Surveying and Mapping Technicians
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.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Time Management
- Speaking
Key knowledge
- Geography
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- 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.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (32.7% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (21.5%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (26.3%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Surveying and Mapping Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 94% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Occasional contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Lower on dealing with the public than 59% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 82% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 64% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 55% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 78% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 79% of occupations compared | 49% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 57% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 28.81%
- Contact with others about half the time: 15.39%
- Contact with others most of the time: 27.23%
- Constant contact with others: 28.57%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 11.44%
- Fairly important: 23.78%
- Important: 18.09%
- Very important: 28.42%
- Extremely important: 18.27%
n = 36, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 5.73%
- Fairly important: 6.26%
- Important: 30.57%
- Very important: 21.19%
- Extremely important: 36.25%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 10.69%
- Limited freedom: 4.18%
- Some freedom: 33.06%
- A lot of freedom: 52.07%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 2.45%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 10.91%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.28%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 38.59%
- Every day: 34.77%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 15.07%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 48.21%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 21.97%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 9.04%
- Every day: 5.72%
n = 36, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 15.02%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 49.01%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 26.06%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 9.91%
- Every day: 0%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 4.34%
- Fairly serious: 33.48%
- Serious: 21.38%
- Very serious: 26.78%
- Extremely serious: 14.03%
n = 37, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 17-3031.00 · SOC 17-3031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8