How much does a caretaker earn?
Caretakers look after residential complexes, schools, public buildings, commercial properties and sports facilities: they carry out minor repairs, manage keys and access, organise winter service and outdoor care, and are the first point of contact for tenants and users. Entry is often via a skilled trade apprenticeship, a career change or training as a building-management specialist. Gross pay depends on region, collective agreements, site size and on-call duty. As a guide, qualified caretakers in Germany in 2026 often earn about €3,100–€3,700 gross per month; during training typical ranges are around €950–€1,250.
Salary by region (gross/month)
Orientation figures as of 2026 for typical employed work. Apprenticeship covers dual or related entry paths (e.g. building-management specialist, trade training, trainee). Actual pay depends on collective agreements, site, region, on-call duty, housing benefits and experience and is not a guarantee.
Further training options
Job and everyday work
A caretaker keeps buildings and outdoor areas operational: they fix minor faults, coordinate tradespeople for larger repairs and are the contact for tenants, school management or facility teams. The day shifts between rounds, repairs, winter service, grounds care and documentation – often with on-call duty and weather-dependent work.
- Inspect buildings and outdoor areas; carry out minor repairs to doors, fittings, lighting and inventory.
- Organise key management, access and handovers; document and report defects and damage.
- Brief tradespeople and service providers, coordinate appointments and check completed work.
- Ensure winter service, leaf and grounds care and cleaning of stairwells, paths and bin areas.
- Operate heating, ventilation and basic building technology within authorisation and prioritise faults.
- On-call duty, weekend work and physical tasks in weather, lifting and ladder work are typical.
