Key Takeaways
- Car mechatronics technician (Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker) leads Germany’s Ausbildung rankings. It had 24,531 new training contracts in 2025.
- IT specialist (Fachinformatiker) dropped from second to fourth place among male apprentices in 2025. It fell by 2,300 contracts from the year before.
- Medical assistant is the single most-chosen occupation among women in Germany. Office management clerk ranks second among women.
- Bank clerk, industrial clerk, and retail salesperson are the only top occupations that split close to evenly between men and women.
| Rank | Occupation | New Contracts | % Male | % Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker/-in (car mechatronics technician) | 24,531 | 93.8% | 6.2% |
| 2 | Kaufmann/-frau für Büromanagement (office management clerk) | 21,732 | 28.6% | 71.3% |
| 3 | Verkäufer/-in (retail salesperson) | 21,585 | 53.7% | 46.3% |
| 4 | Medizinische/-r Fachangestellte/-r (medical assistant) | 17,829 | 6.4% | 93.5% |
| 5 | Zahnmedizinische/-r Fachangestellte/-r (dental assistant) | 17,274 | 6.2% | 93.8% |
| 6 | Fachinformatiker/-in (IT specialist) | 15,072 | 88.3% | 11.5% |
| 7 | Kaufmann/-frau im Einzelhandel (retail clerk) | 14,658 | 52.9% | 47.0% |
| 8 | Elektroniker/-in (electronics technician) | 14,550 | 96.8% | 3.1% |
| 9 | Anlagenmechaniker/-in für Sanitär-, Heizungs- und Klimatechnik (HVAC/plumbing technician) | 14,523 | 97.6% | 2.3% |
| 10 | Industriekaufmann/-frau (industrial clerk) | 14,097 | 48.4% | 51.6% |
| 11 | Industriemechaniker/-in (industrial mechanic) | 10,383 | 94.0% | 5.9% |
| 12 | Bankkaufmann/-frau (bank clerk) | 9,798 | 54.5% | 45.5% |
| 13 | Kaufmann/-frau für Groß- und Außenhandelsmanagement (wholesale/foreign trade clerk) | 9,294 | 62.7% | 37.3% |
| 14 | Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik (warehouse logistics specialist) | 8,472 | 87.0% | 13.0% |
| 15 | Mechatroniker/-in (mechatronics technician) | 8,220 | 93.2% | 6.7% |
Source: BIBB (2025)
Rankings include occupations merged with historical predecessor occupations.
Absolute values are rounded to the nearest multiple of 3 for data-protection reasons. The exact underlying figures may differ slightly as a result.
Ausbildung is Germany’s dual vocational training system. It pairs paid on-the-job training with classes at a vocational school.
Germany signed 461,900 new dual training contracts in 2025.
Car mechatronics technician is the most in-demand Ausbildung occupation in Germany. It recorded 24,531 new contracts in 2025.
Germany’s automotive industry explains why car mechatronics leads the rankings. It is the country’s largest industrial sector by revenue.
Top German Companies by Revenue ->
The occupation is also open to more applicants than many competing trades. No school diploma is legally required to start training as a Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker.
Companies typically prefer applicants with a middle-tier secondary school certificate. That preference isn’t a legal requirement.
Car mechatronics technician has also topped Germany’s Ausbildung rankings for at least three consecutive years:
- 2023: 23,517 new contracts
- 2024: 25,221 new contracts
- 2025: 24,531 new contracts
IT specialist (Fachinformatiker) dropped from second to fourth place among male apprentices in 2025. It fell by 2,300 contracts compared with the year before.
The drop partly reflects a broader shift. AI and automation increasingly handle entry-level coding and support tasks that used to train new apprentices.
Men and Women in Germany Choose Different Ausbildung Occupations
Car mechatronics technician is 93.8% male. Counted by gender alone, it ranks only 27th among women.
Medical assistant (Medizinische Fachangestellte) is the single most-chosen occupation among all women in Germany. It drew 16,100 new female apprentices in 2025.
Office management clerk ranks second among women specifically. It drew 14,900 new contracts.
Medical assistant doesn’t appear in the top 50 occupations chosen by men at all.
Dental assistant (Zahnmedizinische Fachangestellte) follows the same female-dominated pattern as medical assistant. It is 93.8% female.
The split traces back to early influences, not innate differences. Family background and parents’ own occupations shape career choices from a young age.
A lack of visible female role models in technical and trade occupations reinforces the pattern further.
Three occupations break that pattern. Bank clerk, industrial clerk, and retail salesperson split close to evenly between men and women:
- Industrial clerk (Industriekaufmann/-frau): 51.6% female
- Retail salesperson (Verkäufer/-in): 46.3% female
- Bank clerk (Bankkaufmann/-frau): 45.5% female
Car mechatronics technician didn’t reach the top by accident. It sits inside Germany’s largest industrial sector. A wide-open entry path and a multi-year lead have kept it there.
Gender remains the one divide that holds steady across nearly every top occupation, regardless. It doesn’t matter whether an occupation is growing, shrinking, or simply holding its lead.
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