SURVEYING TECHNICIAN

Have you ever seen a worker standing in a field looking through a small instrument perched on a tripod? Did you wonder what that worker was doing? He or she was probably a surveying technician collecting on-site information that will later be used by a surveyor. Surveyors set official boundaries for land, air, and water. They describe land for legal purposes, measure construction sites, and even set air space for airports.

Surveying technicians can also work on more unusual projects—such as measuring recently discovered tombs in Egypt, or meteor craters in Mexico. Surveying technicians even helped workers at Ground Zero, the recovery site of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. They used their equipment to monitor the buildings and give warnings about any structures that were in danger of falling. They also helped the workers find appropriate locations to set up cranes.

Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most surveying technicians earn between $10.46 and $17.81 per hour. Surveying technicians who work for local, state, or federal governments earn more than technicians who work for engineering or architectural firms. Surveying technicians who work for the federal government earn an average salary of $34,623.

Outlook

Jobs for surveying technicians are expected to increase faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An increase in construction of schools, offices, and other buildings is expected. This will lead to more jobs for surveyors to help lay out streets and sites for buildings. Surveying technicians will also help measure land for environmentally protected areas