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Life As a Mapping Technician

Mapping Technician Job Description Calculate mapmaking information from field notes, and draw and verify accuracy of topographical maps.

Life As a Mapping Technician: What Do They Do?

  • Supervise or coordinate activities of workers engaged in plotting data, drafting maps, or producing blueprints, photostats, or photographs.
  • Identify and compile database information to create maps in response to requests.
  • Trim, align, and join prints to form photographic mosaics, maintaining scaled distances between reference points.
  • Answer questions and provide information to the public or to staff members regarding assessment maps, surveys, boundaries, easements, property ownership, roads, zoning, or similar matters.
  • Complete detailed source and method notes describing the location of routine or complex land parcels.
  • Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.

What Every Mapping Technician Should Know

Mapping Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Types of Mapping Technician

  • Photogrammetric Technician
  • Cartographic Aide
  • Mapping Supervisor
  • Mapping Specialist
  • Technical Illustrations Map Inker

What Kind of Mapping Technician Job Opportunities Are There?

In the United States, there were 60,200 jobs for Mapping 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 Mapping Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 7,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Mapping 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.

Mapping Technician Salary

The typical yearly salary for Mapping Technicians is somewhere between $27,360 and $74,110.

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Mapping Technicians who work in California, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

How much do Mapping Technicians make in different U.S. states?

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

Tools & Technologies Used by Mapping Technicians

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Mapping Technicians:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • JavaScript
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Web browser software
  • Microsoft Access
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • Database software
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Graphics software
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • ESRI ArcView

How to Become a Mapping Technician

What kind of Mapping Technician requirements are there?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Mapping Technician?

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Where Mapping Technicians Work

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Below are examples of industries where Mapping Technicians work:

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being a Mapping Technician may also be interested in:

Career changers with experience as a Mapping Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

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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