Restaurant and event service specialist (Fachmann für Restaurants und Veranstaltungsgastronomie)
The profession of contact and hospitality par excellence, where your sense of service makes all the difference and tips supplement your pay.
The profession
This specialist welcomes and serves guests in the restaurant and at events, advises them, takes orders and handles payment.
Salary
The apprenticeship is around 700 to 1,300 €/month depending on the state and the year. The entry salary is around 2,490 €/month (portal estimate) and the median for service is in the region of 2,400 to 2,500 €/month (source: aubi-plus, Entgeltatlas, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2024).
Duration and path
The training lasts 3 years and ends with the IHK examination. The profession was renamed and modernised in 2022, with events catering added.
Employers hiring
Restaurants, hotels (service and F&B), event caterers and congress venues.
Prospects
Prospects are strong: service is among the professions in lasting demand, and tips (Trinkgeld) supplement the pay.
Career progression
Chef de rang, maître d'hôtel, then food and beverage manager (F&B).
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 guest-facing role, so English is a real asset and very useful with an international clientele.
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.
Frequently asked questions
- Do tips really count ?
- Yes, in guest-facing roles tips (Trinkgeld) are a genuine supplement to the salary.
- Does the profession include events ?
- Yes, since the 2022 reform, event catering is an integral part of the profession.
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.