How to become a Surveying and Mapping Technician

Official title: Surveying and Mapping Technicians

Also called: Field Surveyor, Land Survey Technician (Land Survey Tech), Land Surveyor, Mapping Editor, Mapping Technician (Mapping Tech), Photogrammetric Technician (Photogrammetric Tech), Rodman, Stereoplotter Operator, Survey Technician (Survey Tech), Surveying Technician (Surveying Tech)

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Surveying and mapping technicians typically need a high school diploma. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have additional education or have experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or other technology.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Chief of Party (Prof & Kin).
• Apprenticeship: Geodetic Computator.
• Apprenticeship: Photogrammetric Technician.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $54,240 a year The middle half earn $45,430 to $66,700.
• About 58,800 people work in this job now, and about 62,200 are projected by 2035. (+5.8%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Architectural and Civil Drafters
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• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Surveying and Mapping Technician?

Surveying and mapping technicians typically need a high school diploma. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have additional education or have experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or other technology.

How much does a Surveying and Mapping Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $54,240 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,430 to $66,700.

Is a Surveying and Mapping Technician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 58,800 to about 62,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Surveying and Mapping Technician?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Chief of Party (Prof & Kin).

Will AI change the work of a Surveying and Mapping Technician?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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.