How to become an electric motor technician
Official title: Electric motor technician
Also called: Electric motor service technician, Armature winder, Electric motor rewinder, Dynamo fitter, Electric motor fitter
Electric motor technicians install, service and repair electrical motors, wiring and switches in equipment like electric golf carts or power tools.
Main tasks
- Install electrical motors and parts in equipment
- Inspect electrical motors for damage
- Repair electrical motors and equipment
- Test motors to make sure they work
- Adjust motors to improve performance
- Use hoists to lift heavy motors
- Communicate with workers during repairs
- Record repairs and maintenance work
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become an electric motor technician and a qualification may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair) (Level 4); to pass the Electrical Service Technician course and exam; to have an Electrical Service Technician practising licence; a Trainee Limited Certificate from the Electrical Workers Registration Board; to be registered with the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in electrical engineering. TEC links this job to study in electrical and electronic engineering and technology. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Electrical Engineering Theory, NZ Cert in Electrical Pre-Trade. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $48,000 a year one year after study and $63,000 five years after; 70% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $71,000 to $100,000 a year (median $91,008), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $53,663 a year · Upper: $128,352 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 18 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Radio frequency specialist
- Photonics engineer
- Electrical and electronic engineering technician
- Photonics technician
- Electrical and electromechanical assembler
- CNC machine programmer
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Questions people ask
How do I become an electric motor technician?
You usually learn on the job to become an electric motor technician and a qualification may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair) (Level 4); to pass the Electrical Service Technician course and exam; to have an Electrical Service Technician practising licence; a Trainee Limited Certificate from the Electrical Workers Registration Board; to be registered with the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
How much does an electric motor technician earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $91,008 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $71,000 to $100,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as an electric motor technician grown in New Zealand?
It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026