Surveying and Mapping Technicians
Overview
Introduction
Surveying and mapping technicians help determine, describe, and record geographic areas or features. They are usually the leading assistant to the professional surveyor, civil engineer, or cartographer. They operate modern surveying and mapping instruments and may participate in other operations. Technicians must have a basic knowledge of the current practices and legal implications of surveys to establish and record property size, shape, topography, and boundaries. They often supervise other assistants du...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the May 2019 median hourly salary for all surveying and mapping technicians, regardless of the industry, was $21.64 (amounting to $45,010 for full-time work). The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $13.66 ($28,410 for full-time work), and the highest paid 10 percent earned over $36.15 an hour ($75,190 for full-time work). Technicians working for t...
Work Environment
Surveying and mapping technicians usually work about 40 hours a week except when overtime is necessary. The peak work period for many kinds of surveying work is during the summer months when weather conditions are most favorable. However, surveying crews are exposed to all types of weather conditions.
Some survey projects involve certain hazards depending upon the region and the climate ...
Outlook
Surveying and mapping technicians are expected to have improved job prospects if they are skilled in using new digital surveying and mapping technologies such as GPS and GIS. Overall, however, employment in this field is expected to grow by only 1 percent through 2029, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). The advancements in surveying technology enable technicians to a...
