Scaffolder
A scaffolder designs, erects, and dismantles temporary or permanent metal and wooden scaffold structures on building sites, civil engineering projects, and industrial facilities across Australia.
What this job is
A scaffolder designs, erects, and dismantles temporary or permanent metal and wooden scaffold structures on building sites, civil engineering projects, and industrial facilities across Australia. Working under relevant Safe Work Australia regulations and Australian Standards (AS/NZS 4576), scaffolders assess site conditions, calculate load-bearing requirements, and construct safe working platforms for tradespersons and labourers. They inspect scaffold integrity regularly and modify structures to accommodate project changes and safety compliance.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 23.8% 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
Interpret engineering drawings and scaffold design specifications to determine material requirements, load capacity, and structural configuration. Erect scaffold systems using steel tubes, couplers, platforms, and bracing according to AS/NZS 4576 and site-specific safety plans. Calculate and verify load-bearing capacity based on worker numbers, equipment weight, and environmental conditions to ensure structural stability. Install safety features including guardrails, toe-boards, fall arrest anchor points, and warning signs in compliance with Work Health and Safety legislation. Conduct pre-use inspections of scaffold components, identifying defects, corrosion, or damage and removing unsafe materials from site. Dismantle scaffold structures systematically, segregating materials for reuse or disposal and ensuring safe lowering of components. Modify or extend existing scaffold configurations to accommodate new work areas, equipment, or changes to site layout. Operate power tools, chainsaws (where applicable), and hand tools to cut, shape, and secure scaffold components.
Who does this now
About 8,400 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4)
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.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
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
You're working at heights in all weather, often on tight deadlines. One mistake in load calculations or assembly can kill someone. The physical toll is real: repetitive strain, falls, and back injuries are common. Pay tops out fairly quickly, and unlike some trades, there's limited room to run your own high-profit business. Weather stops work constantly.
Where the jobs are
Regional mining and heavy industrial sites have steady demand. Practically speaking, work follows construction cycles and follows big projects. Remote work isn't possible. Long-distance FIFO work to remote sites is common.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 8217, 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
- Climbing equipmentcore
- 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
- Delivery Scheduling
- Process Improvement Identification
- Stakeholder Communication
- Supplier 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 Scaffolder workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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