Best degree programs for Surveying and Mapping Technicians, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 461 schools train Surveying and Mapping Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $54,240 median wage, 58,010 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 461 schools train surveying and mapping technicians, graduating 7,970 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Geographic Information Science and Cartography. The job pays a median of $54,240 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 45.0702 | 4,067 | 51.0% | 269 | $38,944 | $22,762 |
| 2 | CIP 45.0701 | 2,786 | 35.0% | 266 | $38,944 | $22,762 |
| 3 | CIP 15.1102 | 1,117 | 14.0% | 79 | $59,013 | — |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What surveying and mapping technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $78,110 | 3,340 | 0.49× | 90 | 1,100 |
| Texas | $47,680 | 8,720 | 1.66× | 23 | 600 |
| Arizona | $54,080 | 700 | 0.58× | 10 | 421 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,270 | 1,340 | 0.59× | 18 | 405 |
| Oregon | $55,790 | 1,280 | 1.74× | 10 | 303 |
| Colorado | $57,890 | 2,340 | 2.18× | 11 | 300 |
| Washington | $62,720 | 1,030 | 0.78× | 10 | 291 |
| North Carolina | $53,160 | 4,100 | 2.22× | 14 | 273 |
| New York | $57,360 | 2,540 | 0.70× | 21 | 273 |
| Florida | $48,040 | 4,810 | 1.30× | 8 | 267 |
| Ohio | $60,330 | 1,350 | 0.65× | 18 | 252 |
| Utah | $59,600 | 360 | 0.56× | 9 | 249 |
| Georgia | $48,810 | 1,890 | 1.04× | 10 | 226 |
| Virginia | $56,760 | 2,440 | 1.59× | 9 | 220 |
| Michigan | $50,340 | 690 | 0.42× | 15 | 196 |
| Missouri | $51,700 | 720 | 0.66× | 8 | 189 |
| Minnesota | $73,190 | 1,060 | 0.96× | 14 | 168 |
| Illinois | $57,470 | 1,110 | 0.49× | 16 | 162 |
| Wisconsin | $59,080 | 660 | 0.61× | 10 | 155 |
| Maryland | $61,600 | 470 | 0.46× | 9 | 144 |
| Kentucky | $46,050 | 920 | 1.24× | 6 | 128 |
| Idaho | $52,630 | 450 | 1.42× | 6 | 120 |
| Indiana | $56,440 | 1,060 | 0.89× | 8 | 105 |
| Massachusetts | $58,730 | 640 | 0.47× | 9 | 105 |
| New Mexico | $56,210 | 610 | 1.88× | 6 | 98 |
| Tennessee | $50,370 | 1,340 | 1.09× | 6 | 86 |
| Arkansas | $46,370 | 810 | 1.66× | 6 | 85 |
| Mainemoderate | $56,470 | 220 | 0.93× | 3 | 85 |
| Wyomingmoderate | $58,220 | 150 | 1.40× | 4 | 83 |
| New Jersey | $60,720 | 750 | 0.47× | 6 | 82 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $46,760 | 810 | 1.27× | 4 | 82 |
| Alabama | $46,450 | 1,320 | 1.67× | 9 | 76 |
| Connecticut | $58,900 | 380 | 0.60× | 5 | 65 |
| Louisiana | $49,440 | 930 | 1.29× | 7 | 65 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $48,530 | 370 | 1.41× | 3 | 59 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $43,740 | 1,420 | 1.65× | 3 | 48 |
| Iowamoderate | $58,950 | 390 | 0.66× | 3 | 45 |
| Kansaslimited | $50,900 | 730 | 1.37× | 2 | 41 |
| Mississippimoderate | $47,320 | 550 | 1.26× | 3 | 38 |
| Nebraska | $48,080 | 770 | 2.00× | 5 | 31 |
| Montanamoderate | $60,330 | 430 | 2.26× | 3 | 27 |
| South Dakotalimited | $50,050 | 110 | 0.66× | 2 | 27 |
| Vermontlimited | $56,460 | 40 | 0.35× | 2 | 27 |
| Nevadamoderate | $58,790 | 680 | 1.17× | 3 | 25 |
| North Dakotalimited | $60,870 | 160 | 0.97× | 2 | 19 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $57,290 | 260 | 1.04× | 3 | 19 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $60,320 | 110 | 0.59× | 2 | 17 |
| Hawaiilimited | $55,580 | 140 | 0.59× | 2 | 15 |
| Alaskalimited | $76,970 | 300 | 2.49× | 1 | 10 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Mathematics3.3
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Listening3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Active Learning3.0
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.2
- Geography3.9
- Mathematics3.7
- English Language3.6
- Engineering and Technology3.5
- Design3.3
Abilities
- Written Comprehension3.8
- Near Vision3.5
- Oral Comprehension3.4
- Oral Expression3.4
- Inductive Reasoning3.4
- Deductive Reasoning3.3
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.5
- Documenting/Recording Information4.2
- Getting Information4.1
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.8
- Analyzing Data or Information3.7
- Processing Information3.7
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Surveying
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Surveying and Mapping Technicians3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.1102Surveying Technology/Surveying
- 45.0701Geography
- 45.0702Geographic Information Science and Cartography
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Surveying?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Geographic Information Science and Cartography, which awarded 4,067 degrees in 2024-25, 51.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Surveying?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Geography and Cartography, Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 7,970 people a year.
How much do surveying and mapping technicians earn?+
The median is $54,240 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,520 at the 10th percentile to $81,630 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for surveying and mapping technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 7,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
461 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do surveying and mapping technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Survey Technician, Mapping Technician, Photogrammetric Technician, Photogrammetric Compilation Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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