Surveying and Mapping Technicians

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-3031
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
• Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
• Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
• Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
• Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
• Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
• Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
• Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.
• Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
• Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
• Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical 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.

Tools and technology

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Bentley MicroStation, ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems, Hypertext markup language HTML, JavaScript, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Traffic Technicians
• Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
• Geodetic Surveyors
• Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
• Surveyors
• Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
• Architectural and Civil Drafters
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Surveying and Mapping Technicians — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.