About This Career

Performs 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.

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Design/Pre-Construction pathway.

A person in this career:

• Positions and holds the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
• Checks all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
• Designs or develops information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
• Monitors mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
• Produces or updates overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
• Determines scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
• Compiles information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
• Identifies and compiles database information to create requested maps.
• Operates and manages land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
• Compares survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overnight travel