Fitter and turner
Engineering trade making, assembling and maintaining mechanical components on lathes, mills and CNC machines.
What a fitter and turner actually does
Fitters and turners work the precision end of engineering trades. Workshop days start 7-8am with the morning toolbox talk and a job ticket. Bench fitters assemble and align mechanical components - bearings, shafts, pulleys, gearboxes - to tight tolerance. Machinists spend the day on a lathe, mill or CNC machine producing parts to drawing. CNC work is increasingly central - reading G-code, setting up fixtures, running first articles and inspecting parts with micrometers, verniers and CMMs. Maintenance fitters spend more time on plant - in factories, mines, water treatment plants or paper mills - pulling apart pumps, motors, gearboxes and conveyor systems. The work is detailed, methodical and high-precision: tolerances of 0.01 mm are normal. Workshops are noisy (compressed air, hydraulic presses, grinders) and the work demands sustained focus. Maintenance fitters on FIFO rosters earn at the top end of the trade. Most days finish 4-5pm in workshops, with shift work on plant maintenance.
Skills you'll use
- Reading engineering drawings and GD&T
- Operating manual lathes, mills and surface grinders
- CNC programming and operation
- Precision measurement (micrometer, vernier, CMM, dial gauge)
- Mechanical assembly and alignment
- Hydraulic and pneumatic system fitting
- Bearing and seal installation
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with maths, English and engineering studies if available
- 2Sign a 4-year apprenticeship with a workshop or maintenance contractor
- 3Complete the MEM30219 Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade through TAFE
- 4Specialise in machining or maintenance fitting through electives
- 5Optional - add a Certificate IV in Engineering for supervisory or technical roles
- 6Add site induction tickets (mining, refinery) for high-paying maintenance work
Where you can work
- General engineering and precision workshops
- Mining and resources sites (FIFO maintenance)
- Manufacturing plants (food, automotive, defence)
- Power stations and energy plants
- Water treatment and infrastructure utilities
- Defence (Navy fleet support, vehicle manufacturers)
- Self-employed contract machining or maintenance
Career progression
Typical stages and pay bands. Figures are sourced from Job Outlook, the Fair Work Building Industry Award, or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile.
- Apprentice4 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice fitter, Fourth-year apprentice fitterSalary band: $28,000 - $55,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Workshop fitter, Maintenance fitter, CNC machinistSalary band: $70,000 - $95,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Leading hand or specialist5-10 yearsTypical roles: Leading hand, CNC programmer, Reliability fitterSalary band: $95,000 - $135,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Supervisor or business owner8+ yearsTypical roles: Maintenance superintendent, Workshop owner, Technical sales engineer
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You enjoy precision work with metals
- You like puzzles - working out why a machine has failed
- You're comfortable with maths to read drawings and program CNC
- You can hold sustained focus on one part for hours
- You don't mind shift work in plant maintenance roles
This might not suit you if
- You can't commit to 4 years of low apprentice pay
- You'd rather work outdoors than in a workshop
- You can't tolerate noise or coolant mist from machining
- You have an injury that limits standing at a machine all day
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | Not licensed in this state |
| VIC | Not licensed in this state |
| QLD | Not licensed in this state |
| SA | Not licensed in this state |
| WA | Not licensed in this state |
| TAS | Not licensed in this state |
| NT | Not licensed in this state |
| ACT | Not licensed in this state |