Sports, exercise and recreation

How to become a ski Patroller

Official title: Ski Patroller

Also called: Ski patrol officer, Snowsport patroller, Snow safety patroller

Ski patrollers keep skiers and snowboarders safe on ski fields. They may check and maintain ski trails, rescue injured people and manage avalanche risks.

Main tasks

Patrol ski slopes and trails
Make sure skiers and snowboarders are safe
Help injured skiers and snowboarders
Control avalanches using safe methods
Mark hazards and close risky ski areas
Rescue lost or stuck skiers
Respond to emergencies on ski fields
Transport injured people safely

How to become one

You need to do training to become a ski patroller. • You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but NCEA Level 2 may be useful. Required: a New Zealand Certificate in Snowsport Patrol (Level 4) or similar; a Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC) certification; to complete an avalanche safety course; experience skiing or snowboarding. Other requirements: a First Aid Certificate; to pass a police check.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Intermediate certificates in sport and recreation activities. TEC links this job to study in sport and recreation. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Outdoor and Adventure Education (Multi-skilled), Cert in Sport and Recreation, NZ Cert in Diving (Supervision). Usually 6 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $41,000 a year one year after study and $56,000 five years after; 36% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change

Most common pay: $52,411 to $62,800 a year (median $57,606), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $65,917 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.
People employed in the group Sportspersons: 3,273 at the 2018 Census and 3,510 at the 2023 Census (+7.2%). Past change, not a forecast.

Who does this work

In the group Sportspersons, 42% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Sportspersons work (2023 Census): Auckland 25.6%, Canterbury 17%, and Wellington 13.3%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a ski Patroller?

How much does a ski Patroller earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $57,606 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $52,411 to $62,800 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
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

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