Surveying and Mapping Technicians
What Surveying and Mapping Technicians Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- 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.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.2/5
- Geographyimportance 3.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.7/5
- English Languageimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
- Designimportance 3.3/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
- Administrativeimportance 2.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.8/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Telephone Conversations4.3/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.3/5
- Contact With Others4.0/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Medical Dosimetrists99% skill match
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators98% skill match
- Airfield Operations Specialists97% skill match
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors96% skill match
- Tellers96% skill match
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators96% skill match
- Transit and Railroad Police96% skill match
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
- Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Instructingimportance 2.6/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- 3D Nature LLC Visual Nature Studio
- 3D Nature LLC World Construction Set
- Adobe Acrobat Writer
- Adobe FreeHand MX
- Autodesk 3d Studio Viz
- Autodesk AutoCAD Blue Sky
- Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D
- Autodesk CAiCE Visual Transportation
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where surveying and mapping technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Midland, TX5.54× national avg
- 2Raleigh-Cary, NC4.05× national avg
- 3Missoula, MT3.90× national avg
- 4Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC3.45× national avg
- 5Anchorage, AK3.32× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Civil Engineering Technologists and TechniciansLateral Move
- Transit and Railroad PoliceCareer Change
- Occupational Health and Safety TechniciansCareer Change
- Detectives and Criminal InvestigatorsCareer Change
See the full career path from Surveying and Mapping Technicians →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Geographic Information Science and Cartography
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus (University Park, PA)
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion (Scottsdale, AZ)grads earn ~$65,759
- Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA)grads earn ~$64,950
- University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)grads earn ~$67,521