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ANZSCO 3232Skill level 3Engineering and trades

Fitter and turner

Manufacture, assemble and maintain mechanical components on lathes, mills and CNC machines.

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1850Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

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What a fitter and turner actually does

Fitters and turners make and maintain mechanical components on lathes, milling machines, grinders and CNC machine tools. Manufacturing-side fitter-machinists work in machine shops producing parts from drawings, fitting assemblies and checking finished work against tolerance. Maintenance-side fitters work on plant in mining, manufacturing, food processing and energy, doing planned and breakdown maintenance on pumps, conveyors, gearboxes and hydraulic systems. The day typically starts with a job sheet, drawings and a 7am toolbox meeting. Manual machinists still set up their own tools, but most modern shops run CNC for higher volume work. Maintenance fitters spend more time isolating plant, changing bearings, aligning shafts and using vibration analysis tools. Hours run 38-50 in standard work and longer during mining shutdowns.

Typical tasks

  • Read engineering drawings and tolerances.
  • Set up and operate manual and CNC machines.
  • Carry out preventive maintenance on plant.

Skills you'll use

  • Setting up and operating manual lathes, mills and grinders
  • CNC operation and basic G-code editing
  • Reading engineering drawings and applying ISO geometric tolerance
  • Use of micrometers, verniers, height gauges and CMMs
  • Mechanical fitting including bearings, seals and couplings
  • Laser shaft alignment and basic vibration analysis
  • Welding, fabricating and on-site machining for plant repairs

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 or 12. A pre-apprenticeship Certificate II in Engineering Pathways is helpful if you have not yet found a host employer
  2. 2Secure a host with a machine shop, mining contractor, manufacturer or shipyard and sign an apprenticeship agreement
  3. 3Complete a 4-year Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219) at TAFE alongside paid on-job training
  4. 4Build experience across manual machining, CNC and mechanical fitting in your first 3 years. Most employers want both skill sets
  5. 5For mining and resources work add the standard tickets including White Card, working at heights and confined space
  6. 6Optional next steps include a Certificate IV in Engineering for senior or supervisor roles, NDT qualifications, or specialising in CNC programming, hydraulics or precision machining

Where you can work

  • General engineering machine shops
  • Mining and resources maintenance contractors
  • Iron ore, coal and metals mines
  • Heavy manufacturing and food processing plants
  • Defence vehicle and shipbuilding facilities
  • Pump, gearbox and conveyor manufacturers
  • Power generation and energy operators

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Apprentice
    0-4 years
    Typical roles: First-year apprentice, Fourth-year apprentice
    Salary band: $30,000 - $60,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Qualified fitter-machinist
    4-8 years
    Typical roles: Workshop fitter, CNC machinist, Maintenance fitter
    Salary band: $85,000 - $115,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior or maintenance specialist
    8-15 years
    Typical roles: Senior maintenance fitter, Leading hand, Shutdown fitter
    Salary band: $115,000 - $165,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Supervisor or business owner
    12+ years
    Typical roles: Workshop manager, Maintenance supervisor, CNC programmer or shop owner

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You enjoy precise hands-on work and like machinery
  • You are patient with measurement and tolerance
  • You want a trade that can take you into mining and resources
  • You enjoy a mix of workshop and field maintenance work
  • You want a trade with strong demand and clear specialisation paths

This might not suit you if

  • You dislike workshop noise, oil and metal swarf
  • You want a desk-based role with no PPE
  • You cannot commit to early starts or shift rosters

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for fitter and turner. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.