Surveying Technician
What the work is
Collects and records survey data using surveying instruments such as total stations, GPS equipment, levels and laser scanners. Analyses survey data to develop plans and reports in support of Surveyors.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Prepares sketches used to place physical markers on land to define the accurate position of features such as existing property boundaries, proposed building layouts, utilities and road margins on building, construction and mine sites
- Processes data and makes calculations recorded from fieldwork and surveys to prepare detail and feature plans, maps and technical reports
- Maintains and calibrates surveying equipment to ensure accuracy
- Analyses, interprets and manipulates survey data to create 2D and 3D models using CAD and BIM to support Architects and Civil Engineering Professionals
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small design and drafting office working with builders, home owners and the local council. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A client sees their drawings come to life and says the house feels like home before it is built
- A tricky site turns into an elegant design with the right trade-offs
- A builder tells you the plans were the clearest set they have worked from
Hard days
- A client wants a beautiful design and a budget that don't match
- The council asks for changes that mean redrawing a whole set of plans
- A neighbour objects, and you are the one who has to explain why
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 312135, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.