Carpentry, roofing and masonry

How to become a refractory installer

Official title: Refractory installer

Also called: Refractory mason, Refractory bricklayer, Refractory repairer, Chimney repairman

Refractory installers use bricks and other materials to build or repair equipment like industrial boilers, furnaces and kilns.

Main tasks

Install materials inside industrial equipment
Repair boilers, furnaces and kilns
Cut materials to fit correct shapes
Seal gaps in equipment
Tighten bolts and secure fittings
Make replacement parts
Climb structures to reach work areas
Maintain tools and work equipment

How to become one

You usually need a qualification or experience to become a refractory installer. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Trowel Trades (Level 4); experience in similar work; to be a member of Master Brick and Blocklayers.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

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

Most common pay: $72,790 to $93,833 a year (median $85,002), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $60,578 a year · Upper: $102,664 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.

Questions people ask

How do I become a refractory installer?

How much does a refractory installer earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $85,002 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $72,790 to $93,833 a year.

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