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army carpenter hero 20240510

Army

Carpenter

Become a qualified carpenter and builder with the NZ Army and enjoy unrivaled training, adventure and travel.

Mō te tūranga

About the role

  • Specialisations

    Apprenticeship trades | Engineering & Technical trades

  • Entry type

    General entry, Apprenticeships

  • Under training

    $68,103

  • Location

    Linton

As a Carpenter, your primary role is vertical construction - such as  constructing a field hospital to humanitarian relief construction tasks in disaster struck areas. You will work with all sorts of material and in all sorts of situations, both in New Zealand and overseas. You will receive training under the BCITO apprenticeship scheme to qualify in Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry. Once qualified  your skills will be called upon everywhere the Army goes.

You will be trained to do everything that a civilian equivalent carpenter can do, but with all the Army skills (weapons training, fitness etc) as well! Your civilian qualification will be recognised throughout New Zealand and will prove that you have the knowledge and ability to build almost anything you are tasked with. You will also have all of your tools supplied for you, free of charge.

Accepting Applications

  • Recruit Regular Force 417, starts 07 Jul 2025 Apply by 24 Mar 2025

    Apply Now

Requirements

Basics

  • Must be 18 years old by the time you graduate from recruit course.
  • Eligible to meet national security clearance criteria, as stipulated by the Government's Protective Security Requirements.
  • Any practical or construction experience will make you a more competitive applicant

Education

  • 3 years secondary school.

Note, qualifications may be used to assess trade suitability.

Citizenship

There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the required CV security clearance for this trade.
Find out if you’re eligible here.

Period of Service

Once you have completed training you will be required to give a 24 month return of service to the NZ Army.

We offer guidance on entry requirements in our eligibility section. Apply if you're uncertain, as we’ll work through the criteria with you to determine if you can proceed.

army carpenter landscape2

NZ Army leads building work on remote Tongan island group post eruption

“Working with electricians, carpenters and plumbers from different countries was stressful at times – there was a bit of a language barrier to begin with, but we were able to work through it, helped by our similarity in training."

LEARN MORE

  • Job on base

    A Carpenters main role while on camp is construction, building and maintaining assets on camp. You will primarily work within the School of Military Engineering (NZ) or the Engineer Regiment,  providing both construction and combat engineering capabilities. Once qualified work locations include Linton and Burnham.

  • Job on deployment

    While on deployment Carpenters will be used to put their vertical construction skills into use in building new camp facilities overseas or maintaining and repairing existing facilities. Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE) personnel can be found in small contingents around the globe. Places they have previously been deployed include  Antarctica, Afghanistan, Bougainville, Vanuatu, Fiji, Bosnia, Timor Leste and Iraq.

Career progression and training

01Basic Training

02Job Training

03Career Progression

Benefits & allowances

Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.

In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:

  • Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae
  • Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels
  • Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases
  • Opportunities to travel
  • Free and subsidised medical and dental care
  • Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases
  • Free and subsidised insurance cover
  • Help to buy a home and save for retirement

Salary & benefits

Careers in the Army are well-rewarded, diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, your salary will rise accordingly.

  • Under training

    $68,103

  • Future potential earnings

    $98,000

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Am I fit enough?

If you want to be part of the NZ Defence Force you need to be medically and physically fit for military duties worldwide.

Medical & Fitness
NZA soldiers 20230512 012 v2

The application process

Your step-by-step guide on what to expect at various stages of the application process, specifically for military roles.

Application process
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Ready to start your Army career?

APPLY NOW

Tūranga whaipānga

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