Surveying and Mapping Technicians

What Does a Surveying and Mapping Technicians Do?

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.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
• 2Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
• 3Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
• 4Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
• 5Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
• 6Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
• 7Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
• 8Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.

Required Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• 3D Nature LLC Visual Nature Studio
• 3D Nature LLC World Construction Set
• Adobe Acrobat Writer
• Adobe FreeHand MX
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• Autodesk 3d Studio Viz
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Autodesk AutoCAD Blue Sky
• Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D

Surveying and Mapping Technicians Salary