How to become a Civil Construction Leading Hand

Supervises and performs specialist roles in a small civil work team, including monitoring work programs, ensuring safety and organising plant, labour and material resources on civil construction sites.

Main tasks

• Supervises, coordinates and participates in civil construction work
• Assists Construction Site Supervisors to monitor construction programs, organise resources and resolve issues
• Directs and monitors subcontractors, suppliers and plant hirers, and conducts briefings with work crews to deliver project information and assign tasks
• Provides technical support to work teams on issues such as plant or machine operation, and ensures plant and machinery is maintained and operated in accordance with safety standards
• Maintains a daily record of site activities for reporting to Construction Site Supervisors

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate IV in Civil Construction (RII40720); Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction (RII60620); Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design (RII60520); Diploma of Building and Construction (Management) (CPC50320); Diploma of Civil Construction Design (RII50520); Diploma of Civil Construction Management (RII50420); Certificate III in Civil Construction (RII30920); Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations (RII30820)
• Licence or registration: Registration or licensing may be required.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $118,560 a year
• About 84,200 people work in this job group now, and about 96,100 are projected by 2035. (+14.2%)
• Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.

Related jobs

• Construction Site Supervisor
• Architectural Technician
• Building Designer
• Detailer Drafter
• Landscape Designer
• Surveying Technician

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Civil Construction Leading Hand?

Ways in include: Certificate IV in Civil Construction; Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction.

How much does a Civil Construction Leading Hand earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $118,560 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Civil Construction Leading Hand a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 14% by 2035, from about 84,200 to about 96,100 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Civil Construction Leading Hand?

Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate IV in Civil Construction; Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction.

Will AI change the work of a Civil Construction Leading Hand?

Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04