Surveying and Mapping Technicians Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for surveying and mapping technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $58,000 ≈ $28/hr
National median salary $54,240
Total employment 58,010 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +4.5% Faster than average
Annual openings 7,600 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 59,400 → 62,100 (+2,700)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. California$81,840
  2. Alaska$78,990
  3. Minnesota$72,840
  4. Rhode Island$66,230
  5. North Dakota$65,950

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. South Carolina$47,720
  2. Arkansas$50,190
  3. West Virginia$50,260
  4. Oklahoma$50,460
  5. Alabama$50,730
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 California $81,840 $78,110 $39 +41.1% 3,340
2 Alaska $78,990 $76,970 $38 +36.2% 300
3 Minnesota $72,840 $73,190 $35 +25.6% 1,060
4 Rhode Island $66,230 $60,320 $32 +14.2% 110
5 North Dakota $65,950 $60,870 $32 +13.7% 160
6 Nevada $65,510 $58,790 $32 +12.9% 680
7 Washington $65,290 $62,720 $31 +12.6% 1,030
8 Massachusetts $65,060 $58,730 $31 +12.2% 640
9 Maryland $64,020 $61,600 $31 +10.4% 470
10 New Jersey $63,940 $60,720 $31 +10.2% 750
11 Connecticut $63,650 $58,900 $31 +9.7% 380
12 Ohio $60,800 $60,330 $29 +4.8% 1,350
13 Utah $60,220 $59,600 $29 +3.8% 360
14 Vermont $60,150 $56,460 $29 +3.7% 40
15 Illinois $60,110 $57,470 $29 +3.6% 1,110

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 308 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $101,270 $89,880 40
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $92,700 $90,290 860
3 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $84,360 $90,030 360
4 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $81,120 $83,960 250
5 Visalia, CA $80,680 $82,020 40
6 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $79,450 $81,970 50
7 Vallejo, CA $78,790 $86,610 40
8 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $78,110 $80,470 440
9 Maryland nonmetropolitan area $77,640 $69,950 40
10 Alaska nonmetropolitan area $77,060 $80,580 70

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing surveying and mapping technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences $79,380 $82,560 40
2 Natural Gas Distribution $78,780 $81,030 350
3 Management of Companies and Enterprises $77,630 $77,130
4 Management of Companies and Enterprises $77,630 $77,130
5 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $77,630 $77,130
6 Utilities $77,310 $78,900 2,230
7 Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution $77,310 $78,970 1,790
8 Sector 22 - Utilities $77,310 $78,900 2,230
9 Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation $77,110 $81,770 90
10 Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing $76,560 $77,180 40
11 Oil and Gas Extraction $75,310 $73,270 210
12 Oil and Gas Extraction $75,310 $73,270 210

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
19,114
$10-20k
5,205
$20-30k
5,961
$30-40k
5,899
$40-50k
11,712
$50-60k
9,571
$60-70k
7,895
$70-80k
6,876
$80-90k
5,997
$90-100k
4,509
$100-110k
2,802
$110-120k
1,698
$120-130k
990
$130-140k
973
$140-150k
855
$150-160k
226
$160-170k
254
$170-180k
53
$180-190k
257
$190-200k
179
$200k+
394

Pay by age band

16-24
$34,079
25-34
$45,038
35-44
$62,197
45-54
$68,656
55-64
$53,370
65+
$30,027

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$45,317
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$44,675
Associates Degree
$57,215
Some college, but less than 1 year
$61,928
Bachelors Degree
$46,226
GED or alternative credential
$48,859
12th grade - no diploma
$62,081
Grade 10
$38,175
Grade 11
$24,423
No schooling completed
$55,974
Masters Degree
$59,921
Grade 9
$49,015
Doctorate degree
$87,882
Grade 8
$5,553
Professional degree
$35,945

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
66,058 · $64,617
Part-time
5,955 · $30,828

Race / ethnicity

White
$48,312
Two or More Races
$65,258
Black
$36,723
Other
$60,312
Asian
$47,352
American Indian
$60,057
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$30,356

Top fields of study

Mechanical Engineering
$23,850
Geography
$52,067
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$37,792
Business Management And Administration
$69,513
Biology
$67,178
Architecture
$76,464
Chemical Engineering
$67,288
Commercial Art And Graphic Design
$73,053

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Reading Comprehension
3.9
Critical Thinking
3.4
Writing
3.3
Mathematics
3.3
Active Listening
3.1
Speaking
3.1
Monitoring
3.1
Complex Problem Solving
3.1
Active Learning
3.0
Coordination
3.0
Social Perceptiveness
2.9
Service Orientation
2.9

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do surveying and mapping technicians make in the U.S.?

The median surveying and mapping technicians salary in the United States is $54,240 per year (mean $58,000), and about 80% earn between $37,520 and $81,630.

How much do surveying and mapping technicians make per hour?

Roughly $28 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $58,000 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays surveying and mapping technicians the most?

California has the highest average pay for surveying and mapping technicians at $81,840 per year (median $78,110).

What is the job outlook for surveying and mapping technicians?

Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 7,600 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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