Surveying Technicians
Architecture & Construction > Design/Pre-ConstructionProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.
Common job titles of Surveying Technicians include:
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Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
33.33% said they needed a Associate's Degree.
25% said they needed a High School Diploma.
Tasks
Record survey measurements and descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, and inked tracings.
Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.
Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
Prepare topographic and contour maps of land surveyed, including site features and other relevant information, such as charts, drawings, and survey notes.
Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, and other relevant information.
Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth's surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment and other surveying instruments.
Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.
Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.
Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, and electronic distance-measuring equipment.
Perform calculations to determine earth curvature corrections, atmospheric impacts on measurements, traverse closures and adjustments, azimuths, level runs, and placement of markers.
Maintain equipment and vehicles used by surveying crews.
Direct and supervise work of subordinate members of surveying parties.
Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.
Place and hold measuring tapes when electronic distance-measuring equipment is not used.
Lay out grids, and determine horizontal and vertical controls.
Set out and recover stakes, marks, and other monumentation.
Search for section corners, property irons, and survey points.
Run rods for benches and cross-section elevations.
Perform manual labor, such as cutting brush for lines, carrying stakes, rebar, and other heavy items, and stacking rods.
Tools
Wheeled measuring devices
Vertical/target rods
Two way radios
Tripods
Tribrach optical plummet adjusting cylinders
Tribrach level bubble adjusting blocks
Triangles
All ToolsTransit levels
Total stations
Theodolites
Templates
Tellurometers
Telescoping pole saws
Survey instrument control units
Sight targets
Side scan sonars
Scanners
Robotic survey measuring instruments
Real-time kinematics RTK global positioning systems GPS
Ranger data collectors
Programmable calculators
Prisms
Prism poles
Pre-programmed coordinate geometry COGO calculators
Portable hydrographic surveying equipment
Plumb bobs
Plotters
Plane tables
Personal computers
Optical pendulum levels
Notebook computers
Multibeam sonar equipment
Metal detectors
Measuring tapes
Measuring rods
Measuring chains
Mallets
Magnetic field pipe locators
Machetes
Levels
Leveling bubbles
Laser scanner coordinate capturing equipment
Laser printers
Laser distance measuring equipment
Jackhammers
Hatchets
Handheld data collectors
Hand levels
Ground vibration sensing equipment
Global positioning system GPS receivers
Geological compasses
Geodetic leveling rods
Four wheel drive 4WD vehicles
Fathometer sonar equipment
Extensometers
Engineering scales
Electrotapes
Electronic distance measuring devices
Electronic digital/bar-code leveling systems
Echosounders
Distance meters
Digital cameras
Desktop computers
Community base station global positioning systems GPS
Clinometers
Chain saws
Barometers
Axes
Automatic optical pendulum leveling systems
Alidades
3D laser scanning systems
Technologies
Autodesk AutoCAD
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
Autodesk CAiCE Visual Transportation
Autodesk Land Desktop
Bentley MicroStation
Carlson CG Survey
Carlson SurvCADD
All TechnologiesComputer aided design and drafting software CADD
Computer aided design CAD software
ESRI ArcGIS software
Geographic information system GIS software
MENSI 3Dipsos
Microsoft Excel
MicroSurveyCAD
Trimble Terramodel
Tripod Data Systems Foresight
TRS Software TomCADD
Bentley GeoPak Bridge
Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
CARIS HIPS
CARIS SIPS
Carlson
Carlson Survey
Coordinate geometry COGO software
Datalog with guidance DLWG software
Desktop digital photogrammetry system DDPS
Email software
ESRI ArcInfo
ESRI ArcView
Foresoft CDS Cogo
Foresoft CDS Model
Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
Low-level driver LLD software
Microsoft Exchange
MicroSurvey FieldGenius
MicroSurvey OfficeSync
MicroSurvey Star*Net
Modeling software
Muncy Plat Pronto
QuickCogo
SiteComp Survey
Spreadsheet software
Traverse PC
Trimble Digital Fieldbook
Trimble Geomatics Office
Trimble GPS Pathfinder
Trimble TerraSync
Trimble Total Control
Tripod Data Systems
Triton Elics International Isis
Web browser software
Word processing software
Skills
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Operation Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Abilities
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision