How to become a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer

Builds, repairs and restores musical instruments, and modifies and tunes them to owners' specifications.

Main tasks

• Constructs musical instruments according to specifications and designs
• Repairs damaged or broken musical instruments
• Modifies musical instruments to meet musicians' specific requirements
• Tunes musical instruments for correct pitch and sound
• Inspects and tests musical instruments for quality
• Uses tools to shape, cut and assemble instrument parts
• Applies finishes and varnishes to instruments
• May use 3D printing to recreate missing parts of instruments or manufacture instruments with specific characteristics that are not possible to create using conventional production techniques

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Certificate IV in Piano Technology. Trade occupations are usually entered through an apprenticeship: paid work plus this qualification, typically 3 to 4 years.
• TAFE and VET: Certificate IV in Piano Technology (MSF40522)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $95,888 a year
• About 16,300 people work in this job group now, and about 17,600 are projected by 2035. (+8.3%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Interior Decorator
• Jeweller
• Gallery or Museum Technician
• Library Technician
• Audio Engineer
• Broadcast Technician

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer?

Ways in include: Certificate IV in Piano Technology; Certificate IV in Piano Technology.

How much does a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $95,888 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 8% by 2035, from about 16,300 to about 17,600 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 24% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate IV in Piano Technology; Certificate IV in Piano Technology.

Will AI change the work of a Musical Instrument Maker or Repairer?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04