Survey and Mapping Technicians
I. JOB SUMMARY
Main Topic: Places and Regions
Secondary Topic: Environment and Society
Overview: Survey technicians are responsible for gathering, analyzing, interpreting and using geospatial information for the purpose of defining locations of natural and manmade features on, above and below the earth's surface. An undergraduate or graduate degree in geography, engineering or a closely related field such as environmental science is usually necessary to advance to careers such as professional surveyor. Some duties include: Provide technical and administrative support and assistance for a company or government agency’s GIS program. Manage the operation of specialized GIS equipment, data, software and products. Assist in the development and creation of databases, maps and related projects. Attend conferences and workshops for professional development purposes. Collect, manipulate and present data using methods such as ground surveys, remote sensing, aerial photographs, laser ranging, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) or hydrographic methods. Provide data to be used for analysis and mapping in geographic information systems. Use information from GNSS to determine exact coordinates. Use digital mapping techniques and computer assisted design (CAD) software to generate maps and related graphs and charts. Process digital data to clean up graphical and attribute errors.
Geographers at work: Geographic Information Systems Specialists, Physical Geographers, Cartographers, Environmental Geographers
Recommended College Courses: Physical Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Environmental Management, Quantitative Methods, Regional Geography, Qualitative Methods, Cartography
Skills: Geographic Information Science, Computer Aided Design, Computer Coding, Environmental Science, Cartography
Occupation Group: Architecture and Engineering
Learn more about Survey Technicians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/surveying-and-mapping-technicians.htm
Written by Christopher Hinojosa
II. POWERFUL GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLDGE
