Carpenter
Carried by the growth of timber construction, your carpentry skills find an expanding market in Germany.
The profession
The carpenter builds timber structures: roof frames, framing, timber-frame houses, staircases and wood construction.
Salary
The entry salary starts from around 2,960 € per month and rises with experience and region (in Bavaria, a skilled worker reaches about 26 €/h) (source: powerus, ulmato, 2025). The guaranteed sector minimum for skilled workers (Mindestlohn Bau) is about 17.34 €/h in 2026, above the general minimum wage, which sets a safe floor.
Employers hiring
Carpentry and timber construction firms (Holzbau), roofing and prefabricated timber house makers hire carpenters.
Prospects
Prospects are strong, driven by the growth of timber construction.
Career progression
You can progress to team leader, site foreman (Polier), master craftsman (Meister) or timber construction technician.
Language level
On site, safety instructions, directions and documentation are in German. B2 is the standard employers expect, and that is the level we aim for.
Diploma recognition
These construction trades are skilled crafts. The master title (Meister) is only required to set up your own business, not to work as an employee. For the skilled-worker visa, recognition of your qualification (Anerkennung) by the chamber of crafts is needed; we have it assessed and start the procedure with you.
Visa
The main routes are the skilled-worker visa with a recognised qualification, the recognition partnership which since March 2024 allows you to enter and work while completing 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 file with you.
Your Karriere Fähre support
We train you in German up to the required level, have 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 involve working at height ?
- Yes: the carpenter often works at height and on roof frames, which demands vigilance and adherence to safety rules.
- Is timber construction growing ?
- Yes: timber construction is growing in Germany, which durably supports the demand for skilled carpenters.
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.