A trades Ausbildung in Germany means the Handwerk: electricians, car mechanics, plumbing and heating fitters, bricklayers. Germany is short of young people in these jobs, and many Cameroonians who have already worked in a workshop in Bamenda, Kumba or Douala feel at home in them. But pay in the trades is lower than in industry, and that matters for your visa. Here are the actual occupations, what they pay and how to prepare.
Handwerk or industry: the difference that matters
Germany has two big families of technical training:
- Handwerk (skilled trades): usually small or medium firms, a boss who works alongside the team, jobs at customers' homes and on building sites. These trainings are generally overseen by the Handwerkskammer (HWK), the chamber of skilled crafts;
- Industrie (industry): factories and large companies, with trainings generally overseen by the Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK), the chamber of commerce and industry.
Similar work sometimes exists in both. An Industriemechaniker (industrial mechanic) works in a factory, while an Anlagenmechaniker SHK installs heating systems in people’s homes. The difference shows mostly on the payslip.
According to BIBB (Germany’s Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training), average collectively agreed training pay in 2025, across all training years, was EUR 1,093 gross per month in the Handwerk, against EUR 1,266 in industry and commerce. The trades come last in the sector list, just below the liberal professions (EUR 1,098).
The actual trades
Elektroniker / Elektronikerin (electrician)
An Elektroniker installs and repairs electrical systems in homes, offices and buildings: wiring, distribution boards, lighting, and more and more solar panels and charging points. It is a technical job where safety comes first, and you need to be comfortable with basic maths and physics. The BIBB figures we checked give no separate average for this occupation, so ask the company for the exact amount.
Anlagenmechaniker / Anlagenmechanikerin SHK (plumbing and heating)
SHK stands for Sanitär, Heizung, Klima: plumbing, heating, air conditioning. You install bathrooms, boilers and heat pumps. With Germany’s energy transition, the job is in high demand. But average training pay in the trades version was EUR 1,021 gross per month in 2025, across all years (about 670,000 FCFA). Keep that number in mind for the visa section below.
Kfz-Mechatroniker / Kfz-Mechatronikerin (car mechatronics technician)
Kfz stands for Kraftfahrzeug, motor vehicle. A Kfz-Mechatroniker services and repairs cars, including all the onboard electronics and electric vehicles. This is no longer just the mechanics of a roadside garage: much of the work is done with a diagnostic computer. Training takes three and a half years (42 months), longer than most.
Maurer / Maurerin (bricklayer)
A Maurer builds walls, foundations, whole buildings. It is physical, outdoor work, winter included. It is also one of the best-paid trades on our list: EUR 1,332 gross per month on average in 2025 (about 874,000 FCFA), thanks to the construction industry’s collective agreement.
For comparison: industrial occupations
If you like technical work, look at the related industrial jobs too. In 2025 the average was EUR 1,324 for the Mechatroniker (mechatronics technician) and EUR 1,318 for the Industriemechaniker. Both also take three and a half years.
Pay at a glance
Collectively agreed averages, 2025, across all training years (source: BIBB). FCFA amounts are rounded.
| Occupation | Average gross per month | In FCFA (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Maurer/-in | EUR 1,332 | 874,000 FCFA |
| Mechatroniker/-in (industry) | EUR 1,324 | 868,000 FCFA |
| Industriemechaniker/-in | EUR 1,318 | 865,000 FCFA |
| Handwerk average | EUR 1,093 | 717,000 FCFA |
| Anlagenmechaniker/-in SHK (Handwerk) | EUR 1,021 | 670,000 FCFA |
Three things to understand:
- these are averages across all years. The first year pays less, the last year more;
- these are gross figures. Social contributions come off before the money reaches your account;
- a company that is not bound by a collective agreement may pay up to 20 % less than the sector rate, but never below the legal minimum. For training starting in 2026, that minimum is EUR 724 in the first year (about 475,000 FCFA), then EUR 854, 977 and 1,014.
Our article on Ausbildung salary in Germany walks through the full calculation.
Why pay matters for your visa
For the training visa, Germany checks that you can live on your pay. In 2026, in-company training counts as enough if it pays at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net per month. Below that, you must cover the gap with a blocked account or a formal commitment letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) signed by someone who guarantees your costs.
Look at the table: the SHK average (EUR 1,021 across all years) is already below the threshold, and first-year pay is lower still. In many trades you should therefore plan for a top-up, at least for the first year. A simple example: if your contract pays EUR 900 gross, you are EUR 148 a month short of the gross threshold. The exact calculation is done on your real contract, and our page on Ausbildung costs shows how to prepare it.
That is no reason to avoid the trades. It is a reason to prepare the money early, and to target companies that pay the agreed rate as well.
The requirements
- School certificate: for in-company training, the Vocational Training Act in principle sets no minimum certificate. But companies look at your grades, especially in maths and physics. GCE O-Levels with good science results, a technical school certificate, a BEPC, CAP or Probatoire are real assets.
- German: B1 is the norm for the visa, with all four modules passed (Goethe, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF or ECL). On a building site you must understand safety instructions from day one.
- A training contract signed with a German company.
- Money to live on, as explained above.
Details are on our page about Ausbildung requirements.
How to make your application convincing
A trades employer wants to know two things: can you work with your hands, and will you last three years? What helps:
- practical experience, even informal: helping in a garage, working with a local electrician, a family building project. Ask for a written, signed attestation with dates and tasks;
- technical schooling in Cameroon (a technical college, CAP, BT): it shows you already know the basics;
- photos of your work, where relevant;
- specific motivation: why this trade, not just “to go to Germany”.
At ILC, we prepare your Lebenslauf (German CV) and cover letter with you, and our team then sends the applications to companies. Our articles on the German CV and the Ausbildung cover letter show what a strong file looks like. The skilled trades and construction page summarises the occupations.
What daily life is really like
Be honest with yourself before you choose:
- the cold: bricklayers and plumbers often work outdoors or in unheated buildings, and the German winter is long. Good work clothing is essential;
- the hours: on building sites, the day often starts early in the morning;
- small towns: many trades businesses are in mid-sized towns or villages. Life there is calmer and cheaper, but public transport is thinner;
- the Berufsschule (vocational school): part of your training happens in a classroom, with theory taught in German. This is where many foreign trainees struggle at first.
At the end you take the final examination (the Gesellenprüfung in the trades). Your German qualification is then recognised across the country, and you can look for a job for up to 18 months on a suitable residence permit. Later, the trades also let you take the Meister (master craftsman) qualification and open your own business.
Frequently asked questions
Which electrician or mechanic Ausbildung should I choose in Germany?
For building electrics, the Elektroniker. For cars, the Kfz-Mechatroniker. For factory machines, the Industriemechaniker or Mechatroniker, which pay more on average. Choose based on what you have already done with your hands.
Do I need a technical certificate from Cameroon?
No, it is not required. But a technical college certificate or good O-Level results in maths and physics make your file stronger.
Is trades pay enough for the visa?
Not always. The 2026 threshold is EUR 1,048 gross per month. Many first-year trades contracts are below it, so you need a blocked account or a commitment letter for the difference.
How long is a car mechatronics Ausbildung?
Three and a half years (42 months) for the Kfz-Mechatroniker. Most other trades take three years.
Sources
- BIBB: collectively agreed training pay 2025 by occupation (PDF)
- BIBB: collectively agreed training pay 2025, press release
- BIBB: minimum training pay 2026 (PDF)
- Make it in Germany: vocational training visa
- Vocational Training Act, § 5 (duration)
- Residence Act, § 20 (job search after training)
Last checked: 19 October 2026.