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Occupations / Signwriters

Signwriters

Signwriters design, fabricate and paint signs for displays, buildings, hoardings, boats and structures.

Trades & constructionANZSCO 3996
6,341People employed
+10% ▲Growth to 2035
76%Work full time
43Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3996.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

conferring with clients and responding to proposals, sketches and written instructions to determine composition of signsdesigning and creating signs and graphics using computer software and signmaking machinesdesigning and creating signs by measuring and calculating letter size, preparing the surface, applying background paint using brushes, sprays and rollers, and creating the letters using brushes, stencils, enamel paint and decalsdesigning and creating wall murals, screen prints, gold leaf work and custom vehicle artpainting signs and lettering using lacquers, varnishes, paints and other materialspainting signs on brick, metal, timber, glass, plastic and other surfaces
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 3996 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 700 more people in signwriters by 2035 ▲

The field grew 2.4% in the year to February 2026, adding about 200 workers. Most of the jobs are in VIC and NSW, with QLD third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3996.More about our sources: How we check our facts
6.6k2025
6.9k2030 PROJ.
7.3k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

Most signwriters came through a certificate or diploma. 57% did.

A university degree is rare here: 7% hold one. The trade qualification is the standard way in. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 3996. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

CPC30216Certificate III

Certificate III in Signs and Graphics

Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package.

See 6 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

6,341 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3996.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

VIC2.1k
NSW1.7k
QLD1.2k
SA0.5k
WA0.5k
TAS0.1k
NT0.1k
ACT0.1k