Surveying Technicians: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Surveying Technicians adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.

• Search for section corners, property irons, and survey points.
• Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, and electronic distance-measuring equipment.
• 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.
• Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, and other relevant information.

Salary

Surveying Technicians with little to no experience tend to make between $27360 and $34300 while the more experienced ones can earn over $58250 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Surveying Technician is to move to a higher paying state like CA. Right now, the highest paying states for Surveying Technicians are CA, AK, MA, CT and IL.

However, a higher pay at CA doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at CA might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Surveying Technician is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Surveying Technicians what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had an Associate’s Degree followed by a High School Diploma.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Surveying Technician.

What is the job like

69% of Surveying Technicians said they were satisfied with their job and 50% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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