How to become a viticulturist
Official title: Viticulturist
Also called: Grape grower, Vineyard manager, Viticultural contractor, Vineyard technical officer, Viticulture worker, Vineyard operator, Vineyard supervisor
Viticulturists grow and harvest grapes from vineyards for wine production and advise on crop management.
Main tasks
- Manage vineyard operations
- Grow and harvest grapes
- Supervise vineyard staff
- Prune grapevines
- Sell grapes to wineries
- Maintain records and data
- Monitor vineyards for pests and diseases
- Sample grapes to check maturity
How to become one
You usually need experience to become a viticulturist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; to do entry training in horticulture; a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Wine Growing) (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Production (Wine Growing) (Level 4); a graduate diploma in viticulture; a bachelor's degree in viticulture; a driver licence.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in horticulture. TEC links this job to study in horticulture and viticulture. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Horticulture Services, NZ Cert in Horticulture Production. Usually 1 to 1.5 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $66,000 a year one year after study and $76,000 five years after; 94% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
- Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in horticulture. TEC links this job to study in horticulture and viticulture. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Horticulture (General), NZ Cert in Horticulture, Kai Oranga (Kaupae Tuatoru), Mahinga Kai - Te Hoata. Usually 6 to 8 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $48,000 a year one year after study and $53,000 five years after; 49% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $68,000 to $112,000 a year (median $86,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $54,000 a year · Upper: $154,000 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: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 1,000 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Forest manager
- Grounds maintenance supervisor
- Gardener and groundskeeper
- Pesticide handler
- Forestry equipment operator
- Log scaler and quality controller
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Questions people ask
How do I become a viticulturist?
You usually need experience to become a viticulturist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; to do entry training in horticulture; a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Wine Growing) (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Production (Wine Growing) (Level 4); a graduate diploma in viticulture; a bachelor's degree in viticulture; a driver licence.
How much does a viticulturist earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $86,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $68,000 to $112,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a viticulturist 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.
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