Panelbeater
A panelbeater repairs and restores the external metal and composite body panels of motor vehicles following collision damage, working in automotive repair workshops. They use hand tools, power tools, and specialised equipment to reshape, straighten, and replace damaged panels, then prepare surfaces for repainting.
What this job is
A panelbeater repairs and restores the external metal and composite body panels of motor vehicles following collision damage, working in automotive repair workshops. They use hand tools, power tools, and specialised equipment to reshape, straighten, and replace damaged panels, then prepare surfaces for repainting. The role requires knowledge of vehicle construction, materials, and techniques to restore vehicles to pre-damage condition in compliance with Australian design and safety standards.
Are employers advertising this role?
Rising, up 11.3% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Assess collision damage to vehicle body panels and determine whether panels require straightening, replacement, or sectioning using visual inspection and measurement tools. Operate hydraulic panel straightening equipment and jigs to reshape damaged metal panels back to manufacturer specifications. Remove and replace badly damaged or non-repairable panels using pneumatic cutting tools, spot weld removal equipment, and welding apparatus. Use hand tools including hammers, dollies, and spoons to reshape metal panels by applying controlled force and vibration. Apply sealants, adhesives, and protective coatings to panel joints and welded seams to prevent corrosion and water ingress. Prepare panel surfaces by grinding, sanding, and chemical treatment to remove rust, paint, and contaminants before refinishing. Operate vehicle lifts and positioning equipment to access panels and work safely on vehicles in various orientations. Perform spot welding, MIG welding, or bonding procedures to join replacement panels to vehicle frames in accordance with manufacturer specifications and Safe Work Australia guidelines.
Who does this now
About 10,500 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Registration or licensing may be required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation had trouble finding suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
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.
The honest hard part
Your income depends on repair volume and workshop profitability, not skill level. Many workshops struggle in quiet periods, meaning inconsistent weekly pay. You'll also deal with repetitive strain injuries from hammering and grinding, and the work involves toxic dust and fumes despite safety gear.
Where the jobs are
Jobs concentrate in metro areas where accident rates and car populations are highest. Regional areas have fewer workshops and less steady work. The reality is most workshops cluster around major cities and their outer suburbs.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3241, 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.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
- Chemical technologies in metal manufacturecore
- Clip sheet metal objects togethercore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Workload Self-Managementcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Cast metal
- Complaint Handling
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Invoicing and Billing Administration
- Process Improvement Identification
- Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
- WorkCover Administration
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- 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.
What Panelbeater workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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