Shipyard, refit and shore-based trades
Shipyards, refit companies and marinas need skilled tradespeople who build, maintain and renew yachts. An apprenticeship from Germany, Austria or Switzerland is also the key to technical jobs on board.
Open positionsCertificates and recognition
- Time to first job
- 3–4 years
- Cost to first job
- Paid apprenticeship
- Salary per month
- €2,110 – €4,520
- Season
- Year-round, refit mainly Oct–Apr
Entry route: Apprenticeship in boatbuilding or a technical trade · Last updated: 15/10/2026. No liability is accepted; the linked sources are authoritative.
Duties
- Building and repairing hulls, decks and interiors in wood, GRP and metal
- Installing and maintaining propulsion, electrics, electronics and onboard systems
- Painting and coating, teak decks and upholstery
- Inspecting and renewing rigging, sails and fittings; winterising boats
Career path
- Apprenticeship in boatbuilding, electrical engineering, metalwork or painting
- Skilled worker in a shipyard, refit company or marina
- Master craftsman or refit project manager
- Move on board as an engineer or bosun, or start your own business
Certificates and recognition
Ashore, a completed apprenticeship counts. If you want to move on board, a technical apprenticeship from the EU can shorten the route to an engineering licence.
Apprenticeship in boatbuilding and technical trades
In shipyards, refit and marinas, a completed apprenticeship is the standard. It is also a good route on board: with a technical apprenticeship from the EU, the route to an engineering licence can be shorter. During the apprenticeship you earn an apprentice wage.
- Duration
- 3–4 years
- Valid for
- unlimited
- Germany
- Boatbuilder, 3.5 years, specialising in new build and refit or in technology, exam at the Chamber of Crafts or the Chamber of Commerce; a master craftsman qualification can follow.
- Austria
- Boatbuilder, 3-year apprenticeship, with few training companies, mainly on the lakes and the Danube.
- Switzerland
- Boatbuilder EFZ and boat mechanic EFZ, 4 years each, vocational school in Zofingen one day a week.
Where to train
- Germany: dual apprenticeship as a boatbuilder, specialising in new build and refit or in technology, exam at the Chamber of Crafts or Chamber of Commerce
- Austria: boatbuilder apprenticeship with few training companies on the lakes and the Danube
- Switzerland: boatbuilder EFZ and boat mechanic EFZ with vocational school in Zofingen
We deliberately name no individual schools and receive no commission. Before booking, check that the provider is approved for the certificate you need and for the flag state.
Salary
| Position | Per month | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fit-out trades, incl. boatbuilders (Germany) | €3,362 | Gross median, full time, whole occupational group, Germany, 31 Dec 2025 (BA statistics) |
| Mechanical and vehicle engineering, incl. boatbuilders (technology) (Germany) | €4,393 | Gross median, full time, whole occupational group, Germany, 31 Dec 2025 (BA statistics) |
| Boatbuilder (Austria) | €2,110 – €2,900 | Gross starting salary, Austrian collective agreement (2025), 14 payments (AMS) |
| Mechatronics, energy and electrical trades (Germany) | €4,520 | Gross median, full time, whole occupational group, Germany, 31 Dec 2025 (BA statistics) |
| Textile and leather trades, incl. sailmakers (Germany) | €3,074 | Gross median, full time, whole occupational group, Germany, 31 Dec 2025 (BA statistics) |
| Painter and coating technician (Austria) | €2,490 | Gross starting salary, Austrian collective agreement (2025), 14 payments (AMS) |
Germany: gross median, full time, for the whole occupational group across all experience levels (BA statistics, 31 Dec 2025); figures for individual occupations such as boatbuilder are shown in the BA’s Entgeltatlas. Austria: gross starting salary under the collective agreement, 14 payments. Switzerland: no official figures by occupation; the median wage across all occupations was CHF 7,024 gross in 2024 (FSO).
Your next step
Browse the open positions and apply directly to the employer.
Looking for crew or specialists? Post a job
Thinking of selling or chartering your yacht? Get discreet advice
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Sources
Official bodies, certificate issuers, salary guides and statistics. The current version of each source always prevails.
- Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttomonatsentgelte (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, Tabelle 5.1 nach KldB 2010 (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit – KldB 2010, Fassung 2020: Alphabetisches Verzeichnis der Berufsbenennungen (20.01.2026) (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Entgeltatlas (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- AMS Berufslexikon – BootbauerIn (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- AMS Berufslexikon – Maler- und BeschichtungstechnikerIn (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- Bundesamt für Statistik – Medienmitteilung: 2024 lag der Medianlohn bei 7024 Franken brutto (25.11.2025) (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- YPI CREW – What Are The Two Main Yachting Seasons? (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- Bundesamt für Justiz – Verordnung über die Berufsausbildung zum Bootsbauer und zur Bootsbauerin (2011) (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- berufsberatung.ch (SDBB) – Bootbauer/in EFZ (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- berufsberatung.ch (SDBB) – Bootfachwart/in EFZ (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency – MSN 1904 (M+F): Engineer Officer Small Vessel Certificate of Competency (retrieved on 14/10/2026)