Road and rail transport

How to become a train driver

Official title: Train driver

Also called: Locomotive engineer, Railway shunter, Rail operator, Train operator, Steam train driver, Railway locomotive driver

Train drivers operate passenger and freight trains to transport people or cargo.

Main tasks

Drive trains to different locations
Keep to schedules and stops for passengers
Follow safety rules
Talk with train team and passengers
Find and report repairs
Change tracks using levers
Monitor maintenance work and rule changes
Check trains and engines before driving

How to become one

You need to learn on the job and get a qualification to become a train driver. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to complete on-the-job training courses; a New Zealand Certificate in Rail Operations (Train Driver) (Level 4); a driver licence; to pass a medical assessment and drug test; to pass a police check; a First Aid Certificate. Other requirements: a rail licence.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in fire technology and rescue services. TEC links this job to study in other engineering studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Engineering. Usually 2 years.

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $105,000 to $131,000 a year (median $120,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $84,000 a year · Upper: $144,000 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.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Train and Tram Drivers: 1,134 at the 2018 Census and 999 at the 2023 Census (-11.9%). 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 770 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Train and Tram Drivers, 10% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Train and Tram Drivers work (2023 Census): Auckland 32.2%, Wellington 14.8%, and Waikato 11.1%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a train driver?

How much does a train driver earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $120,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $105,000 to $131,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a train driver grown in New Zealand?

It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a train driver?

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