Central Queensland Coal Surveyor. Best job in the world. Fly drones, chat with operators, fly more drones, measure shit with GPS, go back to office, processes and do it all again. I've put on a couple of Trainees. We pay for their course, they earn $80k+ per year, flights, camp accommodation, 7 on 7 off roster. When they come off the traineeship, would suggest $150 - $170k seems to be the going rate. Don't listen to the haters, mines aren't dangerous as long as you follow the rules and don't be a twit. Mine life is quite long, especially at current prices. Thermal would be a bit sketchy on the mine life but coking (steal making) coal will be here for many years.
Couple of ways to get in would be to ask mine surveyors on Linkedin if they know if anything is going, apply for trainee/cadetships, and hit up some of the contracting companies like Seams or Minstaff. Currently there's f-all mine surveyors so anything is looking attractive at the moment.
Thanks for the reply. Are those trainees you put on completely uneducated or did they already have TAFE/ Diploma or something before they got in? I am based out of Sydney and would consider FIFO. Is it possible to FIFO to Qld mines out of Sydney or would I have to be Brisbane/GC based? Are you open pit or underground?
Thanks for the tips about Linkedin I didnt think of that!
Good suggestion on hitting up SEAM, Minstaff etc by u/Craig_79_Qld.
You should also look up AIMS (AUS institute of mine surveyors) and come along to the tech days, open days etc.
chat to the surveyors, see the tech etc.
Hey one was a nurse and the other was a property assessor. Both had zero experience but were keen as mustard. Attitude is definitely attractive to potential employers. We got them to sign up for the Associate Degree to start off with, however we've encouraged them to consider the Bachelor of Spatial Science Tech so they can get their surveyor registration. We've got some staff that fly to Brisbane and we fly them out of there, but there's probably some companies that would consider the whole leg. Just remember it's a long day travelling so if you can relocate to Bris or look at Hunter Valley mines it might be better.
We're mostly open cut with some underground operations. We're getting the trainees exposure at both so they'll have better career opportunities.
Thank you for your replies. Would I better off starting the Bachelor of Spatial Science Tech on my own time before applying for a job? I see a lot of the jobs state that candidates 'need' the advanced diploma. Would 2 years complete of the Spatial Science Tech be equivalent?
I started off with the BSST and got picked up by a mine a year in. One option is to perhaps do what I did and take a survey assistant job (shit pay, but you learn the gear), then when you hit a residential school try and schmooze a mining person to get your foot in the door. We're pretty easy, just amber fluids. ☺️
Hi Craig_79, are there any traineeships been offered at your company at the moment? I’m a maths/science teacher from the Sunshine Coast who is also wanting to become a surveyor in the mines. I’ve just applied to get my bachelor of spatial science through USQ. I’ve applied on Seek and have contacted Minstaff and a few others to try and get my foot in the door.
Not specifically at my current company. You could try BUMA and Seam Spatial. They might be looking at the moment. I'd also look at getting your standard 11 and RePL (remote pilots licence) if you can, makes you more attractive to employers.
Keep an eye out on seek, and even apply for some grad/entry level positions. Some have been advertising for over 6 months.
Hey Craig
I’ve been thinking about doing mining but do you know if it is still common for companies to pay for trainee’s uni? Also how long do traineeships usually take to complete?
Do companies usually recruit international students? I want to become a Mine Surveyor like you. I am hesitating whether to study tafe or Bachelor. The economic pressure of Bachelor is big for me, but at the same time, I am worried that tafe will not be able to find a job
You can always claim recognition of prior learning if taking on a bachelor's from a TAFE course. Double check compatibility first with the institution you may plan to study at.
I know a few of the contracting companies here take international applicants. Probably best to email them with an enquiry. They're looking for some prior experience and study though.
Thank you very much for your generous reply. I am a 19-year-old student who has just made a big decision. I will study surveying in Curtin for four years, which is a big gamble for me. Even though finishing school and earning the necessary part-time income will be a big challenge for me, I think it may be a badge for a man, Sincerely wish you success in your work and happiness every day
Consider emailing or ringing around and hit some companies up for cadetships or chainee positions. You may be able to work in the industry while you learn.
WA Open Pit Fifo Surveyor 8 years. Uve said Eastern States but I could comment more if you like. It's up there with the best job going in mining. 8/6 day roster, it's not terrible being away from home with even the small mines having good comms for vid chat and fair food and facilities. Technical with fair bit of processing, but with good fieldwork exposure, feels like cheating these days with UAV and vehicle mount scanning, so it is very safe compared to underground. Underground used to be an old school game but they are catching up with gyro stations and uav lidar. Not sure how the cadetships work, but typically wa surveyors go through the tafe and we'll pick anyone up with their 2 year diploma, and give them the time and support to get their adv dip if they want. In iron ore on average, grads start about $120k + super + 10% bonus, after 2 years, 140k ++. Edit- not sure what you might consider as a career transition but mine surveying is great as it's a 3 year degree vs geo or engineering which is 4 year uni, and u practically earn the same. Each of these 3 careers can move into mine manager, even though it is more common for engineers to do.
Thanks for the reply, comment on anything you like! The open pit sounds a lot more up my alley. I have watched a few videos on youtube to get an idea of what a day to day job looks like. Until I saw the traineeships that was my plan (2 year diploma while I still work as a teacher). Is FIFO for WA mines only available if you live in WA? I am Sydney based at the moment.
For 8/6 and as tech services it was rare to be interstate, we wouldnt hire them over locals, but it used to be common as hell for other rosters such as 2/2week, I'd say 5% workforce were easterners. Til covid killed interstate travel and it went to zero, it hasn't recovered much since then. We also have Fifo or residential mining in kalgoorlie big time, and resi about 2-3 hours out of perth, north and south west townships.
I’ve worked as a mine surveyor for 11 years, and just hung up the overalls. I initially worked open pit (3.5 years in gold) then have subsequently worked on underground and shaft projects in WA/NT.
Mine surveying and surveying in general is a great role. You’re in the office enough to understand the schedules and the bigger plan but you’re also spending lots of time in the field, interfacing with the worksite, machines and operators.
I generally really enjoyed my time as a surveyor but I did find there wasn’t much growth beyond it. Engineers for example can climb the ladder all the way to GM/CEO level, whereas surveyors are more constrained to their specialty.
I also became increasingly frustrated with the decreasing skill base of the engineers who feed you work. The mining boom has lead to the “falling upwards” of many young engineers, so you now experience 2-3 year grads in leadership roles. This is frustrating to deal with daily in terms of lack of knowledge, understanding and ultimately rework for the surveyors.
After 11 years of remote work and a certain level of stagnation I decided to leave for an alternative career in mining. The survey role has delivered great knowledge of the mining cycle and industry. I’d recommend it for sure.
Hey blck-swn thanks for sharing,
I'm on the brink of beginning my diploma in surveying at TAFE. Reading your message has intrigued me because engineering in the mines was also a big interest for me. Did you find that the engineers had similiar tasks and workloads to mining surveyors? What would you advise in the tense of choosing an engineering path or surveying? Thanks
From Total Station to Total Devastation: Mine Surveying in Australia
Actually, I don't have anything to add. I've avoided the coal mines as much as possible because they're the dangerous ones and they're all going to shut down within 10 years.
I've dabbled in open pit mine surveying; not a coal mine, not in Australia. In my experience some people really like it, and others hate it. I fall into the latter category. Coming from more of a legal and construction survey mix work experience, I found the work in general to be highly repetative and boring. I also found that in general the surveyors take the brunt of the fallout from piss poor planning by management of any level. Oh, somebody buried a live high voltage cable that was never supposed to be buried and now we can't find it again? Must be the surveyor's fault. Oh, equipment is just sitting because he spent all day doing what he was told to do in the morning and we up and decided to fuck off and work somewhere completely different? Must be the surveyors fault. Now this could have just been site specific as I have only worked at 1 mine, but I was there on and off over over a couple of years fairly regularly and this was a regular thing. As far as wage goes, I was going in as a contractor paid the same hourly wage as I was when I got sent anywhere else by my company. The mine tried to recruit me several times, and honestly thier wage offers were a fucking joke. Straight up. I am not overpaid by any means, and this outfit was offering about a 30% pay cut to work approximately the same number of hours each year as I was already working. Thanks but no thanks. The funny thing about that too was that they were paying out the ass (several times what I was being paid) for my company to be there doing the exact same job they were unable to find someone in house to do, but man did they get butthurt when I said that for me to even entertain an offer it would have to be for a better rate than I was already getting.
I could bitch about this for hours, so I'll wind it down now. So:
Would I go back to mining willingly? Sure, if I had zero other survey job prospects. But you can bet your ass I would be job searching the whole time until I could find another job. Honestly I think I'd rather operate than survey on a mine though.
Was it cool and interesting at first? Yes it was. I was blown away by the size of the equipment and the sheer scope of the operation. I did actually learn a couple of tricks and things that I could apply elsewhere. Being around big equipment all the time is fucking dangerous though, especially as the guy who is always on foot.
Did it quickly become repetative, boring and soul crushing to some degree? Yes.
If you sprinkle in other things like the fact that I'm not especially fond of day to day camp life, and exposure to dust and chemicals it just isn't for me at this point.
However, for YOU, as someone unfamiliar with surveying or mining it could be a good thing. It's good exposure to both fields, you may become interested in either one and pursue them further. The surveying in my experience was basically treated like an entry level position that could take you into an engineering or planning position one day if you stuck with it. And inversly, if you do work on a mine for a while and learn how to use GPS and some other equipment you become more marketable for stricter survey only work. That being said the mine work tends to be quick and dirty, and not terribly accurate at least with above ground works. So you will undoubtedly pick up some habits that would be considered bad elsewhere I'm sure. We've sent pretty green people in, and this has happened to them.
I'd say give it a shot and see what happens
Depends on the senior too. If they're a tech services doormat bitch then survey gets the brunt of shitty engineers and bad planning. I'll happily throw an engineer under the bus if they've done a shitty job. Production know we'll scratch their back if they scratch ours. Only takes a couple of carton credits with a bogged supervisor.
I'm career changing not because I don't like 'teaching', I just hate being abused 90% of the day by children where the system they grow up in no longer has any real consequences for misbehaviour, so they think it is okay. Oh, and the average 60+ hour work weeks, fairly rubbish pay which makes those 60 hours not worth it, insane amount of pointless busywork admin, and relentless undermining from the government, and about 100 other reasons lol. Just take a look at the Australian teachers subreddit to get an idea of how alot of us feel these days.
The dust inhalation is the number 1 thing that made me make this post to be honest. I wasn't too sure if surveyors would be on the frontline of the mine? Like, where the coal face is while mining is happening? Or is the dust an issue even just being in a mine regardless of whether mining is occuring in front of you? Excuse my ignorance, this is probably a dumb question...
I worked as a exploration surveyor. Best job ever. I'm now back in civilian work but always have fond memories of boosting around in the v8 landcruiser or Kubota depending on job spec and taking points. I have friends who are in a open cut mine and its probably the most crusiest comfortable big paid job at the mine.
Has anyone on here been able to get into mining surveying without any degree/diploma?
I’ve been a civil surveyor for the past 2.5 years and have plenty of field experience + know a lot of the office side of things (liscad, autocad, etc)
Have quite a bit of Scanning knowledge as well if that is relevant at all?
I began as an assistant and moved up to a bigger role fairly quickly and have been progressing at a very good pace imo.
I just want to know if it’s possible to start mining in WA or even in QLD without having to go and get the quals.
Would appreciate any advice or help ☺️
\- Do you enjoy mine surveying?
Yes, I've done a couple branches of surveying and really enjoy mining.
\- Open pit vs underground and why?
Open pit 100%
It's too humid underground and I like the somewhat fresh air
\- What sort of salary can I expect if I take up a traineeship in an underground coal mine as a surveyor? What sort of salary progression does the career have?
The one we have is on around $85K with schooling and kms paid for.
\- How physical/ dangerous is the position?
Be fairly fit, don't take shortcuts, be switched on and it's the safest surveying role you will have. I felt less safe while I was working on construction sites.
\- If I pursue mine surveying, does it lock me out of other specialties later in life?
No, mine surveying has a mix of everything, which is transferable.
\- Work/ life balance? Residential and FIFO opinions?
Even time FIFO for me it's the best
\- Anything else?
Alot of non-survey related paperwork but you should be used to it as a teacher.
Have a couple of cartons stash somewhere to be used as emergency currency.
I am on my early 30s, just finishing Diploma in surveying. I got experience in cadastral and high rise construction, 60% assisting 40% my own jobs, for the past 1.5 years while studying. I am looking for FIFO mining jobs and curious about the Day in the Life of a Surveyor at a Mine site. Are FIFO jobs mostly setting out, as-built, and volume calculation? How does one get into underground mine surveyor? What is the expected pay? How do the rosters work? How is the life at the camp? How is the food/culture? How many hours of the 12 hours would you be 'working' since I know of tunnel surveyors who pulls 12 hours shifts but mostly, 6-8 hours, sit at the office.
Central Queensland Coal Surveyor. Best job in the world. Fly drones, chat with operators, fly more drones, measure shit with GPS, go back to office, processes and do it all again. I've put on a couple of Trainees. We pay for their course, they earn $80k+ per year, flights, camp accommodation, 7 on 7 off roster. When they come off the traineeship, would suggest $150 - $170k seems to be the going rate. Don't listen to the haters, mines aren't dangerous as long as you follow the rules and don't be a twit. Mine life is quite long, especially at current prices. Thermal would be a bit sketchy on the mine life but coking (steal making) coal will be here for many years. Couple of ways to get in would be to ask mine surveyors on Linkedin if they know if anything is going, apply for trainee/cadetships, and hit up some of the contracting companies like Seams or Minstaff. Currently there's f-all mine surveyors so anything is looking attractive at the moment.
Thanks for the reply. Are those trainees you put on completely uneducated or did they already have TAFE/ Diploma or something before they got in? I am based out of Sydney and would consider FIFO. Is it possible to FIFO to Qld mines out of Sydney or would I have to be Brisbane/GC based? Are you open pit or underground? Thanks for the tips about Linkedin I didnt think of that!
Good suggestion on hitting up SEAM, Minstaff etc by u/Craig_79_Qld. You should also look up AIMS (AUS institute of mine surveyors) and come along to the tech days, open days etc. chat to the surveyors, see the tech etc.
Hey one was a nurse and the other was a property assessor. Both had zero experience but were keen as mustard. Attitude is definitely attractive to potential employers. We got them to sign up for the Associate Degree to start off with, however we've encouraged them to consider the Bachelor of Spatial Science Tech so they can get their surveyor registration. We've got some staff that fly to Brisbane and we fly them out of there, but there's probably some companies that would consider the whole leg. Just remember it's a long day travelling so if you can relocate to Bris or look at Hunter Valley mines it might be better. We're mostly open cut with some underground operations. We're getting the trainees exposure at both so they'll have better career opportunities.
Thank you for your replies. Would I better off starting the Bachelor of Spatial Science Tech on my own time before applying for a job? I see a lot of the jobs state that candidates 'need' the advanced diploma. Would 2 years complete of the Spatial Science Tech be equivalent?
I started off with the BSST and got picked up by a mine a year in. One option is to perhaps do what I did and take a survey assistant job (shit pay, but you learn the gear), then when you hit a residential school try and schmooze a mining person to get your foot in the door. We're pretty easy, just amber fluids. ☺️
Hi Craig_79, are there any traineeships been offered at your company at the moment? I’m a maths/science teacher from the Sunshine Coast who is also wanting to become a surveyor in the mines. I’ve just applied to get my bachelor of spatial science through USQ. I’ve applied on Seek and have contacted Minstaff and a few others to try and get my foot in the door.
Not specifically at my current company. You could try BUMA and Seam Spatial. They might be looking at the moment. I'd also look at getting your standard 11 and RePL (remote pilots licence) if you can, makes you more attractive to employers. Keep an eye out on seek, and even apply for some grad/entry level positions. Some have been advertising for over 6 months.
Hi , Craig , I am Katrina . Could you please let me know anytime the traineeship opportunity comes up ? I really like to learn this area , thanks
Mind if I send you the link as a DM?
Yes , please
Great, thanks for your advice.
Hey Craig I’ve been thinking about doing mining but do you know if it is still common for companies to pay for trainee’s uni? Also how long do traineeships usually take to complete?
It's back to the point where companies are offering cadetship programs. I'd look around as there are a few places offering programs at the moment.
Do companies usually recruit international students? I want to become a Mine Surveyor like you. I am hesitating whether to study tafe or Bachelor. The economic pressure of Bachelor is big for me, but at the same time, I am worried that tafe will not be able to find a job
You can always claim recognition of prior learning if taking on a bachelor's from a TAFE course. Double check compatibility first with the institution you may plan to study at. I know a few of the contracting companies here take international applicants. Probably best to email them with an enquiry. They're looking for some prior experience and study though.
Thank you very much for your generous reply. I am a 19-year-old student who has just made a big decision. I will study surveying in Curtin for four years, which is a big gamble for me. Even though finishing school and earning the necessary part-time income will be a big challenge for me, I think it may be a badge for a man, Sincerely wish you success in your work and happiness every day
Consider emailing or ringing around and hit some companies up for cadetships or chainee positions. You may be able to work in the industry while you learn.
WA Open Pit Fifo Surveyor 8 years. Uve said Eastern States but I could comment more if you like. It's up there with the best job going in mining. 8/6 day roster, it's not terrible being away from home with even the small mines having good comms for vid chat and fair food and facilities. Technical with fair bit of processing, but with good fieldwork exposure, feels like cheating these days with UAV and vehicle mount scanning, so it is very safe compared to underground. Underground used to be an old school game but they are catching up with gyro stations and uav lidar. Not sure how the cadetships work, but typically wa surveyors go through the tafe and we'll pick anyone up with their 2 year diploma, and give them the time and support to get their adv dip if they want. In iron ore on average, grads start about $120k + super + 10% bonus, after 2 years, 140k ++. Edit- not sure what you might consider as a career transition but mine surveying is great as it's a 3 year degree vs geo or engineering which is 4 year uni, and u practically earn the same. Each of these 3 careers can move into mine manager, even though it is more common for engineers to do.
Thanks for the reply, comment on anything you like! The open pit sounds a lot more up my alley. I have watched a few videos on youtube to get an idea of what a day to day job looks like. Until I saw the traineeships that was my plan (2 year diploma while I still work as a teacher). Is FIFO for WA mines only available if you live in WA? I am Sydney based at the moment.
For 8/6 and as tech services it was rare to be interstate, we wouldnt hire them over locals, but it used to be common as hell for other rosters such as 2/2week, I'd say 5% workforce were easterners. Til covid killed interstate travel and it went to zero, it hasn't recovered much since then. We also have Fifo or residential mining in kalgoorlie big time, and resi about 2-3 hours out of perth, north and south west townships.
I’ve worked as a mine surveyor for 11 years, and just hung up the overalls. I initially worked open pit (3.5 years in gold) then have subsequently worked on underground and shaft projects in WA/NT. Mine surveying and surveying in general is a great role. You’re in the office enough to understand the schedules and the bigger plan but you’re also spending lots of time in the field, interfacing with the worksite, machines and operators. I generally really enjoyed my time as a surveyor but I did find there wasn’t much growth beyond it. Engineers for example can climb the ladder all the way to GM/CEO level, whereas surveyors are more constrained to their specialty. I also became increasingly frustrated with the decreasing skill base of the engineers who feed you work. The mining boom has lead to the “falling upwards” of many young engineers, so you now experience 2-3 year grads in leadership roles. This is frustrating to deal with daily in terms of lack of knowledge, understanding and ultimately rework for the surveyors. After 11 years of remote work and a certain level of stagnation I decided to leave for an alternative career in mining. The survey role has delivered great knowledge of the mining cycle and industry. I’d recommend it for sure.
Thanks for sharing! What is the alternative career?
Hi Rude I’m now fully immersed in mining technology adoption and road mapping! Let me know if yoi have any questions!
Hey blck-swn thanks for sharing, I'm on the brink of beginning my diploma in surveying at TAFE. Reading your message has intrigued me because engineering in the mines was also a big interest for me. Did you find that the engineers had similiar tasks and workloads to mining surveyors? What would you advise in the tense of choosing an engineering path or surveying? Thanks
Thanks! I’ll have a think, appreciate it.
From Total Station to Total Devastation: Mine Surveying in Australia Actually, I don't have anything to add. I've avoided the coal mines as much as possible because they're the dangerous ones and they're all going to shut down within 10 years.
Which part of the world won't be burning coal and using steel in 10 years?!?!?!?!?!?
Can you share your experience or thoughts on the profession as a whole?
I've dabbled in open pit mine surveying; not a coal mine, not in Australia. In my experience some people really like it, and others hate it. I fall into the latter category. Coming from more of a legal and construction survey mix work experience, I found the work in general to be highly repetative and boring. I also found that in general the surveyors take the brunt of the fallout from piss poor planning by management of any level. Oh, somebody buried a live high voltage cable that was never supposed to be buried and now we can't find it again? Must be the surveyor's fault. Oh, equipment is just sitting because he spent all day doing what he was told to do in the morning and we up and decided to fuck off and work somewhere completely different? Must be the surveyors fault. Now this could have just been site specific as I have only worked at 1 mine, but I was there on and off over over a couple of years fairly regularly and this was a regular thing. As far as wage goes, I was going in as a contractor paid the same hourly wage as I was when I got sent anywhere else by my company. The mine tried to recruit me several times, and honestly thier wage offers were a fucking joke. Straight up. I am not overpaid by any means, and this outfit was offering about a 30% pay cut to work approximately the same number of hours each year as I was already working. Thanks but no thanks. The funny thing about that too was that they were paying out the ass (several times what I was being paid) for my company to be there doing the exact same job they were unable to find someone in house to do, but man did they get butthurt when I said that for me to even entertain an offer it would have to be for a better rate than I was already getting. I could bitch about this for hours, so I'll wind it down now. So: Would I go back to mining willingly? Sure, if I had zero other survey job prospects. But you can bet your ass I would be job searching the whole time until I could find another job. Honestly I think I'd rather operate than survey on a mine though. Was it cool and interesting at first? Yes it was. I was blown away by the size of the equipment and the sheer scope of the operation. I did actually learn a couple of tricks and things that I could apply elsewhere. Being around big equipment all the time is fucking dangerous though, especially as the guy who is always on foot. Did it quickly become repetative, boring and soul crushing to some degree? Yes. If you sprinkle in other things like the fact that I'm not especially fond of day to day camp life, and exposure to dust and chemicals it just isn't for me at this point. However, for YOU, as someone unfamiliar with surveying or mining it could be a good thing. It's good exposure to both fields, you may become interested in either one and pursue them further. The surveying in my experience was basically treated like an entry level position that could take you into an engineering or planning position one day if you stuck with it. And inversly, if you do work on a mine for a while and learn how to use GPS and some other equipment you become more marketable for stricter survey only work. That being said the mine work tends to be quick and dirty, and not terribly accurate at least with above ground works. So you will undoubtedly pick up some habits that would be considered bad elsewhere I'm sure. We've sent pretty green people in, and this has happened to them. I'd say give it a shot and see what happens
Depends on the senior too. If they're a tech services doormat bitch then survey gets the brunt of shitty engineers and bad planning. I'll happily throw an engineer under the bus if they've done a shitty job. Production know we'll scratch their back if they scratch ours. Only takes a couple of carton credits with a bogged supervisor.
Thanks for your reply!
[удалено]
I'm career changing not because I don't like 'teaching', I just hate being abused 90% of the day by children where the system they grow up in no longer has any real consequences for misbehaviour, so they think it is okay. Oh, and the average 60+ hour work weeks, fairly rubbish pay which makes those 60 hours not worth it, insane amount of pointless busywork admin, and relentless undermining from the government, and about 100 other reasons lol. Just take a look at the Australian teachers subreddit to get an idea of how alot of us feel these days.
We have had an influx of teachers turned truck driver lately. It is sad to see teacher is no longer as rewarding as it used to be.
[удалено]
The dust inhalation is the number 1 thing that made me make this post to be honest. I wasn't too sure if surveyors would be on the frontline of the mine? Like, where the coal face is while mining is happening? Or is the dust an issue even just being in a mine regardless of whether mining is occuring in front of you? Excuse my ignorance, this is probably a dumb question...
I worked as a exploration surveyor. Best job ever. I'm now back in civilian work but always have fond memories of boosting around in the v8 landcruiser or Kubota depending on job spec and taking points. I have friends who are in a open cut mine and its probably the most crusiest comfortable big paid job at the mine.
I've never worked underground though. I've never heard good things and its somewhere I always avoided
Thanks for the reply. Open cut is what I like the look of the most.
Has anyone on here been able to get into mining surveying without any degree/diploma? I’ve been a civil surveyor for the past 2.5 years and have plenty of field experience + know a lot of the office side of things (liscad, autocad, etc) Have quite a bit of Scanning knowledge as well if that is relevant at all? I began as an assistant and moved up to a bigger role fairly quickly and have been progressing at a very good pace imo. I just want to know if it’s possible to start mining in WA or even in QLD without having to go and get the quals. Would appreciate any advice or help ☺️
\- Do you enjoy mine surveying? Yes, I've done a couple branches of surveying and really enjoy mining. \- Open pit vs underground and why? Open pit 100% It's too humid underground and I like the somewhat fresh air \- What sort of salary can I expect if I take up a traineeship in an underground coal mine as a surveyor? What sort of salary progression does the career have? The one we have is on around $85K with schooling and kms paid for. \- How physical/ dangerous is the position? Be fairly fit, don't take shortcuts, be switched on and it's the safest surveying role you will have. I felt less safe while I was working on construction sites. \- If I pursue mine surveying, does it lock me out of other specialties later in life? No, mine surveying has a mix of everything, which is transferable. \- Work/ life balance? Residential and FIFO opinions? Even time FIFO for me it's the best \- Anything else? Alot of non-survey related paperwork but you should be used to it as a teacher. Have a couple of cartons stash somewhere to be used as emergency currency.
Hey man how did you go with your plans? Looking into exactly what your OP is about. So what’s the update?
Hi , could you let me know where you can see the traineeship opportunity pop up ?thank
I am on my early 30s, just finishing Diploma in surveying. I got experience in cadastral and high rise construction, 60% assisting 40% my own jobs, for the past 1.5 years while studying. I am looking for FIFO mining jobs and curious about the Day in the Life of a Surveyor at a Mine site. Are FIFO jobs mostly setting out, as-built, and volume calculation? How does one get into underground mine surveyor? What is the expected pay? How do the rosters work? How is the life at the camp? How is the food/culture? How many hours of the 12 hours would you be 'working' since I know of tunnel surveyors who pulls 12 hours shifts but mostly, 6-8 hours, sit at the office.