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Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians

ANZSCO ID 312116

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,200
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
80%
Female Share
23%
Average age
40
About this data

Summary

Surveying or Spatial Science Technicians collect, record and evaluate spatial information and prepare databases, maps, charts and plans in support of Surveyors, Cartographers or Other Spatial Scientists.

Also known as: GIS Technician.

Specialisations: Aerial Survey Technician, Photogrammetrist.

A formal qualification in spatial information services or surveying is usually needed to work as a Surveying or Spatial Science Technician. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • Assists construction managers, architects and surveyors in planning and organisation.

  • Interprets plans, regulations and codes of practice.

  • Prepares preliminary sketches, working drawings and specifications.

  • Prepares, edits and revises maps, charts and drawings.

  • Collects data using surveying instruments and photogrammetric equipment.

  • Performs routine computations and plotting preliminary data.

Characteristics

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, Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 80% of people employed as Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 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
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
53.3%
2
Public Administration and Safety
22.3%
3
Construction
7.2%
4
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
3.7%
5
Other industries
12.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

35.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

18.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

23.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.5% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.2% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 35.3 31.6
VIC 18.4 25.6
QLD 23.8 20.0
SA 6.2 7.0
WA 10.5 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 1.5 1.0
ACT 2.2 1.9


  • Around 44% of Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland and New South Wales have a large share of employment relative to their 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
23%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians 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 23% of the workforce. This is 25 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 Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 1.2 5.0
20-24 8.7 9.3
25-34 28.6 22.9
35-44 22.7 22.0
45-54 19.8 21.6
55-59 8.8 9.0
60-64 7.5 6.0
65 and Over 2.8 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 formal qualification in spatial information services or surveying is usually needed to work as a Surveying or Spatial Science 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 Surveying and Spatial Science Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 5.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 19.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 29.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 21.3 21.1
Year 12 18.2 18.1
Year 11 2.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 3.5 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.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 52%

    Active listening

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

  • 52%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 48%

    Active learning

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

  • 48%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 48%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Time management

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

  • 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%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

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

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 45%

    Systems analysis

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

  • 41%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 39%

    Systems evaluation

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

  • 39%

    Management of personnel resources

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

  • 37%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 80%

    Geography

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

  • 66%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 53%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 50%

    Technical design

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

  • 47%

    English language

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

  • 44%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 42%

    Education and training

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

  • 34%

    Administration and management

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

  • 34%

    Clerical

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

  • 34%

    Production and processing

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

  • 32%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 28%

    Communications and media

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

  • 23%

    Law and government

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

  • 21%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 20%

    Transportation

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

  • 18%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 18%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 18%

    Biology

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

  • 16%

    History and archeology

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

  • 12%

    Building and construction

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

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Near vision

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

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 54%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 54%

    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%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 50%

    Flexibility of closure

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

  • 50%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 50%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Visualization

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

  • 45%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Brainstorming

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

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Control precision

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

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

Activities

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

  • 74%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 68%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 62%

    Working with computers

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

  • 61%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 61%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 60%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 58%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 57%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Thinking creatively

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

  • 55%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 55%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 52%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 51%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 51%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 49%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

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

  • 48%

    Coordinating the work of a team

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

  • 48%

    Training and teaching others

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

  • 46%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 46%

    Scheduling work and activities

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

  • 40%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

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.

  • 81%

    Practical

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

  • 76%

    Administrative

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

  • 76%

    Analytical

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

  • 48%

    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.

  • 71%

    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%

    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.

  • 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.

  • 52%

    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.

  • 48%

    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.

Demands

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

  • 97%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 95%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 93%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 89%

    Repeating same tasks

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

  • 89%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 84%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 83%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 83%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

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

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 82%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 81%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 79%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 75%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 75%

    Contact with people

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

  • 75%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 74%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 70%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 67%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 63%

    Automation of tasks

    Do tasks that are mostly automated.

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, 17-1021.00 - Cartographers and Photogrammetrists.

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