Is it an office job ?

Yes, it is a commercial and administrative role, focused on the hotel's management, sales and organisation.

Do you need to like numbers ?

Yes, the role relies heavily on management and management control, so being comfortable with numbers is a real asset.

Hotel management specialist (Kaufmann für Hotelmanagement)

The commercial and administrative profession of hospitality, for those who enjoy steering figures, sales and organisation.

All sectors

The profession

This specialist manages the commercial and administrative side of the hotel: reservations, management control, purchasing, marketing, event sales and human resources.

Salary

The apprenticeship is, for example, 1,099 € (year 1), 1,270 € (year 2) and 1,446 € (year 3). The entry salary is around 2,430 €/month (sometimes 1,800 to 2,000 € in small businesses) and around 2,600 to 3,300 €/month with experience (source: aubi-plus, 2024 to 2026).

Duration and path

The training lasts 3 years and ends with the IHK examination. The profession was renamed in 2022 (formerly Hotelkaufmann).

Employers hiring

Hotels and hotel groups, in commercial and administrative departments (reservations, management control, purchasing, event sales, human resources).

Prospects

Prospects are solid, in the commercial functions of hospitality.

Career progression

Reservations or sales manager, management controller, then hotel management.

Language level

Vocational school, the exam and the work all take place in German. B2 is the standard employers expect and the level we aim for; this is the most demanding role in written German (business correspondence, management control), and English is frequently required.

Recognition and access

For an Ausbildung, no diploma recognition is required: you train directly in Germany and the qualification is recognised across the country. You need an Ausbildung contract, the expected level of German and, generally, a secondary-school leaving certificate.

Visa

Entry is via the vocational training visa (Ausbildung). Once qualified, you move to a skilled-worker residence permit to work in Germany. We check your eligibility and build the file with you.

Your Karriere Fähre support

We train you in German up to the required level, find the company and the Ausbildung contract, prepare the visa file and support you all the way to settling in.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it an office job ?: Yes, it is a commercial and administrative role, focused on the hotel's management, sales and organisation.
Do you need to like numbers ?: Yes, the role relies heavily on management and management control, so being comfortable with numbers is a real asset.

Indicative gross ranges from public German sources (Federal Employment Agency, Entgeltatlas, Gehalt.de, StepStone, DEHOGA). In hospitality, pay depends on regional collective agreements (DEHOGA) and the statutory minimum wage, tips supplement guest-facing roles, and the work is often seasonal. Recognition and visa rules change: always check your case with the competent German authorities.