How to become a civil engineering technician in Australia
Civil Engineering Technicians conduct tests of construction materials, prepare sketches and tabulations, and assist in estimating costs in support of Civil Engineering Professionals and Engineering Technologists.
Pay and growth are for the wider civil engineering draftspersons and technicians group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the civil engineering draftspersons and technicians group are projected to grow 11.3% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Prepares sketches, charts, tabulations, plans and designs for civil engineering works such as drainage, water supply, sewage reticulation systems, roads, airports, dams and other structures.
- Performs and directs fieldwork and laboratory testing.
- Interprets work assignment instructions, applies appropriate procedures and selects equipment.
- Collects and analyses data and carries out computations.
- Estimates material costs and ensures finished works are within specifications, regulations and contract provisions.
- Inspects civil engineering works, and organises and supervises maintenance and repair work.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A diploma or advanced diploma. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the civil engineering draftspersons and technicians group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 22% a degree or higher, 21% a diploma, 28% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Civil Engineering Technician is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations, Certificate III in Civil Construction, Certificate III in Civil Foundations. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria3 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Diplomas and other ways in
Engineering Technology (Civil Major) (Associate Degree)/Engineering (Civil and Infrastructure) (Honours) · RMIT, City40.50NSW and ACT0 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
No match in UAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Queensland3 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 2 of 3 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia0 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
No match in TISC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Matched on course names, 6 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.
From O*NET ratings for "Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
Surveyor$2,300 Mechanical engineer$2,614 Chemical engineer$2,849 Electrical engineer$2,553 Chemist$2,194Done this job, or studied for it?
Tell Year 12s the one thing you wish you'd known. First name only, and we read every story before it goes up.
Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.