Engineering Surveyor
What the work is
Inspects, evaluates, measures, sets-out and monitors infrastructure and construction works to ensure structures are built to plan.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Measures, sets-out and monitors construction projects, including high rise buildings, roads, tunnels, airports and other forms of infrastructure, to ensure they are built in accordance with design specifications
- Performs surveys, fieldwork, calculations, data reduction and manipulation on construction sites using specialised software and technical equipment, such as theodolites, global positioning systems (GPS), lasers, and aerial and terrestrial scanners
- Completes as-constructed survey reports and plans to confirm a construction project conforms to the intended design and specifications
- Prepares data models for set-out and machine guidance to assist in planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating surveying work
- Works with construction professionals, Architects, property owners, and Civil Engineers to provide accurate survey information for project planning and design phases
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a surveying team working in paddocks, streets and construction sites. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Your measurements close perfectly and the new building sits exactly where it was drawn
- A long boundary mystery is solved by an old map and a rusty marker in the grass
- A map you built helps a team make a decision that is obviously better
Hard days
- Standing in the sun or wind for hours while the equipment needs one more check
- Two neighbours disagree about a boundary, and you are the one holding the evidence
- A small error found late that means redoing days of work
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 241232, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.