How much does a surveying technician make?
a year · about $26 an hour
A typical surveying technician in the United States makes $54,240 a year, about $26 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
Out in the field, you carry surveying instruments, find or set markers, and measure land, sometimes in rough weather. Then you enter the readings on a computer and help make or update maps.
Did you know? A Florida survey technician used a remote-controlled sonar-and-GPS boat to build a 3D map of a lake bottom—from shore!
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $37,520 and $81,630How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school (often around age 18); math, drafting, computers, and GIS help. Then start work and learn on the job; no state license is required, but the optional NSPS technician certificate requires an exam.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, mapmaking computer skills such as GIS, and an optional certificate can make a difference; harder tasks or more responsibility can too. Pay also varies by employer industry and location, and extra hours can change total earnings.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($78,110), lowest in South Carolina ($43,740).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $37,520 | $54,240 | $81,630 | about 58,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $78,110 | about 3,000 |
| Minnesota | $73,190 | about 1,000 |
| Washington | $62,720 | about 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $60,720 | about 750 |
| Ohio | $60,330 | about 1,000 |
Official definition: 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. Excludes “Cartographers and Photogrammetrists” (17-1021), “Surveyors" (17-1022), and “Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers” (19-2042).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/surveying-and-mapping-technicians.h
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.energy.gov/cmei/water/survey-technician-0
- nsps.us.com/page/FAQs
- baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2026/06/04/new--hydrone--technology-helping-pasco-cou
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY