Gas Network Technician

A Gas Network Technician maintains, repairs, and operates natural gas distribution networks and associated infrastructure in Australian communities. They inspect pipelines, detect and locate gas leaks using specialised equipment, perform emergency response to gas hazards, and carry out planned maintenance on meters, regulators, and network components to ensure safe and reliable gas supply to residential and commercial premises.

Locate underground gas pipelines and assets using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), cable avoidance tools (CAT), and dial-before-you-dig mark-out techniques to prevent damage during excavation. Detect gas leaks using electronic gas detectors and soapy water methods, then isolate affected sections and coordinate emergency response in accordance with AS/NZS 4645 gas safety standards. Perform pressure testing on gas pipelines and fittings using calibrated manometers and test equipment to verify network integrity and compliance with Australian Standards. Repair or replace damaged sections of steel and polyethylene gas mains, including cutting, joining, and pressure-testing connections to restore network function. Install, inspect, and maintain gas meters, regulators, and service lines on customer properties, including certification and documentation of work completed. Respond to odour complaints and emergency gas escape reports by attending sites, safely venting gas, and determining whether distribution network or customer installation is the source. Operate gas network SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems and GIS mapping software to monitor network status, plan maintenance, and record asset data. Excavate and backfill trenches for pipeline installation and repair work, ensuring correct bedding, support, and surface restoration in accordance with relevant technical standards.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need to get a Certificate III or IV in gas fitting, which takes time and cost upfront. The real trade-off is shift work: you'll be on call for emergencies at nights and weekends, including responding to gas leak reports when most people are sleeping. The work is also physically demanding with regular excavation, and you're dealing with a genuinely hazardous substance where mistakes can cause serious harm.

Gas network jobs concentrate in major cities and regional towns where distribution networks exist. Regional and rural areas have fewer opportunities since they have smaller or no gas networks. This is not remote-work friendly: you're physically locating and fixing pipelines.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3341, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Check water pressurecore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Customer Complaint Resolution
• Data Entry and Accuracy
• Digital Literacy
• Process Documentation
• Report Writing
• Team Collaboration

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026