Mine Surveyor
Role lens
Mine surveyors prepare and maintain mining plans in line with statutory and management requirements. They keep records of the physical progress of mining operations and of ore or mineral production.
Mine surveyors are essential professionals in the mining industry, responsible for the accurate measurement and mapping of underground and surface mining sites. They work closely with mining engineers and geologists to develop and maintain detailed mining plans, ensuring operations adhere to both legal requirements and company guidelines. Your work directly impacts the safety, efficiency, and profitability of mining projects.
- • Prepare and maintain comprehensive mining plans, adhering to statutory and management requirements.
- • Conduct regular surveys using specialized equipment like total stations, theodolites, and laser scanners to monitor excavation progress and ore/mineral production.
- • Maintain meticulous records of mining operations, including detailed maps, cross-sections, and volumetric calculations.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Science and engineering professionals — 274 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France and 4 more.
Longest-running shortage: Belgium, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $75,440 2025-05 | +4.4% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +35.5% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £45,673 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
Do you guide students, clients or employees? Use this occupation data in your organisation.
Future Outlook for mine surveyor
The outlook for mine surveyor reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could mine surveyor change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- manage staff
- supervise staff
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- create thematic maps
- maintain plans of a mining site
- identify GIS issues
Tasks most exposed to automation
- manage mine site data
- process collected survey data
- maintain records of mining operations
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Energy & Natural Resources
A typical day as a mine surveyor
09 09:00 · Morning maintain plans of a mining site
10 10:30 · Mid-morning maintain records of mining operations
12 12:00 · Midday create GIS reports
14 14:00 · Afternoon create thematic maps
15 15:30 · Late afternoon manage mine site data
17 17:00 · Wrap-up identify GIS issues
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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manage staff
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
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supervise staff
Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
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write work-related reports
Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
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prepare scientific reports
Prepare reports that describe results and processes of scientific or technical research, or assess its progress. These reports help researchers to keep up to date with recent findings.
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maintain plans of a mining site
Prepare and maintain surface and underground plans and blueprints of a mining site; carry out surveys and perform risk assessment of potential mining sites.
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maintain records of mining operations
Maintain records of mine production and development performance, including performance of machinery.
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manage mine site data
Capture, record and validate spatial data for the mine site.
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process collected survey data
Analyse and interpret survey data acquired from a wide variety of sources e.g. satellite surveys, aerial photography and laser measurement systems.
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perform surveying calculations
Perform calculations and gather technical data in order to determine earth curvature corrections, traverse adjustments and closures, level runs, azimuths, marker placements, etc.
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create thematic maps
Use various techniques such as choropleth mapping and dasymetric mapping to create thematic maps based on geospatial information, using software programmes.
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create GIS reports
Use relevant geographic informations systems to create reports and maps based on geospatial information, using GIS software programmes.
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present reports
Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
geographic information systems
The tools involved in geographical mapping and positioning, such as GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing).
impact of geological factors on mining operations
Be aware of the impact of geological factors, such as faults and rock movements, on mining operations.
dimension stone
The types of stones that are cut and finished following detailed specifications of size, shape, colour, and durability. Dimensional stones are commissioned for usage in buildings, paving, monuments, and the like.
minerals laws
Law related to land access, exploration permits, planning permission and minerals ownership.
mining engineering
Fields of engineering relevant to mining operations. Principles, techniques, procedures and equipment used in the extraction of minerals.
- mathematics
- health and safety hazards underground
Path to become a mine surveyor
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
Regulated in 3 countries on record. Minimum EQF 4–6, depending on the country.
Reflects the EU regulated-professions database. Not legal advice — confirm requirements with the relevant national authority before relying on this for a career or immigration decision.
234 programmes in 21 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 35 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Diploma of Surveying
Scientific Research Development Institute of Technology Australia Pty Ltd · Australia
Ammattiopisto Tavastia · Finland
South Africa
These are 6 of 269.
Sources
- 1. Source: Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education), CRICOS, data.gov.au, CC BY 2.5 AU. Data as at 01/09/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 2. Source: Opintopolku.fi (Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 3. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 4. Source: South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), All Qualifications and Unit Standards (allqs.saqa.org.za).
- 5. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does mine surveyor fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of training or education is typically required to become a mine surveyor?
How does the role of a mine surveyor contribute to mine safety?
I'm interested in freelancing. Is that a common work arrangement for mine surveyors?
How much does Mine Surveyor pay in the United States?
Is Mine Surveyor a regulated profession?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data