Becoming a carpenter in Australia

Working as a Carpenter in Australia

Check out what it takes to become a Carpenter in Australia and the steps you need to take to work in the industry. 

Studying Carpentry

Fill out our questionnaire and we’ll help you find the most suitable carpentry courses in Australia.

Migrating to Australia

Check the available visa requirements and cities to study & work as a carpenter.

Finding Carpentry Jobs

Check out what are the best ways to find high paying carpentry jobs in Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities.

Carpentry in Australia

There’s plenty of work for skilled and qualified carpenters in Australia. Even though there’s been a recent downturn in the mining boom, there’s currently a housing and construction boom on the East Coast major cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

If you’re interested in studying Carpentry you’ll find the information from the course details page, you can also watch some interviews from our students

Why choose carpentry?

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Courses available in multiple cities

Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Perth.
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Relatively short courses

It takes between 12-24 months to become a qualified carpenter in Australia
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Carpentry is in demand

Carpenters have a high proportion of full-time jobs (93.2 %)
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High paying jobs

A qualified carpenter earns $1,358 a week, on average

How to become a carpenter in Australia?

International students can become a qualified carpenter in as short a time as 1 year. In fact, because Carpenters are in demand in Australia, you may even be able to obtain the graduate work visa when you finish a course and potentially additional work visas in the future.

Apprenticeship

Can I do an apprenticeship if I am an international student?

Unfortunately, international students cannot undertake an apprenticeship in Australia. However, there are many international colleges that offer the course that allows you to become a qualified tradesperson in Australia. Most of these courses include at least 360 hours of work experience with a qualified trades person. 

I have completed half my apprenticeship or trade qualification back home, can I get qualified in Australia?

If you have completed a partial qualification from outside Australia, you may be able to apply for partial credit transfer so you get credit for some components of an Australian qualification. A city and guilds level 2 from the UK, may be considered comparable to an AQF level 3 under certain circumstances. This is judged on a case by case basis depending on the content of the course studied.

Apply for a White Card

If you are a qualified Carpenter back in your home country, the first thing you need to do in Australia to be eligible to work in construction is apply for a White Card. Anyone that works on a construction site in Australia is also required to undertake construction induction training. This is very simple and teaches you about safety standards in Australia. You can apply for a white card online here.

What visas require a skills assessment?

For most countries, only general skilled migration visas require a skills assessment. However certain countries require a skills assessment before they can obtain an employer sponsored (482) visa.

 

  • Most skills assessments are done through Trades Recognition Australia

Requirements for the skills assessments

  • Have a trade qualification or education equivalent to Australian standards
  • Have at least 3 years post qualification experience
  • Have worked in the field for at least 12 months over the last 3 years
Employer Visa Pathway To Aus

General Skilled Migration

General Skilled Migration (189 or 190) is a permanent visa in Australia that does not require an employer to sponsor
Employer Sponsored Visa Pathway To Aus

Employer Sponsored Visa

The Employer Sponsored Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) visa is used by companies to sponsor employees in Australia.

How to find a carpentry job?

The best way to find a job is through networking. The easiest way to do this is to go directly to construction sites and ask if they are looking for any workers. You might have to go around to a few job sites, but usually, someone on the site will be looking for workers or will know someone who is. By going directly to job sites shows you are committed and know how things work in Aus.

In my opinion applying for jobs online is difficult in this line of work. If you get desperate it is worth a try networking at pubs, bars or better yet on construction sites.

How much do carpenters earn in Australia?

A qualified carpenter with their own tools who is subcontracting can expect to be paid anywhere from $45 – $60 per hour. A labourer can expect to be paid roughly $20 – $30 per hour.

Which safety equipment and tools do I need?

You will need to obtain the required safety equipment such as steel capped boots, Hard Hat & Protective Eye wear.

If you are subcontracting as a fully qualified Carpenter then you will most likely need to have your own tools. The very basic tools required include Drill and Driver, tool belt, chisel set, hammer and nail gun.

If you are doing work experience or vocational placement then you will often borrow the main employer’s tools.

Carpentry Employers

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BD Building Management

Location: NSW, QLD, VIC
Phone: 02 9387 6141
recruitment@bdbuilding.com.au
https://bdbuilding.com.au/

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Design & Construct

Location: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth.
Phone: 1300 365 078
info@designandconstruct.com.au
https://www.designandconstruct.com.au/
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Marble Expert Recruitment

Location: Syd, Melb, Bris & Perth.
Phone: (0)2 8116 2200
sydney@marble.com.au
http://www.marble.com.au/

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How to work as a Carpenter in Australia was last modified: January 20th, 2023 by Nick Yock