Painter and decorator
Your trade as a painter and decorator opens many doors in Germany, where positions are plentiful and the crafts are short of workers.
The profession
The painter and decorator carries out paintwork, plaster, coatings, protective treatments and facades, in both new build and renovation.
Salary
About 2,500 to 3,250 €/month depending on the source (average around 2,503 € on one portal, median around 2,960 € on another), the lowest of the four trades (source: gehaltsvergleich.com, meingehalt.net, 2026). The sector minimum for a journeyman is about 15.55 €/h in 2025, then 16.13 €/h from July 2026, a guaranteed floor.
Employers hiring
Craft painting firms (Innungsbetriebe), property maintenance and estate management are hiring.
Prospects
Prospects are solid, within the shortage of craft workers, with a large volume of positions.
Career progression
You can progress to team leader, then to master craftsman (Meister) and technician.
Language level
On site, safety rules, instructions and documentation are in German. B2 is the standard employers expect, and it is the level we aim for.
Diploma recognition
These construction trades are qualified craft occupations. The master title (Meister) is only required to set up your own business, not to be an employee. For the skilled worker visa, recognition of your qualification (Anerkennung) by the chamber of crafts is required; we have it assessed and start the procedure together with you.
Visa
The main routes are the skilled worker visa with recognised qualification, the recognition partnership which since March 2024 allows entry and work while finalising recognition on site (A2 level required), and the Chancenkarte to come and look for a job. The EU Blue Card, reserved for university profiles, does not apply to these trades. We check your eligibility and build the application file with you.
Your Karriere Fähre support
We train you in German up to the level you need, get your qualification recognised, present your profile to German employers, prepare the visa file and support you all the way to your arrival.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the trade cover new build and renovation?
- Yes, the painter and decorator works on both new builds and renovation projects.
- Is it an accessible trade with a large volume of positions?
- Yes, it is an accessible trade, and the volume of available positions is large across Germany.
Indicative gross ranges from public German sources (Federal Employment Agency, Entgeltatlas, Gehalt.de, StepStone, the construction tariff Bau-Hauptgewerbe / SOKA-BAU). In construction, pay often follows the collective agreement and the sector minimum wage, and varies by region, employer and experience. Recognition and visa rules change: always check your case with the competent German authorities.