Surveying and mapping technicians
SOC Code: 17-3031
Surveying and mapping technicians carries a 54% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $51,940 and +4.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 59,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 54% AI exposure, Surveying and mapping technicians sits 17 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 91% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
42/100
Surveying and mapping technicians, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $51,940
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B +4.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 54% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Surveying and mapping technicians in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Surveying and mapping technicians keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Surveying and mapping technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Surveying and mapping technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
54% Higher than most higher than 91% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Surveying and mapping technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Surveying and mapping technicians is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Surveying and mapping technicians's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 17-3031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Surveying and mapping technicians be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Surveying and mapping technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
- 2. Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.
- 3. Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.
- 4. Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
- 5. Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.
- 6. Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.
- 7. Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
- 8. Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.
- 9. Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
- 10. Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Knowledge Areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Geography
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Surveying and mapping technicians?
Surveying and mapping technicians has an AI exposure score of 54%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Surveying and mapping technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Surveying and mapping technicians is projected to grow by 4.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 59,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Surveying and mapping technicians?
Key skills for Surveying and mapping technicians include Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Surveying and mapping technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Surveying and mapping technicians is $51,940, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Surveying and mapping technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Surveying and mapping technicians is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Surveying and mapping technicians?
Surveying and mapping technicians roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Surveying and mapping technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (54% here).
- Bill and account collectors · AI exposure 54%
- Computer programmers · AI exposure 54%
- Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks · AI exposure 54%
- Judicial law clerks · AI exposure 54%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.5% here).
- Carpenters · growth +4.5%
- Dancers · growth +4.5%
- Health education specialists · growth +4.5%
- Helpers--carpenters · growth +4.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 15 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Surveying and mapping technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Surveying and mapping technicians side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).