Other Spatial Scientists

ANZSCO ID 232214

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,800
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
85%
Female Share
34%
Average age
41

Summary

Other Spatial Scientists acquire, integrate, analyse, interpret, present, manage and distribute information about locations in space and time, and develop related equipment, software and services.

Specialisations: Geographic Information Systems Manager.

A formal qualification in geographic information systems or another relevant field is usually needed to work as an Other Spatial Scientist. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • Determines the position of points of interest on the earth's surface including marine floors, and preparing the final product data in digital form.

  • Supervises the preparation of plans, maps, charts and drawings to give pictorial representations and managing spatial information systems.

  • Undertakes research and development of surveying and photogrammetric measurement systems, cadastral systems and land information systems.

  • Plans and designing land subdivision projects and negotiating details with local governments and other authorities.

  • Advises other scientists relevant professionals on the technical requirements of surveying, mapping and spatial information systems.

  • Compiles and evaluating data, interpreting codes of practice, and writing reports concerning survey measurement, land use and tenure.

  • Prepares site plans and survey reports required for conveyancing and land ownership matters.

  • Evaluates, compiles and maintains spatial information using a range of digital and graphical source materials, including aerial photographs, satellite imagery, survey documents, existing maps and records, historical data, reports and statistics.

  • Analyses and interprets data to design maps, graphs, plans, drawings and three-dimensional models using geographic information and related systems.

  • Develops and trials new applications for use in geographic information systems.

  • Supervises and co-ordinates the work of surveying or spatial science technicians in the production and reproduction of geographic products.

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
  • Light

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, Surveyors and Spatial Scientists, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 85% of people employed as Other Spatial Scientists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 40 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours less than 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
47.3%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
20.7%
3
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
8.3%
4
Mining
5.1%
5
Other industries
15.9%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

26.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

18.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

23.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

15.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

5.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Other Spatial Scientists All Jobs Average
NSW 26.6 31.6
VIC 18.2 25.6
QLD 23.9 20.0
SA 6.7 7.0
WA 15.2 10.8
TAS 3.2 2.0
NT 1.1 1.0
ACT 5.1 1.9


  • Around 68% of Other Spatial Scientists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    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
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
34%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Other Spatial Scientists is 41 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 34% of the workforce. This is 14 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 Other Spatial Scientists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.3 5.0
20-24 2.5 9.3
25-34 24.9 22.9
35-44 32.9 22.0
45-54 23.5 21.6
55-59 8.9 9.0
60-64 5.7 6.0
65 and Over 1.4 4.2
Median Age 41 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 geographic information systems or another relevant field is usually needed to work as an Other Spatial Scientist. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

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 Other Spatial Scientists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 28.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 39.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 16.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 6.7 21.1
Year 12 6.9 18.1
Year 11 1.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.9 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 Surveyors and Spatial Scientists who work well in a team, are motivated and organised.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 57%

    Active listening

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

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 55%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 55%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Active learning

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

  • 54%

    Systems analysis

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

  • 52%

    Systems evaluation

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

  • 50%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 48%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

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

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

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

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 41%

    Management of personnel resources

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


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 98%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 81%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 73%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 71%

    Education and training

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

  • 68%

    English language

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

  • 64%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 60%

    Clerical

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

  • 55%

    Administration and management

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

  • 55%

    Technical design

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

  • 44%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 43%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 42%

    Law and government

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

  • 41%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 40%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 38%

    Production and processing

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

  • 37%

    History and archeology

    Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.

  • 35%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 35%

    Transportation

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

  • 33%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 30%

    Telecommunications

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 68%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 66%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 61%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 57%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 55%

    Near vision

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

  • 55%

    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%

    Mathematics

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

  • 48%

    Brainstorming

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

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

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

  • 46%

    Originality

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

  • 46%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Visualization

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


Activities

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

  • 84%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 79%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 79%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 76%

    Working with computers

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

  • 76%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 75%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 75%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 73%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 73%

    Thinking creatively

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

  • 71%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 68%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 68%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 65%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 65%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 62%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 62%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 61%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 59%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 59%

    Scheduling work and activities

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


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%

    Analytical

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

  • 76%

    Practical

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

  • 71%

    Administrative

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

  • 33%

    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.
  • 81%

    Achievement

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 67%

    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.

  • 57%

    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%

    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.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 96%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 93%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 88%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 86%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 83%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 81%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 80%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 77%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 75%

    Repeating same tasks

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

  • 71%

    Contact with people

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

  • 70%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 69%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 68%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 68%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 65%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 64%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 62%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 61%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

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, 15-1199.04 - Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists.


Links and downloads

Back to top