Builds structures out of steel: plate, profile and tube, cut, formed, welded and erected. The trade where welding certification, not the job title, decides what you may work on.
| Official title | Konstruktionsmechaniker/in |
| Protected title | No |
| Category | industrial |
| Typical qualification | Duale Ausbildung, 3.5 years, IHK exam |
| Regulated | No — but welding and EN 1090 gate the work |
| Last reviewed | 2026-09 |
Its Handwerk twin: Metallbauer/in
The same work exists in both systems, and the difference is the one this category is built around:
| Konstruktionsmechaniker/in | Metallbauer/in | |
|---|---|---|
| System | Industrie, IHK | Handwerk, HWK |
| Anlage A | — | Yes — Meisterpflicht |
| Self-employment | No right to open a business | Meisterbrief opens one |
| Typical employer | Stahlbau firms, shipyards, plant builders | Metal workshops, Schlossereien |
| Tariff | IG Metall / sector agreements | Handwerk agreements, generally lower |
Exactly the pattern of Elektroniker Betriebstechnik vs the Handwerk electrician: comparable work, better industrial pay, no business rights. Metallbauer has its own Fachrichtungen (Konstruktionstechnik, Metallgestaltung, Nutzfahrzeugbau).
Fachrichtungen
| Fachrichtung | Focus |
|---|---|
| Schweißtechnik | Welded fabrication — the broadest route |
| Feinblechbautechnik | Sheet metal: enclosures, ducting, housings |
| Schiffbau | Ship sections and hull structures |
| Ausrüstungstechnik | Piping, plant and equipment fit-out |
Welding is the qualification that matters
The Ausbildung gets you hired. Welder qualification certificates to DIN EN ISO 9606 decide what you may actually weld — separately per process (MAG, TIG, MMA), material group, thickness and position. They are examined, time-limited, and require periodic confirmation to stay valid.
Above them sits the DVS ladder: Schweißfachmann, Schweißtechniker, Schweißfachingenieur. These are well paid and in demand, because EN 1090 requires certified welding coordination for structural steel that carries CE marking — the firm cannot fabricate load-bearing structure without it.
This is the repo’s sixth instance of the qualification-gates-the-work pattern, after EFK, BaFin registration, §34a security, driving licences and Hochvolt — and the most granular: here the gate is per weld type, not per person.
What the job involves
Reading structural drawings; cutting and forming plate, profile and tube; jig setup; welding; assembly and dimensional checking; and frequently Montage — erecting or installing the structure on site, often at height and outdoors.
Sectors: Stahlbau (structural steel, bridges, halls), Behälter- und Apparatebau (tanks and pressure vessels), shipbuilding, plant construction, and offshore wind — towers, transition pieces and foundations, which is the clearest growth area and another Energiewende link alongside SHK and the electrical trades.
The work is physically heavy, frequently outdoors, and involves noise, fumes and working at height. Occupational health is a genuine long-term consideration, not a formality.
Qualification route
- 3.5 years dual, industrial employer plus Berufsschule, IHK exam
- Entry: formally open; Hauptschul- or mittlerer Schulabschluss typical
- Paid throughout: roughly €1,100–1,400/month gross at tariff employers
- Ladder: welding qualifications first, then Schweißfachmann/Schweißtechniker (DVS), Industriemeister Metall, Techniker, or quality and inspection roles
Pay
Tariff-bound where IG Metall or a sector agreement applies. Market estimates — see the category README:
| Stage | Gross/month |
|---|---|
| Newly qualified (tariff-bound) | €3,200 – €3,800 |
| Experienced | €3,800 – €4,600 |
| With sought-after welding certificates | €4,200 – €5,000 |
| Schweißfachmann / Schweißtechniker | €4,500 – €5,500 |
| Industriemeister / Techniker | €4,700 – €5,800 |
Montage is the earnings lever. Site work adds tax-free per-diems and travel allowances that can lift take-home well above the table, at the cost of long periods away — the same trade-off as commissioning in Mechatronik.
Stahlbau firms outside the metal and electrical agreements pay noticeably less; ask which agreement applies.
Demand and outlook
Solid overall, with two opposite currents worth separating:
- Growing: offshore wind, grid and energy infrastructure, plant construction, defence.
- Shrunk: German civil shipbuilding is a fraction of its former size. What remains is concentrated in cruise construction — itself financially turbulent in recent years — and in naval and submarine work, which is comparatively secure.
If you take the Schiffbau Fachrichtung, understand that you are choosing a regionally concentrated and politically exposed sector, not a general one.
Foreign candidates
- To work: nothing required. Unregulated.
- For the visa: IHK FOSA equivalence assessment.
- Welding certificates do not transfer. Expect to sit the German/EN examinations for each process and position you need. Budget time for this — it is the single biggest practical obstacle, and more consequential here than in any other trade in this repo.
- Language: B1–B2. Drawings, welding procedure specifications (WPS), safety briefings and site coordination are in German; site safety in particular is not a place for guesswork.
Pitfalls
- Certificates, not experience, decide what you may weld. Years of skilled welding abroad grant nothing until re-examined.
- No business rights from this qualification — that is the Handwerk Metallbauer route.
- Montage pay comes with sustained time away. Ask for the real annual figure.
- Fachrichtung matters regionally — Schiffbau especially ties you to the coast.
- Physical wear is real. Plan a route toward Schweißfachmann, inspection or Meister.
Sources
- Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG) — gesetze-im-internet.de/bbig_2005, accessed 2026-09
- DVS — Deutscher Verband für Schweißen und verwandte Verfahren — dvs-home.de, accessed 2026-09
- IG Metall — igmetall.de, accessed 2026-09
- BERUFENET — berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de, accessed 2026-09