Land Surveyor
What the work is
Locates and defines public and private land boundaries by using precise measuring equipment.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Uses specialised technical equipment, such as theodolites, GPS, lasers, and aerial and terrestrial scanners, to take, record and collate measurements and locations in relation to land boundaries
- Establishes site horizontal and vertical height data
- Determines the position of boundaries of public or private land, and prepares plans and associated documents
- Develops and establishes reference systems for geographic and land information
- Consults with other professionals such as Architects and engineers, to ensure land development projects are completed to plan
- Works with government officials and other stakeholders to ensure that land development projects are completed in compliance with regulations and local laws
- Sets-out land and building developments
- May map out positions of boundaries where land is subdivided, bought or sold, and plan and provide critical professional advice for project developments in land and buildings
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 241234, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.