Hydrographic surveyor job profile

Hydrographic surveyors use state-of-the-art technology to produce detailed plans of seabeds, harbours and waterways

In your role as a hydrographic surveyor, you'll measure and map underwater surfaces and studying the morphology (construction) of the ocean floor, showing the depth, shape and contours.

You'll specialise in precise positioning, data acquisition and processing in onshore or offshore marine environments and will usually spend time on board survey ships and drilling platforms.

You may also be known as a hydrographer.

Types of hydrographic surveying data

The information you'll collect is used in:

the production of charts and related information for navigation
dredging
locating offshore resources (oil, gas, aggregates)
positioning offshore wind farms, oil platforms and subsea cables
planning dock installations
monitoring erosion.

Responsibilities

As a hydrographic surveyor, you'll need to:

use specialised technical software and equipment including satellite and terrestrial positioning systems, sonars, single and multibeam echo sounders, laser scanners and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) equipped aircraft to provide data for the production of nautical charts and maps
use remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles to acquire data in deep oceans
operate specialised technical software and geographical information systems (GIS) to manage the integration, processing and presentation of data to clients
deal with clients to provide tenders and results in appropriate formats
manage projects, both onshore and offshore, as vessel-based managers
produce reports
provide accurate and reliable information for other disciplines such as navigation, dredging, coastal works, seabed telephone cables, environmental monitoring, aquaculture, marine wind farm development, oceanographic research, bridge construction, and oil, gas and mineral resource exploration
work in a variety of different situations and applications including seabed mining, oil and gas exploration, the construction of ports, the provision of navigational charts, and the positioning of navigational aids
source information on seabed type, water movements and waves
provide data for oceanographic studies
respond to technical queries from onshore engineering teams and problem-solve for colleagues working offshore - if working onshore
review company procedures and software projects, and provide feedback on courses and in-house training
work as part of a team of technical specialists.

Salary

Starting salaries for hydrographic surveyors are typically around £21,000.
Hydrographic surveyors with several years' experience usually earn between £24,000 to £37,000.
Senior hydrographic roles tend earn around £40,000 to £65,000, with the potential to earn up to £90,000 for special offshore projects.

An additional offshore allowance is paid on top of your basic salary, and this can boost your annual salary significantly. For example, an allowance of between £75 and £110 per day paid for 150 days spent offshore would equate to an additional payment of £11,250 to £16,500 per year.

Salaries vary greatly depending on the sector, type of employer, location and experience, tending to be higher with oil and gas and dredging companies than with environmental research companies.

Salaries for those working offshore with oil companies are linked to the price of oil and a crash in oil prices is likely to affect increases in salaries.

A hardship allowance may be available, depending on the living conditions and dangers involved in sleeping onshore in certain circumstances, and most companies pay for all travel costs to and from project areas.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours typically include regular unsocial hours and may be determined by weather, tides and daylight. Work includes shifts. Offshore work tends to be continuous from April to October, with only a slight slackening in the winter months due to the weather conditions. It's common to work 12-hour shifts when offshore.

Onshore work is generally 9am to 5pm, though hours may be longer if problems arise. Senior staff may be required to complete weekend duty, which involves being on-call to handle any offshore problems, on one weekend in every five. For more information on a career as a hydrographic surveyor see My Energy Future.

What to expect

Opportunities for self-employment and freelance work are good but depend on levels of commercial activity and your contacts. Contract surveyors are normally expected to have five years' experience or more.
Women are currently underrepresented in the profession.
When working offshore, the working and living environment may be in cramped and uncomfortable surroundings. Being away from home for extended periods can also be disruptive to your personal life.
Jobs are available worldwide at coastal and offshore sites. The work may involve international activity, onshore and port work. Staff are generally encouraged to live within commuting distance of the main office, although this is not essential as you will be flown to the port where you will join the ship.
Overseas work is common. Oil and gas exploration currently provides many opportunities in countries such as Norway, the Arabian Gulf, China, the Pacific Rim, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, West Africa and Angola.

Qualifications

Entrants to the profession usually have a degree in a surveying science. The following subjects may be particularly useful:

computer science or software engineering
engineering or civil engineering
geography or cartography
geology
hydrographic surveying
land surveying
marine sciences and marine geography
ocean exploration
physical, mathematical or applied science.

Increasingly, entrants are studying for BSc and MSc degrees in hydrography, for example the BSc (Hons) Ocean Exploration and Surveying at Plymouth University.

Degrees in land surveying or marine sciences may have hydrography modules. Ability in mathematics and computing is essential.

A postgraduate qualification in hydrographic surveying, hydrography or geomatics is often required for graduates from non-relevant subjects. Masters courses in hydrography and hydrographic surveying are offered by:

Training provider MLA College delivers distance learning courses for the marine industry, allowing students to study University of Plymouth approved programmes alongside work and other commitments.

You may be able to start your hydrographic career by joining the Royal Navy as a hydrographic, meteorological and oceanographic specialist. Hydrographic training is provided by the Flag Officer Sea Training Hydrography and Meteorology (FOST HM) school. For further details, see Royal Navy Careers.

It's possible to qualify as a land surveyor and then acquire the skills you need to move into hydrographic surveying by taking a postgraduate diploma or Masters degree in hydrography. Search postgraduate courses in hydrography.

Skills

You'll need to have:

the ability to learn quickly - you will need a good knowledge of global positioning systems and navigation, geographic information systems, nautical studies and emergency procedures
good teamworking skills and the ability to work closely and get on with others in pressurised situations
a practical approach to problem solving
logical thinking
resourcefulness and resilience
the capacity to adapt sensibly to changing circumstances
patience and a sense of humour
communication skills, cultural awareness and foreign language skills
the ability to maintain concentration - carelessness or a lapse in concentration may have drastic consequences in terms of the overall quality or efficiency of a survey
a driving licence is usually a requirement.

Work experience

Try to gain relevant experience through a sandwich placement or vacation work. Nautical, surveying or computing experience is highly valued by employers.

Working over the summer or doing a placement will help you develop key skills and make contacts within the industry and may lead to full-time employment after graduation. Keep in touch with your academic department, as employers may approach your tutors directly. Attend employer presentations while at university and contact specialist recruitment consultancies about temporary and permanent vacancies.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Types of employers may be differentiated according to survey activity:

National charting agencies concerned with the production of nautical charts. They are usually part of the Royal Navy or civilian companies under contract to the Navy.
Port and harbour authorities most major ports and harbours have a self-contained survey department, (which may consist of only one person). Others may rely on bringing in expertise from a contracting company.
Contract survey companies that rely on winning contracts by competitive tendering to client companies. Some cover a range of expertise through their employees, while others may limit themselves to a particular specialism, such as offshore geophysical work or onshore work associated with coastal engineering projects.
Client survey companies that require survey work to be carried out and contract it to a contract survey company. These range from small port authorities and local government authorities to huge international oil companies and national government authorities.
Equipment and software companies. Numerous service companies, including equipment development companies and software houses, employ hydrographic surveyors. Usually a minimum of four to five years' experience is required. There is a particular demand for software developers.
Freelance surveyors and consultancies. Those with considerable experience and confidence in the field generally obtain work by networking or through specialised consultancies.

Opportunities also exist with companies involved in land reclamation, as well as dredging companies and those involved in laying cables on the sea bed.

Some hydrographic surveyors, mostly those who are self-employed, undertake contract work in England during the UK's summer months and then work in the southern hemisphere during the UK's winter months.

Look for job vacancies at:

Contract survey companies largely recruit via specialist recruitment agencies, such as Atlas Professionals and UTM Consultants. These tend to be roles requiring experience.

Speculative applications are worth considering. For contact details, see The Hydrographic Society's Corporate Members Directory. Use your personal network of previous employers or contacts made through work experience or project work.

Professional development

You'll be given in-house and on-the-job training in areas such as seamanship and instrument handling.

If you're working onshore you may need to undergo a medical examination, although requirements vary depending on the country. Trainees working offshore must usually undertake this and also a basic offshore safety and emergency training course, including:

fire fighting
helicopter underwater escape training
first aid
safety at sea.

Depending on your area of expertise, most hydrographic surveyors seek chartered or professional membership of one of the following professional bodies:

Membership of professional bodies, such as THS UK, provides useful networking opportunities and vital continuing professional development (CPD) support through industry news and training courses and events.

Membership of the IFHS (International Federation of Hydrographic Societies) is also possible, through one of its member societies.

For those who don't already have a Masters degree, further study at postgraduate level in hydrographic surveying, hydrography or geomatics is an option.

Career prospects

The usual career path is to start as a graduate entrant at the level of trainee surveyor, engineer or geophysicist (depending on your specialist area). After completing your training, you then become a surveyor (engineer or geophysicist).

The next step is senior surveyor and then principal surveyor. Principal surveyors may be assigned a management role as party chief or project manager. An alternative is to move into specialist technical support and development.

There are generally only a small number of management roles available, and some hydrographic surveyors move into a related role focusing more on:

client liaison
health and safety
procedural matters
overseeing staff
time management
offshore management.

Having gained four or five years' experience working in a company, it's quite common for hydrographic surveyors to set up on their own as self-employed contract surveyors.

Hydrographic surveyor