Vehicle PainterCritical demand
$50k
Starting out
apprentice
$68k
5 years in
qualified refinisher
$90k+
Expert
specialist / own shop
Vehicle painters (automotive refinishers) prepare and repaint vehicles after repair — stripping, priming, colour-matching and spray-finishing to a factory standard. It's precise, craft-led work where the result has to look flawless. A Green-List shortage trade, so qualified refinishers are in steady demand.
Career switchers. Suits people with a good eye for detail and colour who like a clean, finished result. Painting, spray or panel backgrounds cross in easily. Colour-matching and modern coatings are specialist skills that lift your value — many experienced refinishers run their own booths.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — you're hired by a collision-repair shop and train on the job. NCEA helpful but not essential.
How you get there
Get hired as a refinishing apprentice
Apply to collision-repair and panel shops and sign on to an apprenticeship. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Automotive Refinishing (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship (MITO–Te Pūkenga). Surface prep, masking, colour matching and spray finishing, assessed on real jobs.
~3 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Refinisher → Specialist
Take on high-end colour matching and finishes, lead a booth, or run your own refinishing shop.
~3 years to qualified
Surface prepColour matchingSpray finishingCoatings & QAAttention to detail
An eye for finish pays: colour matching and modern coatings are specialist skills — get them right and you're hard to replace, with a clear path to running your own booth.
Panel BeaterCritical demand
$50k
Starting out
apprentice
$70k
5 years in
qualified panel tech
$92k+
Expert
foreman / own shop
Panel beaters (collision repair technicians) repair vehicle bodies after damage — straightening panels and structures, welding and fabricating, and restoring vehicles to a safe, factory finish. Modern collision repair is technical work: measuring jigs, structural alignment and high-strength steels. A Green-List shortage trade.
Career switchers. A strong fit if you like problem-solving and working with your hands on something different every day. Welding, fabrication or mechanical backgrounds transfer in. Structural repair and modern materials are specialist skills, and many panel techs progress to foreman or business ownership.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — hired by a collision-repair shop and trained on the job. NCEA helpful, not essential.
How you get there
Get hired as a collision-repair apprentice
Apply to panel and collision-repair shops and sign on to an apprenticeship. You earn a full wage from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Collision Repair (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship (MITO–Te Pūkenga). Panel and structural repair, welding, alignment and finishing, assessed on real jobs.
3–4 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Panel Technician → Foreman
Take on structural repairs and complex jobs, run a workshop or start your own collision-repair business.
3–4 years to qualified
Panel & structural repairWelding & fabricationAlignment & measuringFinishingProblem solving
More technical than it looks: modern collision repair uses measuring jigs and high-strength steels. Master structural work and you're a Green-List trade in steady demand.
Boat BuilderCritical demand
$52k
Starting out
apprentice
$72k
5 years in
qualified boat builder
$95k+
Expert
specialist / superyacht
Boat builders construct, fit out and repair boats — timber, fibreglass and composite — from trailer craft to launches and superyachts. New Zealand has a world-class marine manufacturing industry, and it's skilled, craft-led work combining hull construction, composites and precision fit-out.
Career switchers. Carpentry, joinery, composites or fabrication backgrounds cross in well. NZ's marine and superyacht sector is internationally renowned, so the skills travel and specialists are well paid. A flagged shortage trade for people who like building something beautiful and seaworthy.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — hired by a boat builder or marine manufacturer and trained on the job. NCEA helpful, not essential.
How you get there
Get hired as a boat building apprentice
Apply to boat builders and marine manufacturers and sign on to an apprenticeship. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Marine — Boat Building (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship. Hull construction, composites and fibreglass, timber work and marine fit-out, assessed on real builds.
3–4 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Boat Builder → Specialist (composites / superyacht)
Specialise in composites, fit-out or superyacht work — NZ's marine industry is world-class and specialists are in strong, well-paid demand.
3–4 years to qualified
Hull constructionComposites & fibreglassTimber & joineryMarine fit-outFinishing
World-class industry: NZ's marine and superyacht building is internationally renowned. The skills travel, and specialists in composites and fit-out are in strong demand.
Automotive TechnicianCritical demand
$50k
Starting out
apprentice
$68k
5 years in
qualified technician
$90k+
Expert
diagnostic specialist / foreman
Automotive technicians service, diagnose and repair light vehicles — engines, brakes, suspension and increasingly the electronics and software that run a modern car. It's hands-on problem-solving work that keeps the country's vehicles safe and on the road, in every town in New Zealand.
Career switchers. The most widely-available automotive trade — workshops, dealerships and fleets everywhere. Mechanical aptitude and an interest in tech are the core skills. As cars electrify, technicians who add diagnostics and hybrid/EV knowledge are increasingly in demand and well paid.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — hired by a workshop, dealership or fleet and trained on the job. NCEA Level 2 helpful.
How you get there
Get hired as an automotive apprentice
Apply to workshops, dealerships and fleet operators and sign on to an apprenticeship. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship (MITO–Te Pūkenga). Light-vehicle servicing, diagnostics, repair and WoF support, assessed on real jobs.
3–4 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Technician → Diagnostic specialist
Specialise in diagnostics and hybrid/EV systems, or step up to workshop foreman — the higher-paid end of the trade.
3–4 years to qualified
Servicing & repairFault diagnosisElectronics & softwareHybrid / EV systemsCustomer service
Future-proof: as cars electrify, diagnostics and EV know-how are the skills in demand. Add them and you're at the front of where the trade is heading.
Diesel MechanicCritical demand
$52k
Starting out
apprentice
$78k
5 years in
qualified diesel mech
$100k+
Expert
field service / plant
Diesel mechanics diagnose, repair and maintain the trucks, buses and heavy plant that move freight and build the country — engines, drivetrains, hydraulics and braking systems. It's big, satisfying machinery, and the work is essential to freight, construction and agriculture across New Zealand.
Career switchers. Mechanical aptitude transfers straight from light automotive, agricultural or plant backgrounds. Heavy diesel pays more than light vehicle and field-service roles add strong earnings. In demand across transport, civil, mining and forestry.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — hired by a transport, plant or heavy-vehicle employer and trained on the job. NCEA Level 2 helpful.
How you get there
Get hired as a heavy automotive apprentice
Apply to truck, transport, plant and bus operators and sign on to an apprenticeship. You earn a full wage from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship (MITO–Te Pūkenga). Diesel engines, drivetrains, hydraulics and braking on trucks, buses and plant, assessed on real jobs.
3–4 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Diesel Mechanic → Field service / Plant specialist
Move into mobile field service or specialise in heavy plant — high-demand, high-earning work across transport, civil and forestry.
3–4 years to qualified
Diesel diagnosticsDrivetrains & hydraulicsHeavy-vehicle repairPreventative maintenanceField service
Heavy pays heavier: diesel mechanics out-earn light-vehicle technicians, and field-service roles add call-outs and allowances on top — across transport, civil and forestry.
Auto ElectricianCritical demand
$52k
Starting out
apprentice
$78k
5 years in
qualified auto electrician
$100k+
Expert
EV / diagnostics specialist
Auto electricians diagnose, wire and repair the electrical and electronic systems in vehicles — from lighting and accessories to engine management, and increasingly the high-voltage systems in hybrids and EVs. It's the most tech-forward automotive trade, and the one growing fastest as the fleet electrifies.
Career switchers. A strong fit for logical problem-solvers who like electronics and diagnostics. Automotive or electrical backgrounds cross in well. EV and hybrid high-voltage skills are scarce and increasingly valuable — this is arguably the most future-proof corner of the automotive trades.
Entry: Apprenticeship entry — hired by an auto-electrical or automotive workshop and trained on the job. NCEA Level 2 helpful.
How you get there
Get hired as an auto-electrical apprentice
Apply to auto-electrical and automotive workshops and sign on to an apprenticeship. Paid from day one.
Paid from day one
NZ Certificate in Automotive Electrical Engineering (Level 4)
Work-based apprenticeship (MITO–Te Pūkenga). Wiring, electronics, engine management and diagnostics, including hybrid/EV systems, assessed on real jobs.
3–4 yearsFree — apprenticeship
Qualified Auto Electrician → EV / diagnostics specialist
Specialise in hybrid and EV high-voltage systems and advanced diagnostics — scarce, in-demand skills that command the top pay.
3–4 years to qualified
Electrical diagnosticsWiring & electronicsEngine managementHybrid / EV systemsLogical problem solving
Where the fleet's heading: EV and hybrid high-voltage skills are scarce and growing fast. Auto-electrical is arguably the most future-proof automotive trade.