Metal fabricator, structural steelworker
A sound, sought-after fabrication trade where your command of steel builds what stands firm in German industry.
The profession
The metal fabricator makes and assembles metal structures and steel constructions: cutting, forming, welding and erecting frameworks, apparatus and structural work.
Salary
The median across all experience levels is about 3,606 €/month (quartiles 3,047 to 4,294 €) ; the Konstruktionsmechaniker average is about 3,495 €, entry level about 2,500 €, roughly 3,590 € in the west and about 2,990 € in the east (source: Entgeltatlas, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2024). In industry, pay is often set by the IG Metall collective agreement.
Employers hiring
Structural steel and steelwork (Stahlbau), shipbuilding, plant construction (Anlagenbau), makers of cranes and steel structures, rail vehicle bodies and mechanical engineering hire regularly.
Prospects
Demand is strong: metal construction is one of the fields under pressure.
Career progression
You can specialise in welding, earn a Techniker or Meister qualification, or move into assembly and construction.
Language level
On the shop floor, safety rules, work instructions and documentation are in German. B2 is the standard employers expect, and it is the level we aim for.
Diploma recognition
This trade is not regulated: you do not need recognition to practise it, but the skilled worker visa requires a recognised qualification equivalent to German training. We have your diploma and experience assessed and start the recognition procedure (Anerkennung) with you.
Visa
The main routes are the skilled worker visa with a recognised qualification, the recognition partnership that since March 2024 lets you enter and work while completing recognition on site (A2 level required), and the Chancenkarte (opportunity card) to come and look for a job. The EU Blue Card, reserved for university profiles, does not apply to this trade. We check your eligibility and build the application 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 application and support you all the way to your arrival.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between Metallbauer and Konstruktionsmechaniker ?
- The Metallbauer belongs to the crafts sector while the Konstruktionsmechaniker belongs to industry ; the tasks are similar, but the working context differs.
- Do you work in a workshop or on site ?
- Both: depending on the orders, the work is done in the fabrication workshop and on the assembly site.
Indicative gross ranges from public German sources (Federal Employment Agency, Entgeltatlas, Gehalt.de, StepStone, IHK, IG Metall). In industry, pay is often set by the collective agreement (IG Metall) and varies by region, employer and experience. Recognition and visa rules change: always check your case with the competent German authorities.