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Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians

ANZSCO ID 3121

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
79,300
Future Growth
11.9%
Weekly Earnings
$2,069
Full-Time Share
87%
Female Share
11%
Average age
42
About this data

Summary

Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians perform technical functions to assist Construction Managers, Architects and Surveyors by supervising and inspecting construction sites, estimating time, costs and resources, inspecting plumbing work, and collecting and evaluating survey data and preparing maps and plans.

Tasks

  • assisting Construction Managers, Architects and Surveyors in planning and organisation

  • interpreting plans, regulations and codes of practice

  • preparing preliminary sketches, working drawings and specifications

  • preparing, editing and revising plans, maps, charts and drawings

  • coordinating works programs

  • inspecting work and materials for compliance with specifications, regulations and standards

  • calculating costs and estimating time scales

  • collecting data using surveying instruments and photogrammetric equipment

  • performing routine computations and plotting preliminary data

Characteristics

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow strongly
  • is likely to reach 82,200 by 2026.

    • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
11.9%
(or 8,800 jobs)
From
73,500
in 2021
To
82,200
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 53,600
2012 55,800
2013 59,400
2014 54,900
2015 58,900
2016 67,100
2017 64,400
2018 75,100
2019 82,800
2020 68,300
2021 73,500
2026 82,200

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 89% of people employed as Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 23 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than half of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $2,069 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,591
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $2,502

    Median hourly earnings are $51, this is more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 2,069 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.

Industries

Main industries

1
Construction
56.1%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
28.7%
3
Manufacturing
4.0%
4
Public Administration and Safety
4.0%
5
Other industries
7.2%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.9% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 30.6 31.6
VIC 25.5 25.6
QLD 21.1 20.0
SA 5.9 7.0
WA 12.8 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 1.0 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9


  • Around 63% of Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
11%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 11% of the workforce. This is 37 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 5.0 9.3
25-34 25.6 22.9
35-44 26.7 22.0
45-54 23.2 21.6
55-59 9.0 9.0
60-64 6.3 6.0
65 and Over 3.8 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in a relevant field is usually needed to work as an Architectural, Building or Surveying Technician. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Registration or licencing may be required.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 15.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 21.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 41.1 21.1
Year 12 9.2 18.1
Year 11 2.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 5.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 52%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 52%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 50%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 50%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 45%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 43%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 34%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 69%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 67%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 63%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 60%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 58%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 58%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 57%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 54%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 52%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 50%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 49%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 49%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 47%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 47%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 46%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 35%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 35%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 35%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 33%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 24%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 52%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 48%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 46%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 46%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 46%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 41%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 39%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 39%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 68%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 67%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 67%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 57%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 57%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 57%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 56%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 56%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 55%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 55%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 54%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 53%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 52%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 51%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 49%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 81%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 69%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 93%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 92%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 91%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 91%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 89%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 88%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 88%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 88%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 87%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 84%

    Dangerous equipment

    Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.

  • 82%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 81%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 80%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 80%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 79%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 78%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-1011.00 - First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers.

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