ConcreterHigh demand
$52k
Starting out
labourer / trainee
$70k
5 years in
qualified concreter
$90k+
Expert
specialist / own crew
Concreters place, finish and cure the concrete that forms foundations, slabs, paths, bridges and structures, building formwork, pouring, levelling and finishing to spec. It's physical, hands-on work where timing and craft matter, and it's everywhere civil and construction happens.
Career switchers. A strong entry for fit, reliable people who like working outdoors and seeing a result the same day. Labouring or construction backgrounds cross straight in. Specialist and decorative concreting, and running your own crew, are where the pay climbs.
Entry: No qualifications needed to start. You're hired onto a crew and train on the job.
How you get there
Get hired onto a concreting crew
Apply to civil and construction contractors. Fitness and reliability matter most. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Concrete (Level 3–4)
Work-based training in formwork, placing, finishing and curing, assessed on real jobs.
~2 yearsFree, work-based
Qualified Concreter → specialist / own crew
Move into decorative and specialist concrete or run your own crew. The higher-paid end of the trade.
~2 years to qualified
FormworkPlacing & finishingCuring & QAReading levelsPhysical fitness
Craft you can see: good concreting is timing and finish. Specialist and decorative work, or your own crew, is where it pays. There's no qualification gate to start.
Earthmoving OperatorHigh demand
$55k
Starting out
trainee operator
$74k
5 years in
experienced operator
$95k+
Expert
senior / multi-ticket
Earthmoving plant operators run the big machines (excavators, bulldozers, graders and loaders) preparing sites, shaping land and moving earth for roads, subdivisions and infrastructure. Precise, in-demand work that's central to every civil project.
Career switchers. If you like operating machinery and working outdoors, this is a fast, well-paid way in. No qualifications to start; you gain machine tickets (Certificate of Competence) on the job. Holding multiple machine tickets makes you more valuable and lifts pay.
Entry: No qualifications needed to start. You're hired and gain machinery tickets and a civil qualification on the job.
How you get there
Get hired as a trainee plant operator
Apply to civil contractors and earthworks firms. Paid from day one while you train on the machines.
Paid from day one
Machine tickets + NZ Certificate in Civil Infrastructure (Level 3–4)
Gain Certificates of Competence on each machine type alongside a work-based civil qualification.
~2 yearsFree, work-based
Experienced Operator → multi-ticket / senior
Hold tickets across excavator, dozer and grader and take on complex earthworks. The higher-paid, in-demand end.
tickets lift pay
Excavator / dozer / graderSite preparationMachine ticketsSafety controlsSetting to levels
Tickets are money: every machine ticket you hold makes you more useful and better paid. No qualification gate to start. You learn on the machines.
Asphalt OperatorCritical demand
$72k
5 years in
experienced operator
$90k+
Expert
senior / supervisor
Asphalt plant operators run the paving machinery that surfaces New Zealand's roads, placing and compacting asphalt to spec and managing quality on the job. Outdoor, team-based work that keeps the country's roading network moving, and a Green-List shortage role.
Career switchers. A solid entry for people who like machinery and roading work, labouring or civil backgrounds transfer in. No qualifications to start; you ticket up on the job. Roading runs year-round, so the work is steady and demand is strong.
Entry: No qualifications needed to start. You're hired and gain machinery tickets on the job.
How you get there
Get hired onto a roading / surfacing crew
Apply to roading and civil contractors. Fitness and reliability matter most. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
Machine tickets + NZ Certificate in Civil Infrastructure (Level 3–4)
Gain Certificates of Competence on paving plant alongside a work-based civil qualification.
~2 yearsFree, work-based
Experienced Operator → Supervisor
Run the plant on major jobs and step up to crew supervision. The senior, higher-paid end of surfacing.
Green List role
Paving machineryAsphalt placementCompaction & QARoading safetyTeamwork
Green-List roading: surfacing is in such demand it's on the Green List. Steady year-round work, no qualification gate, and machine tickets lift your pay.
Survey TechnicianCritical demand
$52k
Starting out
trainee technician
$74k
5 years in
survey technician
$95k+
Expert
senior / party chief
Surveying and spatial technicians measure and set out sites, capture spatial and GIS data, and produce the as-built records civil projects rely on. It's a mix of precise outdoor fieldwork and technology (total stations, GPS and GIS) and the work that makes sure everything is built in exactly the right place.
Career switchers. A strong fit for people who like accuracy, the outdoors and technology. Entered via a diploma or work-based training. Many start as a trainee and study while working. A shortage role with clear progression to party chief and on towards licensed surveying.
Entry: Diploma or work-based technician pathway. You can start as a trainee and study while you work.
How you get there
Get hired as a survey trainee / assistant
Apply to surveying and civil firms. Many start as a field assistant and study alongside work.
Paid while you train
NZ Diploma in Surveying / Spatial (Level 5–6)
Field surveying, set-out, GIS data capture and as-built records, combining study with on-the-job work.
2 yearsdiploma study
Survey Technician → Party chief / Senior
Lead survey teams as a party chief, or progress toward licensed cadastral surveying with further study.
shortage role
Field surveyingSet-out & levelsGPS / total stationGIS data captureAs-built records
Outdoors meets tech: surveying blends precise fieldwork with GPS and GIS. A shortage role with a clear ladder toward party chief and licensed surveying.
Civil DraftspersonCritical demand
$55k
Starting out
junior drafter
$78k
5 years in
civil draftsperson
$100k+
Expert
senior / BIM lead
Civil engineering draftspeople turn engineers' designs into the detailed drawings projects are built from (roads, drainage, structures and services) using CAD and increasingly BIM. It's the technical, office-based side of civil: precise, software-led work that bridges design and construction.
Career switchers. A strong fit for people who like detail, technology and design but prefer the office to the site. Entered via a diploma or degree; CAD and BIM skills are in demand. A shortage role with progression to senior drafter and BIM coordination as the sector digitises.
Entry: Diploma or degree pathway. A civil/engineering diploma or drafting qualification, often built on while working.
How you get there
NZ Diploma in Engineering / Architectural Technology (Level 6)
Covers technical drawing, CAD, civil documentation and design principles. The foundation for drafting work.
2 yearsdiploma study
Get hired as a junior draftsperson
Join a civil engineering consultancy or contractor, producing drawings and document control under senior engineers.
Paid role
Civil Draftsperson → Senior / BIM lead
Move into complex civil documentation and BIM coordination. The senior, higher-paid end as the sector digitises.
shortage role
CAD draftingBIM modellingCivil documentationPlan readingDocument control
Civil, without the weather: drafting is the office side of civil. CAD and BIM skills in demand, with a clear path to senior and BIM-lead roles as projects digitise.