Engineering Technologists

ANZSCO ID 233914

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
150
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
90%
Female Share
7%
Average age
40

Summary

Engineering Technologists analyse and modify new and existing engineering technologies and apply them in the testing and implementation of engineering projects.

Specialisations: Aeronautical Engineering Technologist, Agricultural Engineering Technologist, Biomedical Engineering Technologist, Chemical Engineering Technologist, Industrial Engineering Technologist, Mining Engineering Technologist.

A bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline is usually needed to work as an Engineering Technologist. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Tasks

  • Analyses existing technology.

  • Makes recommendations on how to improve existing technologies.

  • Runs technology through testing procedures and notes findings.

  • Prepares drawings of new technologies.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Engineering Professionals, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 90% of people employed as Engineering Technologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 24 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
29.8%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
17.9%
3
Manufacturing
15.9%
4
Mining
7.9%
5
Other industries
25.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

22.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

19.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

33.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.3% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

4.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Engineering Technologists All Jobs Average
NSW 22.0 31.6
VIC 19.3 25.6
QLD 33.3 20.0
SA 8.0 7.0
WA 11.3 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 4.0 1.9


  • Around 77% of Engineering Technologists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    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
40
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
7%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Engineering Technologists is 40 years. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 7% of the workforce. This is 41 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 Engineering Technologists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 2.6 9.3
25-34 30.8 22.9
35-44 25.6 22.0
45-54 17.9 21.6
55-59 16.0 9.0
60-64 3.2 6.0
65 and Over 3.8 4.2
Median Age 40 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 bachelor degree in a relevant engineering discipline is usually needed to work as an Engineering Technologist. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.

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 Aeroskills Industry and Metal and Engineering 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 Engineering Technologists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 20.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 43.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 27.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 8.8 21.1
Year 12 0.0 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 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 Other Engineering Professionals who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 59%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 57%

    Monitoring

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

  • 57%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 54%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Active listening

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

  • 52%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 52%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 52%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 52%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 50%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 48%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Active learning

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

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 46%

    Management of personnel resources

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

  • 45%

    Time management

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

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 71%

    Production and processing

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

  • 69%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 69%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 64%

    Technical design

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

  • 61%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 60%

    Mechanical

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

  • 57%

    Administration and management

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

  • 55%

    English language

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

  • 53%

    Clerical

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

  • 53%

    Education and training

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

  • 48%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 46%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 43%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 43%

    Economics and accounting

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

  • 39%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 39%

    Chemistry

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

  • 38%

    Building and construction

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

  • 37%

    Transportation

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

  • 34%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 30%

    Telecommunications

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 64%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Near vision

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

  • 55%

    Visualization

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

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 52%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 52%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Brainstorming

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

  • 50%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 46%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.


Activities

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

  • 73%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 72%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 70%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 68%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Coordinating the work of a team

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

  • 65%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 62%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 60%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 60%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 59%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 59%

    Guiding and directing staff

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

  • 58%

    Leading and encouraging a team

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

  • 58%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 58%

    Assessing and evaluating things

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

  • 57%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 54%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 54%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 51%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 47%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 47%

    Checking for errors or defects

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


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.

  • 86%

    Analytical

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

  • 76%

    Administrative

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

  • 76%

    Practical

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

  • 38%

    Creative

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

  • 29%

    Enterprising

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

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    Achievement

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

  • 67%

    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.

  • 67%

    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.

  • 64%

    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%

    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.

  • 57%

    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:
  • 99%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 95%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 90%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 85%

    Contact with people

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

  • 85%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 81%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 79%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 79%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 78%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 77%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

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

  • 77%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 76%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 72%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 72%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 71%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 69%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's 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, 17-3029.05 - Industrial Engineering Technologists.


Links and downloads

Back to top