Surveying and mapping technicians salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,520 | $18.04 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $54,240 | $26.08 |
| Mean (average) | $58,000 | $27.89 |
| 90th percentile | $81,630 | $39.24 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Surveying and mapping technicians pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,450 | $31,370 | $80,140 | 1,320 | 1.67 |
| Alaska | $76,970 | $59,800 | $103,550 | 300 | 2.49 |
| Arizona | $54,080 | $39,860 | $80,840 | 700 | 0.58 |
| Arkansas | $46,370 | $36,770 | $71,040 | 810 | 1.66 |
| California | $78,110 | $48,000 | $119,270 | 3,340 | 0.49 |
| Colorado | $57,890 | $45,620 | $79,660 | 2,340 | 2.18 |
| Connecticut | $58,900 | $42,730 | $94,660 | 380 | 0.6 |
| Delaware | $57,130 | $43,700 | $79,190 | 180 | 1 |
| Florida | $48,040 | $36,640 | $73,020 | 4,810 | 1.3 |
| Georgia | $48,810 | $34,900 | $83,320 | 1,890 | 1.04 |
| Hawaii | $55,580 | $45,600 | $73,200 | 140 | 0.59 |
| Idaho | $52,630 | $39,500 | $72,040 | 450 | 1.42 |
| Illinois | $57,470 | $42,560 | $81,440 | 1,110 | 0.49 |
| Indiana | $56,440 | $37,470 | $75,110 | 1,060 | 0.89 |
| Iowa | $58,950 | $47,840 | $77,530 | 390 | 0.66 |
| Kansas | $50,900 | $42,870 | $80,290 | 730 | 1.37 |
| Kentucky | $46,050 | $37,070 | $72,020 | 920 | 1.24 |
| Louisiana | $49,440 | $36,300 | $103,040 | 930 | 1.29 |
| Maine | $56,470 | $47,990 | $80,860 | 220 | 0.93 |
| Maryland | $61,600 | $42,530 | $85,800 | 470 | 0.46 |
| Massachusetts | $58,730 | $46,370 | $99,990 | 640 | 0.47 |
| Michigan | $50,340 | $40,440 | $78,650 | 690 | 0.42 |
| Minnesota | $73,190 | $51,560 | $95,050 | 1,060 | 0.96 |
| Mississippi | $47,320 | $31,200 | $76,590 | 550 | 1.26 |
| Missouri | $51,700 | $36,260 | $77,410 | 720 | 0.66 |
| Montana | $60,330 | $46,430 | $79,690 | 430 | 2.26 |
| Nebraska | $48,080 | $38,910 | $66,580 | 770 | 2 |
| Nevada | $58,790 | $46,960 | $103,420 | 680 | 1.17 |
| New Hampshire | $57,290 | $45,590 | $79,070 | 260 | 1.04 |
| New Jersey | $60,720 | $42,830 | $95,820 | 750 | 0.47 |
| New Mexico | $56,210 | $37,220 | $81,410 | 610 | 1.88 |
| New York | $57,360 | $44,830 | $81,990 | 2,540 | 0.7 |
| North Carolina | $53,160 | $37,710 | $76,420 | 4,100 | 2.22 |
| North Dakota | $60,870 | $43,360 | $101,380 | 160 | 0.97 |
| Ohio | $60,330 | $44,130 | $79,930 | 1,350 | 0.65 |
| Oklahoma | $46,760 | $36,320 | $75,970 | 810 | 1.27 |
| Oregon | $55,790 | $44,330 | $78,960 | 1,280 | 1.74 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,270 | $39,580 | $79,660 | 1,340 | 0.59 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,370 | $23,100 | $59,060 | 90 | 0.26 |
| Rhode Island | $60,320 | $46,160 | $92,980 | 110 | 0.59 |
| South Carolina | $43,740 | $36,500 | $64,660 | 1,420 | 1.65 |
| South Dakota | $50,050 | $39,680 | $61,740 | 110 | 0.66 |
| Tennessee | $50,370 | $36,620 | $74,510 | 1,340 | 1.09 |
| Texas | $47,680 | $36,120 | $77,200 | 8,720 | 1.66 |
| Utah | $59,600 | $38,110 | $83,430 | 360 | 0.56 |
| Vermont | $56,460 | $49,350 | $71,740 | 40 | 0.35 |
| Virginia | $56,760 | $37,850 | $85,010 | 2,440 | 1.59 |
| Washington | $62,720 | $46,160 | $88,830 | 1,030 | 0.78 |
| West Virginia | $48,530 | $29,130 | $73,080 | 370 | 1.41 |
| Wisconsin | $59,080 | $39,340 | $77,690 | 660 | 0.61 |
| Wyoming | $58,220 | $43,880 | $74,890 | 150 | 1.4 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for surveying and mapping technicians
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,900. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for surveying and mapping technicians
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Surveying Technology/Surveying CIP 15.1102
- Geography CIP 45.0701
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography CIP 45.0702
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical 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.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (in demand)
- Bentley MicroStation (in demand)
- ESRI ArcGIS software (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Geographic information system GIS systems (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- JavaScript (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Systems Analysis, Social Perceptiveness.
Common job titles: 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).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do surveying and mapping technicians make?
The national median annual wage for surveying and mapping technicians was $54,240 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $37,520 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $81,630. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do surveying and mapping technicians need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is surveying and mapping technicians a growing career?
BLS projects employment of surveying and mapping technicians to change +5.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,900 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay surveying and mapping technicians the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($78,110), Alaska ($76,970), Minnesota ($73,190). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.