What Does it Take to Be a Surveying Technician?
Example of Surveying Technician Job Adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.
Life As a Surveying Technician
- Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, and electronic distance-measuring equipment.
- Run rods for benches and cross-section elevations.
- Perform calculations to determine earth curvature corrections, atmospheric impacts on measurements, traverse closures and adjustments, azimuths, level runs, and placement of markers.
- Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
- Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
- Set out and recover stakes, marks, and other monumentation.
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Surveying Technician Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Surveying Technicians say are important on the job.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles
- Surveyor Helper
- Transit Worker
- Survey Instrument Person
- Instrument Rodman
- Instrumentation Technician
Surveying Technician Employment Estimates
In the United States, there were 60,200 jobs for Surveying Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,400 new jobs for Surveying Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 7,200 positions for Surveying Technician per year.

The states with the most job growth for Surveying Technician are North Dakota, Utah, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maine, or Washington. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Surveying Technician
The salary for Surveying Technicians ranges between about $27,360 and $74,110 a year.

Surveying Technicians who work in California, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Surveying Technicians make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $42,850 |
Alaska | $59,850 |
Arizona | $53,730 |
Arkansas | $43,000 |
California | $69,910 |
Colorado | $52,360 |
Connecticut | $58,360 |
Delaware | $42,010 |
Florida | $40,900 |
Georgia | $42,180 |
Hawaii | $48,300 |
Idaho | $45,090 |
Illinois | $55,410 |
Indiana | $41,030 |
Iowa | $48,590 |
Kansas | $43,350 |
Kentucky | $38,960 |
Louisiana | $44,540 |
Maine | $43,640 |
Maryland | $49,820 |
Massachusetts | $59,320 |
Michigan | $38,070 |
Minnesota | $55,170 |
Mississippi | $43,030 |
Missouri | $42,560 |
Montana | $49,120 |
Nebraska | $45,530 |
Nevada | $51,400 |
New Hampshire | $48,300 |
New Jersey | $49,800 |
New Mexico | $47,440 |
New York | $52,470 |
North Carolina | $43,800 |
North Dakota | $51,200 |
Ohio | $44,280 |
Oklahoma | $45,870 |
Oregon | $54,570 |
Pennsylvania | $47,600 |
Rhode Island | $53,980 |
South Carolina | $38,250 |
South Dakota | $39,180 |
Tennessee | $46,020 |
Texas | $42,740 |
Utah | $51,090 |
Vermont | $51,840 |
Virginia | $47,570 |
Washington | $51,100 |
West Virginia | $42,750 |
Wisconsin | $43,500 |
Wyoming | $47,870 |
What Tools do Surveying Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Surveying Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Bentley MicroStation
- ESRI ArcView
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- ESRI ArcInfo
- Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
How to Become a Surveying Technician
Are there Surveying Technicians education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Surveying Technician?

Who Employs Surveying Technicians?

Below are examples of industries where Surveying Technicians work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Surveying Technician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Mapping Technicians
- Log Graders and Scalers
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Civil Drafters
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture
- Civil Engineering Technicians
References:
Image Credit: Mike1979 Russia via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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