What Do Surveying Technician Do?
Job Description & Duties 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
- Run rods for benches and cross-section elevations.
- Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.
- Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
- Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
- Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth’s surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment and other surveying instruments.
- Search for section corners, property irons, and survey points.
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Skills Needed to be a Surveying Technician
When polled, Surveying Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Types of Surveying Technician Jobs
- River and Harbor Soundings Group Leader
- Instrument Rodman
- Survey Crew Chief
- Survey Technician
- Surveyor Helper
Job Demand for Surveying Technicians
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
Surveying Technicians make between $27,360 and $74,110 a year.
Surveying Technicians who work in California, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Surveying Technicians 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 |
What Tools & Technology 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
What education or degrees do I need to become a Surveying Technician?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Surveying Technician?
Where Surveying Technicians Are Employed
Below are examples of industries where Surveying Technicians work:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Surveying Technician sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- 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
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