Carpentry, roofing and masonry

How to become a joiner

Official title: Joiner

Also called: Joinery machinist, Wood joiner, Aluminium joiner, Door joiner, Joinery instructor, Joinery patternmaker, Shopfitter

Joiners use timber and board products to make fittings for buildings, like cabinets, doors, window frames and stairs.

Main tasks

Discuss clients' requirements and provide quotes
Draw diagrams and plans for clients
Make items like cabinets, doors and window frames
Measure, cut, assemble, sand and finish materials
Fit finished products in homes and businesses
Select construction materials
Apply decorative finishes
Install safety or support equipment

How to become one

You usually need to do an apprenticeship to become a joiner and a qualification or experience may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in building and construction; a New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Architectural Aluminium Joinery (Level 3); to do an apprenticeship in joinery; a driver licence; experience in similar work.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in other building and construction. TEC links this job to study in building and construction. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Concrete Construction (Commercial and Civil Infrastructure), NZ Cert in Concrete Production. Usually 1.5 to 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $67,000 a year one year after study and $94,000 five years after; 86% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in building construction management. TEC links this job to study in building and construction. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Construction, NZ Dip in Architectural Technology. Usually 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $63,000 a year one year after study and $88,000 five years after; 80% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $60,760 to $74,390 a year (median $68,460), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $86,600 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: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Carpenters and Joiners: 18,234 at the 2018 Census and 23,688 at the 2023 Census (+29.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 3,600 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Carpenters and Joiners, 3% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Carpenters and Joiners work (2023 Census): Auckland 32.5%, Canterbury 16.5%, and Wellington 10.3%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a joiner?

How much does a joiner earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $68,460 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $60,760 to $74,390 a year.

Has the number of people working as a joiner 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.

Will AI change the work of a joiner?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

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
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), 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