Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau

Bank clerks receive their Ausbildung (vocational training) in a dual system. Learning locations are the training company (usually credit institutions): offices, customer counters, and the Berufsschule (vocational school): classrooms. If companies cannot provide all required training content, parts of the training can be moved to inter-company training centers.

Job Type: Recognized Ausbildung (vocational training) profession. Type of Training: Dual training in the credit industry (regulated by training ordinance). Training Duration: 3 years. Learning Locations: Training company and Berufsschule (vocational school) (dual training). What does one do in this profession? Bank clerks assist customers with financial matters. For example, they provide information on capital investments, account management, and process domestic or international payment transactions for customers. They provide individual advice on private and corporate loans, Bausparverträge (building savings contracts), life insurance, or other contracts, facilitate contract conclusions, and process them. Within a credit institution, they plan and manage workflows. Furthermore, they conduct controls in accounting and monitor compliance with legal regulations and internal company guidelines. Where does one work? Bank clerks find employment in credit institutions such as banks and direct banks, giro centers, Sparkassen (savings banks), and Bausparkassen (building societies), and at stock exchanges.

Job Title: Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau. Job Type: Recognized Ausbildung (vocational training) profession. Training Duration: 3 years. What does one do in this profession? Bank clerks assist customers with financial matters. For example, they provide information on capital investments, account management, and process domestic or international payment transactions for customers. They provide individual advice on private and corporate loans, Bausparverträge (building savings contracts), life insurance, or other contracts, facilitate contract conclusions, and process them. Within a credit institution, they plan and manage workflows. Furthermore, they conduct controls in accounting and monitor compliance with legal regulations and internal company guidelines. Where does one work? Bank clerks find employment in credit institutions such as banks and direct banks, giro centers, Sparkassen (savings banks), and Bausparkassen (building societies), at stock exchanges, or in securities trading. Further professions: Professions in office and secretarial work, professions related to money, insurance, and real estate.

3 years

The Ausbildung (vocational training) is carried out concurrently in the training company and the Berufsschule (vocational school). Vocational school classes take place on specific weekdays or in block form. Excerpt from the training framework plan and the framework curriculum: 1st to 15th month of training: Training in the company and, if necessary, in inter-company courses: Offering services, ensuring liquidity, building assets with savings forms, offering consumer loans and preparing contracts, working project-oriented. 1st and 2nd year of training: Training in the Berufsschule (vocational school) in the learning fields: Shaping one's own role in the company and in economic life, managing accounts for private customers and processing payment transactions, managing accounts for business and corporate customers and processing payment transactions, advising customers on investments in accounts and state-subsidized savings, concluding general consumer loan agreements, applying market models, recording and documenting value flows and business processes, advising customers on F investments.

No costs are incurred for carrying out the Ausbildung (vocational training). The training company provides the training materials required for the practical part of the training and pays the examination fees. Unless otherwise regulated, trainees must bear the costs of learning materials for vocational school classes and for work clothing themselves. In addition, costs may arise if training facilities are far from the place of residence. Funding opportunities: In certain life situations, trainees can receive Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (vocational training allowance). Further information: Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (BAB).

During their vocational training (Ausbildung), trainees learn, for example, how to receive customer inquiries in analog and digital form, determine customer wishes, answer customer questions, and process customer orders. They learn how to prepare customer consultations in a customer-oriented manner, develop, offer, and explain customer-specific solutions using analog or digital sales and consulting support tools. They also learn how to systematically follow up on customer consultations, document discussion results, and implement agreements. Furthermore, they learn how to open, manage, and close accounts, and how to advise customers on investment options in accounts or on building savings contracts. They learn what to consider when advising customers on investments in stocks, bonds, funds, and certificates, and what opportunities and risks investments in securities entail. They also learn how to inform customers about the specifics of digital account usage or digital securities trading and provide security-relevant information.

The following conditions and requirements should be anticipated: In the company: Practical involvement (under guidance): Advising customers on the choice of account type, informing about investment opportunities in securities, preparing credit proposals. Environment: Changing workplaces, screen work in offices, work at customer counters. Working hours: Potentially irregular working hours (e.g., in direct, telephone, or online banking). Requirements: Customer and service orientation, communication skills (e.g., in customer consulting). Diligence, concentration, and confidentiality (e.g., when properly booking business transactions, when handling customer data). Business acumen and negotiation skills (e.g., when assessing credit risks, when negotiating conditions for investments or loans). At the vocational school (Berufsschule): Classes on one or two days per week or as block instruction.

Trainees can complete parts of their vocational training (Ausbildung) abroad, for example: Great Britain, Ireland: Intensive course "Professional Development Programme (PDP)", possibly with the acquisition of the additional qualification "Kaufmann/-frau International Certificate". Location: European College of Business and Management (ECBM), London and Dublin. Duration: 3 weeks. Various European countries: Internship abroad as part of the additional qualification "Europaassistent/in". Duration: at least 3 weeks. Entry requirement: secondary school leaving certificate.

The training allowance for a dual vocational training (Ausbildung) is paid by the training company and, for companies bound by collective agreements, is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees must be granted an appropriate remuneration. If the training takes place in a school-based form (e.g., at a vocational school or as a vocational basic training year BGJ in the 1st year of training), no training allowance is paid. Example for the banking sector (monthly gross): 1st year of training: 1,350 € to 1,496 €. 2nd year of training: 1,420 € to 1,558 €. 3rd year of training: 1,500 € to 1,620 €. Source: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS), as of November 2025. The collective bargaining agreement applies to the entire federal territory (Bundesgebiet). Note: This information is for orientation purposes. No claims can be derived from it.

In-depth knowledge in the following school subjects are good prerequisites for successful vocational training (Ausbildung): German: e.g., to conduct consulting discussions. Economics: e.g., to analyze balance sheet figures of companies. Mathematics: e.g., to perform interest and percentage calculations. English: e.g., to communicate with international customers.

The additional qualification "Europaassistent/in" is aimed at trainees with at least a secondary school leaving certificate. It expands the initial training with intercultural competencies and offers trainees the opportunity to improve foreign language skills. For this, trainees attend additional vocational school (Berufsschule) classes, e.g., in European Commercial and Economic Law, and complete a multi-week internship abroad. The responsible chamber (IHK) provides further information. The additional qualification "Privates Vermögensmanagement" (Private Wealth Management) provides knowledge in financial services and real estate in addition to the initial training. Trainees attend additional vocational school classes, e.g., in private customer consulting on individual insurances, construction financing, wealth planning, and complete a written and oral examination. The responsible Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) provides further information.

The following Ausbildung (vocational training) alternatives are available for the profession of Bankkaufmann/-frau: Area of Money, Insurance, and Real Estate: Immobilienkaufmann/Immobilienkauffrau (Real Estate Agent), Investmentfondskaufmann/Investmentfondskauffrau (Investment Fund Specialist), Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen (Insurance and Financial Investment Specialist). Commonality: Offering and marketing money and asset investments, insurance, and real estate. Area of Sales and Distribution: Industriekaufmann/Industriekauffrau (Industrial Clerk), Automobilkaufmann/Automobilkauffrau (Automotive Salesperson). Commonality: Customer service, conducting financing operations.

In 1946 and 1951, the profession of Sparkassenkaufmann/-frau (Savings Bank Clerk) was recognized in the Bundesland (federal states) of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony, respectively. In 1961, the Ausbildung (vocational training) for Bankkaufmann/-frau received state recognition. In 1973 and 1979, the Ausbildung regulation came into force according to the Berufsbildungsgesetz (Vocational Training Act). In 1995, the Sparkassenkaufmann/-frau profession merged into the Bankkaufmann/-frau Ausbildung. In 1997, the Ausbildung was restructured (customer and market-oriented thinking and acting became more prominent). In 2020, the Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG) and Handwerksordnung (HWO) were amended: among other things, a minimum Ausbildung remuneration was introduced; the possibility of completing Ausbildungen part-time was expanded. A new, modernized Ausbildung regulation, including a new examination structure (final examination in two separate parts) and consideration of content and technological developments (especially through digitalization), was introduced. In 2024, the Berufsbildungsvalidierungs- und -digitalisierungsgesetzes came into force with adjustments to vocational training.

Bankkaufmann/-frau is a 3-year recognized Ausbildung (vocational training) profession in the credit industry (Industry and Trade Ausbildung sector).

Qualification title: Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Future bank clerks can gain a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their Ausbildung (vocational training), for example, in private wealth management or foreign languages for commercial trainees. Finding suitable employment: After their Ausbildung, bank clerks primarily work in credit institutions such as banks and direct banks, giro centers, Sparkassen (savings banks), and Bausparkassen (building societies). Securing employability: Through adaptive further training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current, up-to-date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from banking and financial services to accounting. Advancing professionally: Upward-focused further training helps to advance professionally and achieve leadership positions. It is logical to take the examination as a Bankfachwirt/in (Bank Specialist). With a Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (university entrance qualification), one can also pursue a Studium (university degree) and, for example, obtain a bachelor's degree.

In 2024, there were 9,528 new Ausbildung (vocational training) entrants. 60 percent had the Hochschulreife (university entrance qualification), and 39 percent had a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss (intermediate school leaving certificate). New Ausbildung entrants 2024: Intermediate school leaving certificate 39%, University entrance qualification 60%, Other 1%. Source: The information is based on data from the Datensystem Auszubildende (DAZUBI) of the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB).

Legal regulations and recommendations exist for the vocational training (Ausbildung) of Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau (bank clerk). These are defined by the Ordinance on Vocational Training for Bank Clerks (Bankkaufleuteausbildungsverordnung - BankkflAusbV) from February 5, 2020 (BGBl. I S. 121), amended by the ordinance from April 30, 2021 (BGBl. I S. 865). Additionally, a framework curriculum (Rahmenlehrplan) for the vocational training profession of Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau exists, based on the resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz) from December 13, 2019.

Legally, no specific prior education is required for this vocational training (Ausbildung).