Precision Instrument Maker and Repairer

A precision instrument maker and repairer fabricates, assembles, calibrates, and repairs high-tolerance mechanical, optical, and electronic instruments used in scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Working in a workshop or laboratory environment, they use specialised hand tools, machine tools, and diagnostic equipment to restore instruments to original specifications or manufacture custom components to exacting tolerances measured in fractions of a millimetre.

Read and interpret precision engineering drawings and technical specifications to determine component dimensions, tolerances, and assembly sequences. Operate precision machine tools including lathes, milling machines, and grinders to fabricate metal and non-metal components to tolerances of 0.01 mm or finer. Measure and verify components using precision instruments such as micrometers, callipers, dial indicators, and optical comparators to ensure conformance to specification. Disassemble damaged or malfunctioning instruments using specialised hand tools while documenting component condition and identifying wear or corrosion. Clean, degrease, and prepare optical surfaces and mechanical assemblies using appropriate solvents and techniques to prevent contamination. Assemble precision instrument components in controlled sequence, applying lubricants, sealants, and fasteners according to technical specifications. Calibrate instruments such as balances, gauges, spectrometers, and microscopes using certified reference standards and adjustment procedures. Diagnose instrument malfunction by conducting functional tests, examining electronic circuits with multimeters, and identifying mechanical wear or misalignment.

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 skill floor is steep and certification takes years. You're learning tolerances of 0.01 mm (one hundredth of a millimetre) where mistakes cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Most employers want you trained before you start, not willing to carry the cost of your learning curve. Pay ceiling is real too: it's skilled trades money, not professional money, even though the work demands extreme precision and responsibility.

Regional work is scarce. Remote work is not an option in this role: you need to be in the workshop with the instruments.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3233, 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.

• Attach clock casescore
• Attach clock dialscore
• Attach clock handscore
• Attach power cords to electric modulecore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Change watch batterycore
• Components of clockscore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Mount clock wheelworkcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Time Managementcore
• Time-display methodscore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Watches and jewellery productscore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Conservation techniques
• Digital Literacy
• Electric clocks
• Incident Reporting
• Inspect clocks
• Inspect quality of products
• Inventory Tracking
• Mechanical clocks
• Oversee quality control
• Perform product testing
• Precision mechanics
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Repair clocks
• Research and Analysis
• Risk Identification
• Supplier Communication
• Timing devices
• Use watchmaker's tools
• Wear appropriate protective gear
• Written Communication

• 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