Surveying and Mapping Technicians
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-3031
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 17-3031 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 35/100
- Low friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $54,240
- H-1B offered wage $52,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 7,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 3
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 7,031 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~50% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Aerotriangulation Specialist, Geospatial Analyst, Mapping Editor, Mapping Technician, Photogrammetric Compilation Specialist, Photogrammetric Technician
Representative Tasks
- •Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
- •Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
- •Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
- •Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
- •Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features.
- •Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
- •Develop software or computer applications.
- •Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
- •Create maps.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Outlook | Average | 15% Bright |
| Median Salary | $54,240 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |