Scaffolder
Impact: Enabling safe construction and maintenance access at height
Erect and dismantle temporary scaffold structures on construction sites to provide safe working platforms for tradespeople at height. Interpret engineering drawings, select appropriate tube-and-fitting or system scaffold components, and ensure compliance with NASC and Working at Height Regulations. Inspect completed scaffolds before handover and adapt structures as building phases progress.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 75% Team / 25% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 10-30% local site travel
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 45-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $52,000
- Entry-level
- $32,000 - $42,000
- Senior
- $68,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 5% (as fast as average, driven by infrastructure and housebuilding programmes)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- High -- 70-100% growth from apprentice to senior scaffolder or contracts supervisor
- Typical student debt
- $2,000 - $6,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Tube-and-fitting scaffold erection
- System scaffold (Layher/Haki)
- Load calculations
- NASC SG4 compliance
- Working at Height Regulations
- Scaffold inspection and tagging
Soft skills
- Spatial awareness
- Safety discipline
- Physical endurance
- Team coordination
- Problem-solving
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Construction Labourer
- Rigger
Where you can go from here
- Scaffold Supervisor
- Rope Access Technician
Typical progression
- Trainee Scaffolder
- Scaffolder
- Advanced Scaffolder
- Scaffold Supervisor
- Contracts Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 8% -- physical erection and inspection at height is extremely difficult to automate
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.8/10
- Meaning
- 6.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 5.8/10
- Prestige
- 5.2/10
- Social perception
- Moderate