Surveying and Mapping Technicians: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Surveying and Mapping Technicians fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Surveying and Mapping Technicians earn a median salary of $51,940 per year, ranking in the top 59% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.5% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do surveying and mapping technicians earn?

The median annual wage for surveying and mapping technicians is $51,940. That puts surveying and mapping technicians at #478 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is surveying and mapping technicians a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for surveying and mapping technicians is +4.5%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 59K positions in 2024 to 62K in 2034, a net change of 3K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.

What do surveying and mapping technicians do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working surveying and mapping technicians, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
2. 2.Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical data.
3. 3.Calculate latitudes, longitudes, angles, areas, or other information for mapmaking, using survey field notes or reference tables.
4. 4.Trace contours or topographic details to generate maps that denote specific land or property locations or geographic attributes.
5. 5.Trim, align, and join prints to form photographic mosaics, maintaining scaled distances between reference points.
6. 6.Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
7. 7.Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
8. 8.Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.

Top skills for surveying and mapping technicians

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become surveying and mapping technician?

The standard path into surveying and mapping technicians begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

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Common questions parents ask about surveying and mapping technicians