Comms LinesworkerHigh demand
$72k
5 years in
qualified linesworker
Communications linesworkers install and maintain the aerial and underground lines that carry phone, internet and data, running cable, connecting customers and restoring outages. It's physical, outdoor work, often at height or in the ground, and it keeps the country connected.
Career switchers. A strong entry for fit, practical people who like outdoor work. Civil, construction or electrical-adjacent backgrounds transfer in. No qualifications to start; you train on the job and build toward a telecommunications qualification. A flagged skill shortage with steady demand.
Entry: No qualifications needed to start. You're hired and trained on the job, including height and cable safety.
How you get there
Get hired as a trainee linesworker
Apply to telco contractors and network builders. Fitness and reliability matter most; safety inductions come first. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Telecommunications (Level 3–4)
Work-based training in line installation, cable handling, connections and outage repair, assessed on real jobs.
~2 yearsFree, work-based
Qualified Linesworker → Senior / lead
Take on complex installs and outage response, and step up to leading a crew.
shortage role
Line installationCable handlingOutage repairWorking at heightNetwork safety
Hired without a qualification: linesworking is a fast, work-based way into the connectivity industry, with steady demand as the network keeps expanding.
Cable JointerHigh demand
$78k
5 years in
fibre / copper jointer
$98k+
Expert
specialist / lead
Communications cable jointers join and test the fibre and copper cables that carry the network, splicing, terminating, locating faults and restoring service. Precise, technical hands-on work, increasingly fibre-focused as New Zealand's connectivity grows.
Career switchers. Suits methodical people good with their hands and detail. Electrical, lines or cabling backgrounds cross in well. Fibre splicing is a specialist, in-demand skill that lifts pay. A flagged shortage role with strong, ongoing demand from network builds.
Entry: Work-based entry with field certification. You're hired and trained on the job, building toward fibre and copper jointing certification.
How you get there
Get hired as a trainee cable jointer
Apply to telco contractors and fibre network builders. Paid from day one while you train.
Paid from day one
Fibre & copper jointing certification (work-based)
Train and certify in splicing, termination, testing and fault location across fibre and copper, assessed in the field.
~2 yearsFree, work-based
Fibre / Copper Jointer → Specialist
Specialise in fibre splicing and complex fault restoration. Scarce, well-paid skills in steady demand.
shortage role
Fibre splicingCopper jointingFault locationTesting & restorationAttention to detail
Fibre is the future: jointing is precise, specialist work, and fibre splicing in particular is scarce and well-paid as the network keeps growing.
Comms TechnicianCritical demand
$58k
Starting out
trainee technician
$78k
5 years in
qualified technician
$98k+
Expert
senior / specialist
Communications technicians install, service and diagnose radio systems, antennas and network equipment, testing, fault-finding and keeping connectivity infrastructure running. Technical, problem-solving work across radio, mobile and fixed networks.
Career switchers. A strong fit for people who like electronics, diagnostics and getting systems working. Electrical or electronics backgrounds transfer in; vendor certifications add value. A flagged shortage role with broad demand across the connectivity sector.
Entry: Technician or trade pathway. Work-based training, often with vendor certifications, sometimes built on a diploma.
How you get there
Get hired as a trainee communications technician
Apply to telco operators and contractors. Paid while you train; electronics aptitude helps.
Paid while you train
NZ Certificate in Telecommunications (Level 4) + vendor certs
Work-based training in radio systems, antennas, equipment testing and diagnostics, plus vendor certifications.
2–3 yearsFree, work-based
Qualified Technician → Senior / specialist
Specialise in radio, mobile or fixed-network systems and move into senior technical roles.
shortage role
Radio systemsAntennasEquipment testingFault diagnosisVendor certifications
Electronics that pays: technician work blends diagnostics and field problem-solving, with vendor certs that lift your value. It's a flagged shortage role.
Technical OfficerCritical demand
$65k
Starting out
junior officer
$85k
5 years in
technical officer
$105k+
Expert
senior / network lead
Communications technical officers work at the systems level, supporting network design, testing systems and producing the documentation networks are built and maintained from. It bridges hands-on technical work and engineering, for people who like the bigger picture of how a network fits together.
Career switchers. A natural step up for experienced technicians, or an entry via a diploma or degree. Suits analytical people who enjoy design and documentation as well as troubleshooting. A flagged shortage role with progression toward network engineering and lead roles.
Entry: Diploma or degree pathway, often entered after technician experience or via an engineering/IT diploma.
How you get there
Diploma / degree or technician experience
Enter via an engineering, networking or IT diploma, or step up after experience as a communications technician.
diploma / experience
Get hired as a technical officer
Join a network operator or integrator supporting network design, system testing and documentation.
Paid role
Technical Officer → Senior / network lead
Move into network design and lead technical roles. The systems-level, higher-paid end of the sector.
shortage role
Network supportSystem testingTechnical documentationDesign supportTroubleshooting
The systems view: technical officers see how the whole network fits together. A step up from the tools toward network engineering and lead roles.
Field EngineerCritical demand
$70k
Starting out
graduate / junior
$95k
5 years in
field engineer
$120k+
Expert
senior / lead
Communications field engineers configure, test and commission network equipment on site, bringing new infrastructure online, troubleshooting complex faults and making sure systems perform. It's the most senior field role, combining hands-on work with engineering know-how, and the best-paid of the connectivity trades.
Career switchers. The destination of the technician pathway, or entry via an engineering/networking diploma or degree plus vendor certifications. Suits strong problem-solvers who like being on site and owning the outcome. A flagged shortage role with the highest pay in the sector.
Entry: Diploma or technician pathway plus vendor certifications. Often reached after technician experience.
How you get there
Technician experience or engineering diploma
Build experience as a communications technician, or enter via an engineering/networking diploma plus vendor certifications.
diploma / experience
Vendor certifications + commissioning experience
Gain vendor certifications and hands-on commissioning experience configuring and testing network equipment on site.
Vendor certs
Field Engineer → Senior / lead
Own complex site commissioning and fault resolution and lead field teams. The highest-paid field role in the sector.
shortage role
Equipment configurationSite commissioningNetwork testingComplex troubleshootingVendor certifications
Top of the field: combining hands-on work with engineering, field engineers own the outcome on site. The best-paid of the connectivity roles and a flagged shortage.