Atmospheric corrosion progression characterisation on metal substrates is a major problem in the field of corrosion science and Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE). A laser profilometry has been used to characterise the corrosion on the mild steel plate at a low cost and high resolution. Four mild steel samples have been measured which exposed to the marine environment from 1 month to 10 months. Two features have been developed to characterise thickness variation in the corrosion layer. These features have been used to characterise corrosion progression through experimental studies. The relationship between these features and corrosion progression has been derived which is useful for corrosion progression measurement, early-stage corrosion prediction, and monitoring areas.