Marine Surveyor

A marine surveyor inspects and assesses vessels, cargo, and marine structures to verify condition, seaworthiness, and compliance with maritime regulations. They conduct pre-purchase surveys, damage assessments, and insurance valuations for ships, boats, and offshore installations in Australian ports and waters. The role requires detailed technical knowledge of hull integrity, stability, machinery systems, and Australian maritime safety standards.

Inspect hulls, superstructures, and internal compartments of vessels using visual examination and non-destructive testing methods to identify corrosion, structural defects, or deterioration. Test and verify functionality of propulsion systems, steering mechanisms, electrical systems, and safety equipment aboard vessels. Assess cargo loading, securing, and weight distribution to confirm compliance with stability criteria and Australian Standards for maritime transport. Examine vessel documentation including certificates of seaworthiness, classification society records, maintenance logs, and compliance with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements. Conduct damage surveys following marine casualties, collisions, or weather incidents and prepare detailed damage reports for insurance claims and liability assessment. Measure vessel dimensions, tonnage, draft, and freeboard using specialised equipment and calculate displacement to verify accuracy of ship's particulars. Test marine safety systems including life rafts, lifeboats, fire suppression systems, and emergency procedures against international maritime regulations and AMSA standards. Prepare comprehensive survey reports documenting findings, photographs, measurements, and recommendations for repairs or remedial action.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need formal marine surveyor certification from AMSA or a classification society, which takes time and money to obtain. Work is unpredictable: you're on-call for emergency damage surveys after accidents, often in rough conditions or confined spaces. Physical inspection means climbing, crawling through bilges, and working in poor visibility. The work is genuinely seasonal in Australian ports.

Work is tied to major ports and offshore installations: remote work isn't an option.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2312, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Negotiationcore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Correspondence Drafting
• Digital Literacy
• Electronic Document Management
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Process Documentation
• Time Management and Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026