Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 17-3031

Surveying and Mapping Technicians

Median pay sits 55% below the mid peer in Architecture and Engineering Occupations (neighbors include Aerospace Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Materials Engineers, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Surveying and Mapping Technicians: Aerospace Engineers ($135K) , Mechanical Engineers ($104K) , Materials Engineers ($113K) , Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Surveying and Mapping Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-3031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations
  2. 2. Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections
  3. 3. Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data
  4. 4. Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and re…
  5. 5. Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at differ…
  6. 6. Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters
  7. 7. Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans
  8. 8. Identify and compile database information to create requested maps
  9. 9. Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and re…
  10. 10. Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data
  11. 11. Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical data
  12. 12. Answer questions and provide information to the public or to staff members regarding assessment maps, surveys, boundaries, easements, pro…

Surveying and Mapping Technicians: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-3031 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Computers and Electronics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.4
  3. 3. Writing 3.3
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.3
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.1
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.1
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Computers and Electronics 4.2
  2. 2. Geography 3.9
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.7
  4. 4. English Language 3.6
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.5
  6. 6. Design 3.3
Pay vs Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers
-55%
vs mid peer median $120,630
This role $54,240/yr
$54K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
7,600
Annual openings
58,010
Estimated US jobs
Aerospace Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $135K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Surveying and Mapping Technicians

1. Ohio $60,330
2. New Jersey $60,720
3. Rhode Island $60,320
4. Alaska $76,970
5. California $78,110
6. Minnesota $73,190
7. Maryland $61,600
8. North Dakota $60,870
9. Montana $60,330
10. Washington $62,720

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Mechanical Engineers $104,110
  2. 2. Aerospace Engineers $134,960
  3. 3. Materials Engineers $112,860
  4. 4. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $112,230
  5. 5. Engineers, All Other $122,930
  6. 6. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $115,160

Among Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers on this card, Surveying and Mapping Technicians sits 55% below the mid peer median ($120,630). Its own median is $54,240.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 7,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Ohio at $60,330. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Aerospace Engineers at $134,960. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Surveying and Mapping Technicians pay-rank #36 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

On the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Surveying and Mapping Technicians lands at #36, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Surveying and Mapping Technicians pays 55% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Surveying and Mapping Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-3031

Ohio · top state for Surveying and Mapping Technicians

$60K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$61K · behind Ohio

Aerospace Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Surveying and Mapping Technicians · $135K

Mechanical Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Surveying and Mapping Technicians · $104K

Compare Surveying and Mapping Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Surveying and Mapping Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Surveying and Mapping Technicians

Against another occupation

Aerospace Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Surveying and Mapping Technicians land on the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table? ▼
Surveying and Mapping Technicians is pay-rank #36 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($60K), Drafters, All Other ($64K), Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($65K), Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($66K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do surveying and mapping technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Surveying and Mapping Technicians. Leading ones include: 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 re…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for surveying and mapping technicians? ▼
For SOC 17-3031, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.4), Writing (3.3), Mathematics (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Computers and Electronics, Geography, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Surveying and Mapping Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $54,240 as the national median for Surveying and Mapping Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $37,520 to $81,630. Beside Aerospace Engineers ($134,960), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Surveying and Mapping Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Surveying and Mapping Technicians is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 7,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Surveying and Mapping Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Surveying and Mapping Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Surveying and Mapping Technicians? ▼
Ohio ($60,330), New Jersey ($60,720), Rhode Island ($60,320) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Surveying and Mapping Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-3031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Surveying and Mapping Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics