How do they match: Surveying and Mapping Technicians

  • Instrument Person
  • Survey Instrument Person

  • 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.

  • Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, electronic distance measuring equipment, or electronic data collectors.
  • Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical data.
  • Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, or other relevant information.
  • Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
  • Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
  • Enter Global Positioning System (GPS) data, legal deeds, field notes, or land survey reports into geographic information system (GIS) workstations so that information can be transformed into graphic land descriptions, such as maps and drawings.
  • Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.
  • Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
  • Record survey measurements or descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, or inked tracings.
  • Supervise or coordinate activities of workers engaged in surveying, plotting data, drafting maps, or producing blueprints, photostats, or photographs.

  • Calculate geographic positions from survey data.
  • Gather physical survey data.
  • Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.