How to become an electrical and electromechanical assembler
Official title: Electrical and electromechanical assembler
Also called: Electronics assembler, Electric and electronic equipment assembler, Electric equipment assembler, Electrical goods assembler
Electrical and electromechanical assemblers put together or modify and repair electric or electronic equipment or devices.
Main tasks
- Assemble electrical and electronic equipment
- Align parts for correct assembly
- Solder wires and small components
- Test equipment to make sure it works
- Repair faulty parts and assemblies
- Weld parts together
- Review assembly drawings
- Label products with identifying information
How to become one
You usually need experience to become an electrical and electromechanical assembler and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair) (Level 4); an Electrical Service Technician (EST) licence; a driver licence; a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement.
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: $51,000 to $69,000 a year (median $59,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $88,000 a year
- TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $28.37 an hour.
- 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: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 600 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Radio frequency specialist
- Photonics engineer
- Electrical and electronic engineering technician
- Photonics technician
- Electric motor technician
- CNC machine programmer
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Questions people ask
How do I become an electrical and electromechanical assembler?
You usually need experience to become an electrical and electromechanical assembler and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair) (Level 4); an Electrical Service Technician (EST) licence; a driver licence; a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement.
How much does an electrical and electromechanical assembler earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $59,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $51,000 to $69,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as an electrical and electromechanical assembler grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady 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