Vehicle building and repair

How to become a rolling stock mechanic

Official title: Rolling stock mechanic

Also called: Train maintainer, Train examiner, Locomotive maintainer, Rolling stock maintainer, Mechanical fitter, Mechanical fitter and engineer, Rail mechanic

Rolling stock mechanics repair and service railway vehicles like locomotives, carriages and wagons.

Main tasks

Repair railway vehicles
Service railway vehicles
Inspect railway vehicles for problems
Replace faulty mechanical and electrical parts
Test repairs for safety
Adjust equipment to improve performance
Record repair and maintenance work
Follow health and safety rules

How to become one

You usually need a qualification or experience to become a rolling stock mechanic. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in automotive engineering and technology, electrical and electronic engineering or mechanical and industrial engineering; experience in similar work; a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement; to pass a drug test and medical assessment.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in automotive engineering and mechanics. TEC links this job to study in automotive engineering and technology. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Automotive Engineering, NZ Cert in Heavy Automotive Engineering, NZ Cert in Light Automotive Engineering. Usually 1.5 to 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $79,000 a year one year after study and $89,000 five years after; 93% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
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).
Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in other mechanical and industrial engineering and technology. TEC links this job to study in mechanical and industrial engineering and technology. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Mechanical Building Services (Trade). Usually 4 years.
Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in other mechanical and industrial engineering and technology. TEC links this job to study in mechanical and industrial engineering and technology. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Engineering. Usually 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $56,000 a year one year after study; 57% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in automotive engineering and mechanics. TEC links this job to study in automotive engineering and technology. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Automotive Engineering. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study and $60,000 five years after; 66% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; 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

Most common pay: $87,000 to $127,000 a year (median $99,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $134,000 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.

Who does this work

About 21 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).

Questions people ask

How do I become a rolling stock mechanic?

How much does a rolling stock mechanic earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $99,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $87,000 to $127,000 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