AI jobs in Germany are not only for engineers: AI skills are in demand across many fields. Employers also need people who bring AI into everyday work, from automation to consulting and management. This guide is for career changers in Germany who speak English. It shows which AI jobs exist, what they pay, whether English is enough, where to find jobs and how to get funded training.
Key takeaways
- AI jobs exist at different technical levels, so you do not have to start as a programmer.
- Official data (Entgeltatlas, 2025): median 6,877 euros gross per month for the job group with AI Managers (KI-Manager), 6,702 euros for the IT experts group with AI Prompters and AI Engineers (KI-Prompter/ KI-Engineer).
- Some employers hire in English, but German helps with many others.
- Funded training in English is possible with a Bildungsgutschein, a training voucher from the Agentur für Arbeit (employment agency) or the Jobcenter, if you are eligible.
Is AI in demand in Germany?
Yes, but read the numbers carefully. The big figures cover IT in general, not only AI.
- In 2025, around 109,000 IT positions in Germany were vacant, according to the federal government’s portal Make it in Germany. These are all IT jobs, not only AI jobs.
- The same portal names AI roles employers look for: data scientists, AI engineers, software developers specialising in AI, computer scientists and database developers.
- The Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) counted almost 23,000 job ads in 2023 and 2024 that asked for at least basic generative AI skills. They often appeared in ads for data scientists, consultants and media jobs.
So AI is often an extra skill inside an existing field, which means your previous experience still counts.
6 AI jobs and which ones fit career changers
Job titles differ between employers, so use this table as orientation.
| Role | What you do | Technical level | Good first step for career changers? |
| AI Specialist / AI Operations Specialist | Bring AI tools into daily work, build workflows, train colleagues | Low to medium | Yes, realistic |
| AI Automation Engineer | Build automated workflows that connect AI, apps and data | Medium | Yes, realistic |
| AI Consultant | Advise teams where AI helps and how to introduce it | Low to medium, plus business knowledge | Easier with experience from your old job |
| AI Manager | Plan and lead AI projects across teams | Low to medium, plus leadership | Easier with experience from your old job |
| AI Engineer | Build and run AI systems | High | Usually needs more technical experience |
| AI governance and compliance | Check that AI use follows rules and laws | Low to medium, plus legal knowledge | Usually needs legal or compliance experience |
AI Specialist or AI Operations Specialist (KI-Spezialist)
This is the most realistic entry point for many career changers. AI Specialists bring tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or Microsoft 365 into a team’s daily work. They build prompts and workflows, test what works, document it and train colleagues. You need to understand business processes more than code, so experience from sales, HR, finance or administration is useful.
AI Automation Engineer
AI Automation Engineers connect AI models with the tools a company already uses, such as email, spreadsheets, CRM systems and databases, and build workflows that run on their own. Typical tools are n8n and APIs. Some programming helps, but you can start with low-code tools. It is a realistic first target because you can show results with small projects. In German ads, look for terms like KI-Automatisierung or Prozessautomatisierung.
AI Consultant (KI-Berater)
AI Consultants help organisations decide where AI makes sense, what it costs and how to introduce it. The work mixes workshops, process analysis, tool selection and change management. AI consultant jobs usually build on experience in a business field or in consulting, so career changers with a strong background in one industry have an advantage. Without that background, AI Specialist is the easier first step.
AI Manager (KI-Manager)
AI Managers plan and lead AI projects in a company. They set priorities, work with IT, legal and business teams, and report to management. The role usually builds on earlier experience in project management, team leadership, product or consulting. If you already lead projects or teams, this is a realistic direction once you have gained AI project experience.
AI Engineer (more technical, often needs more programming)
AI Engineers build, connect and run AI systems, for example applications based on large language models and company-wide AI platforms. Most AI engineer jobs expect solid programming skills, often in Python. Make it in Germany lists AI Engineers among the roles in demand and names a degree in computer science, data science or AI, or IT vocational training plus further training, as routes in. For career changers without programming experience, this is a longer path.
AI governance and compliance roles (for example the KI-Beauftragter)
Companies that use AI have to deal with data protection, internal policies and rules such as the EU AI Act. Governance and compliance roles, for example the KI-Beauftragter (AI officer), check how AI is used, document risks and advise teams. These jobs usually ask for legal, data protection, audit or compliance experience, so they suit people who already work in these fields.
If you also consider security, read about entry-level cybersecurity jobs in Germany and whether AI will replace cybersecurity jobs. Cybersecurity is another field with junior roles, and Cybersteps teaches it too.
AI salaries in Germany
The Entgeltatlas of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit is the official source. Its numbers are gross per month for full-time employees, and they describe a whole job group, not one job title. The data is from 2025.
| Job group in the Entgeltatlas | Median per month | Lower quartile per month (a quarter earns less) |
| Includes KI-Manager/in (company organisation and strategy) | 6,877 euros (x 12: 82,524) | 5,303 euros (x 12: 63,636) |
| IT experts: includes KI-Engineer, KI-Prompter, Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Engineer, Informatiker | 6,702 euros (x 12: 80,424) | 5,413 euros (x 12: 64,956) |
The second row is one data set for the whole group, so it is the closest official figure for an AI Engineer salary, but it also covers other IT jobs. Juniors and career changers usually start below the median.
For AI Specialist, AI Automation Engineer, AI Consultant and governance roles there is no separate official number, so we show none and do not fill the gap with salary portals.
Can you get an AI job in Germany with English only?
Sometimes, but it depends on the role and the employer. Some international companies and startups hire in English, so English IT jobs in Germany do exist. Many other employers expect German at work. There is no single rule for all AI jobs, so check each ad.
Read the language part of every job ad: it names English, German or both, and sometimes a level. If the ad is unclear, ask in the first call. For training, our guide to Bildungsgutschein courses in English shows what is possible.
Where to find AI and IT jobs in Germany in English
These sites cover IT jobs in Germany, including AI roles. Use several.
- Arbeitsagentur job search: the official German job search.
- Make it in Germany job listings: the federal government’s board for international professionals, with a section for IT specialists.
- LinkedIn Jobs: many international employers post here.
- StepStone: a large German job board.
- Indeed Germany: collects listings from many sources.
- Arbeitnow: a job board focused on jobs in Germany.
- Berlin Startup Jobs: jobs at startups, mostly in Berlin.
- GermanTechJobs: a job board for tech roles in Germany.
Three tips:
- Search with English and German job titles, for example “KI-Manager” or “KI-Spezialist”.
- Use the language filters where a site offers them.
- Look at mid-sized companies, not only big names.
How to start without an AI degree
Junior AI engineer roles usually ask for programming skills, so most career changers do better with AI Specialist or AI Automation roles as a first target. Four steps:
- Learn the basics. Understand how large language models work, how to write good prompts, how to automate workflows and which data protection rules apply.
- Build two or three small projects. For example an automation for a process you know, an internal AI assistant or an AI plan for a team. Describe the problem, your solution and the result.
- Get recognised certificates. They show employers what you know, especially when your CV comes from another field.
- Prepare your CV and LinkedIn. Describe your earlier job in terms of processes you improved and tools you used, add your projects and use English and German keywords.
Funded AI training in English with a Bildungsgutschein
A Bildungsgutschein can cover approved further training. Your advisor decides based on individual conditions, usually whether the training helps to end or prevent unemployment. The Bildungsgutschein overview and our guide on how to get a Bildungsgutschein explain more. In short:
- Contact your Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter and ask for an appointment about funded further training.
- Talk to your advisor about your plan. If the conditions are met, you receive the voucher.
- Find an approved course and provider. The voucher is usually limited in time, region and training goal.
- Take part in the training. You can send required documents online.
Not sure which route fits? Read what the Agentur für Arbeit funds in IT and the difference between Umschulung and Weiterbildung.
English at B1 meets the language condition of our program, so you do not need German for the English course.
Our AI Weiterbildung in English (AI Consultant) runs 3 to 8 months, full-time and online, and Cybersteps is an AZAV-certified provider (CERTQUA). It can be funded up to 100% with a Bildungsgutschein if you are eligible: you need a registered residence in Germany, B1 and registration as a job seeker.
Three modules cover Applied AI (workflows and automation), AI Engineering (enterprise AI systems) and AI Consulting (management and strategy), and participants with AI experience can start with Module 2. Tools include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, n8n and Microsoft 365, and you can prepare for up to 7 certifications, including IHK and Microsoft, with exam vouchers included. Weekly 1:1 mentoring and career support run in the second half of the program and after it.
While you train, you may receive Arbeitslosengeld (unemployment benefit) or Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld). The Arbeitsagentur says Arbeitslosengeld is usually paid on during a funded training, and explains the switch from Bürgergeld to Grundsicherungsgeld.
FAQ
Is AI in demand in Germany?
Yes, AI skills are in demand in Germany. Around 109,000 IT positions were vacant in 2025, and the IW counted almost 23,000 job ads in 2023 and 2024 that asked for at least basic generative AI skills. The 109,000 cover all IT jobs, not only AI. AI often appears as an extra skill inside existing jobs.
How much do AI jobs pay in Germany?
It depends on the role, and official data covers whole job groups, not single titles. For the AI engineer salary in Germany, the closest figure is a median of 6,702 euros gross per month for the IT experts group with KI-Engineer. The group with KI-Manager/in has a median of 6,877 euros (Entgeltatlas, 2025). Juniors usually start below the median.
Can I get an AI job in Germany if I only speak English?
Sometimes. Some international companies and startups hire in English, while many other employers expect German at work. Read the language requirements in each job ad, because they differ by role and employer. For IT jobs in Germany for English speakers, start with international companies and startups and use the job sites listed above.
Do I need a degree to work in AI?
Not for every AI role. Make it in Germany says that, depending on the role, specialists with a degree or with vocational training can fit. A degree in computer science, data science or AI is one route; IT vocational training plus further training is another. AI Specialist and AI Automation Engineer are more open to career changers with training and projects.
Which AI job is best for beginners?
AI Specialist and AI Automation Engineer are the most realistic first steps for career changers. Both build on practical skills such as using AI tools, building workflows and automating tasks, and small projects can show them. AI Consultant and AI Manager are easier with experience from your old job. AI Engineer usually needs more technical experience.
Can I get funded AI training in English in Germany?
Yes, if you are eligible. Cybersteps’ AI Weiterbildung can be funded up to 100% with a Bildungsgutschein from the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter. You need a registered residence in Germany, registration as a job seeker and B1 English. Your advisor decides whether you meet the conditions.
AI Weiterbildung in English, funded with a Bildungsgutschein if you are eligible
Learn to work with AI in 3 to 8 months, full-time and online. Explore the AI Weiterbildung in English
Check Your EligibilitySources
- Make it in Germany, IT specialists (109,000 open positions in 2025, AI roles)
- Make it in Germany, job listings
- Entgeltatlas, KI-Manager/in
- Entgeltatlas, IT experts group incl. KI-Engineer
- IW short report No. 57 (2025), almost 23,000 ads with at least basic generative AI skills
- Arbeitsagentur, Bildungsgutschein
- Arbeitsagentur, Grundsicherungsgeld replaces Bürgergeld
Ready for the next step in your career?
