem cutter or wine technologist. There are trades for almost every area of life. And they are constantly changing with the challenges of our time: Today, craftsmen are indispensable for climate protection or the expansion of e-mobility. But how is the industry doing at the moment?
Shortage of skilled workers in the trades
Trained specialists from the trades are more in demand than ever, throughout Germany. The gap between job vacancies and available labor continues to widen. According to a recent study by the Institute of German Economics (IW), in 2021 there were only 139,256 unemployed craftsmen out of 201,411 vacancies nationwide.
Above all, there is a lack of journeymen, i.e. specialists with completed vocational training: In 2021, around 75,500 were missing from the labor market. In addition, companies were unable to fill around 7,200 master craftsman positions and 4,800 jobs for advanced training graduates, as the IW study shows.
Training remains the most important way to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. The industry is the number 1 trainer in Germany. According to the Central Association of German Skilled Trades, 29 percent of all trainees work in craft businesses. Nevertheless, many apprenticeship positions in this area remain vacant. Last year there were 10,700 fewer trainees than in 2020. This is confirmed by figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
What are the reasons for the shortage of craftsmen?
Demographic change is playing a major role: many baby boomers will retire in the next few years, and not enough young people are moving up. In addition, fewer and fewer people are opting for an apprenticeship in general. After the slump in the first Corona year 2020, the downward trend is persistent. Alongside industry and trade, it is the trades that are most affected.
The emergence of new job profiles related to climate protection creates an additional need for skilled workers: Especially in the construction industry, e.g. B. in the professional group of construction electricians, new fields of activity have opened up as a result of climate protection, such as the installation of photovoltaic systems or energy-efficient renovations. Many order books are full, but companies can no longer cope with the work or not fast enough because of a lack of staff. However, demand will probably continue to rise.
That’s how much you earn in the trade
Skilled workers earn a gross median salary of around €40,000 per year. This puts her income slightly below the nationwide median salary of €43,800. But is it the same for all professions in the industry? We have evaluated the five most common skilled trades jobs, which means that most of the people in our database stated that they work in these professions. Here you can see how much you earn in which job.
1. Industrial mechanic
Industrial mechanic is the most popular apprenticeship – according to the 2022 training report of the German Federation of Trade Unions. One reason for this is the variety of activities. Industrial mechanics are specialized in large machines and complicated technical systems in industry. Their task is to organize and control manufacturing processes and to ensure that machines and production facilities are operational. In the event of malfunctions, they may produce spare parts and replace defective components. You work for companies that produce by machine in factories and production halls or on site at customers, often abroad. The gross annual salary is around €41,500, but a quarter of the employees earn more than €49,300, well above the national median income of €43,800 per year.
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2. Machine operator
Machine operators work on and with production machines, e.g. B. for the production of food, tools, plastic parts or textiles. Their main tasks include operating and maintaining machines so that production can run smoothly. In recent years, many new technologies have been added that machine operators deal with on a daily basis, such as 3D printing or working with industrial robots. Annual earnings are around €38,700. But there is still room for improvement: The top earners among machine operators come to €45,700 per year.
3. Electrician
The electrician is nowadays a subspecialty of the electronics engineer. His specialty is energy and building technology. However, the two job titles are often still used synonymously, including in job advertisements. One thing is certain: as soon as electricity is involved, they are in demand. Whether it’s the wiring in the house, the connection of stoves or the configuration and testing of air conditioning systems – depending on their specialization, they fix faults in electrically powered devices, systems and facilities. With €42,100, you earn the best of the professions listed here. 25% of electricians even receive more than €52,600 annually.
4. Vehicle mechatronics technician
In the top ten of the most popular apprenticeships in Germany, the automotive mechatronics technician is in second place. According to evaluations by the Federal Institute for Vocational Training, only just under 6% women start the profession, so it is still a male domain. Whoever does the job is a specialist for all mechanical and electrical components in vehicles. If a repair, inspection or error diagnosis is pending, automotive mechatronics come into action. They also equip vehicles with additional equipment, special equipment and accessories. Compared to other skilled trades, the salary is rather low at €32,000. After all, a quarter of the automotive mechatronics* come over the 36,900 euro mark.
5. Mechatronics technician
The job forms the interface between the fields of mechanics and electronics. Mechatronics technicians work on complex machines and systems for industry and trade and maintain them. They exchange mechanical and electronic assemblies and components or build them e.g. B. to robots or control elements together. They commission finished systems and check them carefully before they are sent to the customer. Employees in this profession earn around €39,600 a year. However, salaries above the 46,000 euro mark are also possible.
