How to become an electrical trade assistant
Official title: Electrical trade assistant
Also called: Electrical worker, Electrical assistant
Electrical trade assistants do basic electrical work to help electricians and other technicians.
Main tasks
- Help install electrical wiring and equipment
- Inspect electrical systems for problems
- Repair basic electrical faults
- Test electrical equipment to ensure safety
- Thread cables through pipes and walls
- Measure materials for electrical installations
- Drill holes for electrical wiring
- Cut metal parts for installations
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become an electrical trade assistant and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a Trainee Limited Certificate from the Electrical Workers Registration Board; to do an apprenticeship in electrical engineering; a driver licence.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in electrical engineering. TEC links this job to study in electrical and electronic engineering and technology. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Electrical Trade, NZ Cert in Electrical Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair). Usually 3.5 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $82,000 a year one year after study and $92,000 five years after; 91% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Median pay: $52,000 a year, a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $73,000 a year
- TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $25.00 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: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 3,400 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
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Questions people ask
How do I become an electrical trade assistant?
You usually learn on the job to become an electrical trade assistant and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a Trainee Limited Certificate from the Electrical Workers Registration Board; to do an apprenticeship in electrical engineering; a driver licence.
How much does an electrical trade assistant earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $52,000 a year, before tax.
Has the number of people working as an electrical trade assistant grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase 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