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Surveying and Mapping Technicians

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$54240	7600	4.5%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$54240

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

7600

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

4.5%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

Perform surveying and mapping duties, usually under the direction of an engineer, surveyor, cartographer, or photogrammetrist, to obtain data used for construction, mapmaking, boundary location, mining, or other purposes. May calculate mapmaking information and create maps from source data, such as surveying notes, aerial photography, satellite data, or other maps to show topographical features, political boundaries, and other features. May verify accuracy and completeness of maps.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features.
Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
Develop software or computer applications.
Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
Create maps.
Gather physical survey data.
Operate computer systems.
Verify mathematical calculations.
Calculate geographic positions from survey data.
Assist engineers or scientists with research.
Prepare maps.
Explain project details to the general public.
Document technical design details.
Survey land or properties.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Enter codes or other information into computers.
Estimate costs for projects or productions.
Determine geographic coordinates.
Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Set out and recover stakes, marks, or other monumentation.
Search for section corners, property irons, or survey points.
Calculate latitudes, longitudes, angles, areas, or other information for mapmaking, using survey field notes or reference tables.
Enter Global Positioning System (GPS) data, legal deeds, field notes, or land survey reports into geographic information system (GIS) workstations so that information can be transformed into graphic land descriptions, such as maps and drawings.
Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, electronic distance measuring equipment, or electronic data collectors.
Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, or other relevant information.
Record survey measurements or descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, or inked tracings.
Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth's surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment, such as GPS, and other surveying instruments.
Prepare topographic or contour maps of land surveyed, including site features and other relevant information, such as charts, drawings, and survey notes.
Supervise or coordinate activities of workers engaged in surveying, plotting data, drafting maps, or producing blueprints, photostats, or photographs.
Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.
Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
Complete detailed source and method notes describing the location of routine or complex land parcels.
Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
Research and combine existing property information to describe property boundaries in relation to adjacent properties, taking into account parcel splits, combinations, or land boundary adjustments.
Perform calculations to determine earth curvature corrections, atmospheric impacts on measurements, traverse closures or adjustments, azimuths, level runs, or placement of markers.
Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.
Answer questions and provide information to the public or to staff members regarding assessment maps, surveys, boundaries, easements, property ownership, roads, zoning, or similar matters.
Compare topographical features or contour lines with images from aerial photographs, old maps, or other reference materials to verify the accuracy of their identification.
Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
Trace contours or topographic details to generate maps that denote specific land or property locations or geographic attributes.
Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical data.
Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
Trim, align, and join prints to form photographic mosaics, maintaining scaled distances between reference points.
Prepare cost estimates for mapping projects.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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