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Certificate IV · national qualification

Certificate IV in Surveying and Spatial Information Services

A Certificate IV in Surveying and Spatial Information Services prepares you for entry-level technician work in a surveying or spatial information team, assisting qualified staff rather than running jobs on your own.

Compare 7 providers
Illustration of a person working as surveying Technician
How long it takes
4 to 12 months
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $1,980
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $13,180
How you can study
On campus or on the job
Main job
Surveying Technician
$87,400 (estimate) median pay
Taught by
7 providers
5 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate IV in Surveying and Spatial Information Services asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in maps and location data
  • comfort with numbers and calculations
  • good computer skills
  • careful attention to detail

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Certificate IV or Certificate III?

The Certificate IV is a higher level than the Certificate III. This level prepares you for entry-level technician work, assisting qualified staff rather than running jobs on your own.

See the course

Where this course can take you

No job needs this course on its own, but it can help with the work below.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Surveying Technician

    Surveying technicians measure and map land, boundaries and construction sites, and the data they collect keeps building, mining and infrastructure projects accurate and legally sound.

    A step towards this job. What else you need

    Median pay$87,400 (estimate)

Jobs this course can help with

None of these jobs needs a set qualification.

  • Survey Assistant

    Survey assistants work alongside surveyors in the field, measuring land and recording the data that becomes property boundaries, maps and construction plans.

    Median pay$65,000 (estimate)

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $1,980

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$13,180

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $1,980
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $13,180
    How long
    4 to 12 months

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 7 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

15 units: 3 that everyone takes and 12 you choose.

  • Survey calculations
  • Collecting spatial data
  • Using GNSS in the field
  • Operating spatial software
  • Mapping and data management
See all 3 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for CPPSSI3020…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for entry-level technician work in a surveying or spatial information team, assisting qualified staff rather than running jobs on your own. You work under supervision.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Is a licence, registration or check required to work in this area?

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication. Cadastral surveying must be carried out under a registered surveyor, and each state and territory sets its own requirements, so check with the relevant authority if that is the direction you want to take.

How is it different from Certificate III in Surveying and Spatial Information Services?

The Certificate IV is a higher level than the Certificate III. This level prepares you for entry-level technician work, assisting qualified staff rather than running jobs on your own.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.