Where to Find Skilled Trades and Blue-Collar Jobs in Austria (2026)

hokify is the mobile-first Austrian platform for trades, retail, logistics, and operational roles: applications run from the phone and most listings need no cover letter. The free AMS eJob-Room carries the largest public database of blue-collar roles, including Mangelberufsliste listings. willhaben Jobs, part of Austria's largest classifieds platform, surfaces the local SME positions that never reach the big boards. Add jobs.at and Indeed Austria for extra volume, and see our best job platforms guide for the full generalist ranking.

Which Trades Are on the Austrian Shortage List?

Electricians, welders, roofers, and several other trades sit on the Mangelberufsliste, the shortage occupation list published annually by the AMS. The list documents occupations where Austria has a labour shortage, and skilled trades hold a large share of it. For qualified non-EU workers, a listed trade opens the Red-White-Red Card route: it is significantly easier to obtain the permit when your occupation is on the list.

Check the AMS eJob-Room alongside the list itself: it includes shortage-occupation listings, so you can pair a listed trade with a concrete vacancy before starting a permit application. EU and EEA citizens do not need the list, they can take any trades job without a permit.

How Do Trade Qualifications Work in Austria?

Austrian trades run on the Lehre, the apprenticeship system that trains and certifies each trade. Employers read qualifications through it and expect recognized credentials: a certificate they can map onto an Austrian trade profile. Foreign certificates may need Nostrifikation, the formal recognition of a qualification earned abroad.

Sort out recognition before applying, not after. A recognized certificate puts you on equal footing with locally trained tradespeople, while an unrecognized one leaves employers guessing about your skill level. The WKO (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber) is the first stop for questions about trade licensing and qualification recognition.

What Do Skilled Trades Jobs Pay in Austria?

Pay follows the trade's Kollektivvertrag, the collective agreement that sets the minimum salary per trade and experience level. Like every Austrian employee, tradespeople receive 13th and 14th salaries: two extra monthly payments per year on top of the twelve regular ones. Check the Kollektivvertrag for your trade before negotiating, your offer should sit at or above its minimum, and see our income tax guide for how gross pay converts to net.

Language matters for the paycheck too: German at B1 level is usually required for site safety briefings and customer contact. Kitchens and some large crews are more international, but trades employers expect working conversational German almost everywhere.