Sandblaster
A sandblaster operates pneumatic or hydro-blasting equipment to remove rust, paint, scale, and contaminants from metal, concrete, and composite surfaces in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance settings. They prepare work areas, select appropriate abrasive media, operate blasting equipment under pressure, and inspect finished surfaces to meet specification standards.
What this job is
A sandblaster operates pneumatic or hydro-blasting equipment to remove rust, paint, scale, and contaminants from metal, concrete, and composite surfaces in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance settings. They prepare work areas, select appropriate abrasive media, operate blasting equipment under pressure, and inspect finished surfaces to meet specification standards. Work is performed in industrial environments and may require compliance with dust control and workplace safety regulations under Safe Work Australia and state-based environmental health and safety legislation.
Are employers advertising this role?
Steady, down 6.2% 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
Operate sandblasting equipment including pressure vessels, compressors, hoses, and nozzles to propel abrasive media at surfaces. Select and load appropriate abrasive media such as steel shot, aluminium oxide, or garnet based on surface material and cleaning specification. Prepare work surfaces by securing or masking adjacent areas and positioning workpieces to achieve optimal blasting angles. Monitor pressure gauges, air flow rates, and equipment performance during blasting operations to maintain consistent cleaning intensity. Inspect blasted surfaces visually and using reference standards to verify removal of rust, paint, or contaminants and conformance to specification grades (such as the blast cleaning classes in Australian Standard AS 1627.4). Maintain abrasive recycling systems by monitoring media separation equipment, removing contaminated or depleted media, and replenishing supply. Wear and inspect personal protective equipment including respirators, blast helmets with supplied air systems, protective clothing, and gloves to prevent inhalation and contact hazards. Clean and service blasting equipment components such as nozzles, hoses, and valves to remove blockages and maintain operational efficiency.
Who does this now
About 630 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find 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 II or III (ABS skill level 4). 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
Silicosis risk is real. Even with respirators and supplied air systems, prolonged exposure to silica dust damages your lungs over years: it's a slow burn that shows up later. You'll also face physical wear on joints from repetitive positioning and equipment vibration, plus the work is genuinely monotonous. Pay ceilings are low without moving into supervision, and automation of blasting is gradually replacing manual operators in some sectors.
Where the jobs are
Most positions cluster around capital cities and regional mining/port areas rather than remote locations. Work is site-based, not remote. Shipyards, steel fabrication shops, and maintenance contractors are your main employers.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 7119, 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
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Check chimney's conditionscore
- Clean chimneycore
- Clean ventilation systemcore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Workload Self-Managementcore
- Active Listening
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Inventory Tracking
- Process Improvement Identification
- Supplier Communication
- 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.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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