A surveying technician works as the assistant of surveyors and provide them with various services in their job. Surveying technicians accompany surveyors to the locations they’re investigating, and help them set up and operate the equipment used to collect the data about the location. They also record the data for later analysis, and may submit it to a computer for immediate calculation and provide the results to the surveyor. Surveying technicians may also be required to operate more complicated machinery required for the completion of their projects.
Most of the skills required for becoming a surveying technician can be attained in the course of employment, and a high school diploma is all a candidate needs to get hired in most cases. A good surveying technician should, however, have some understanding of the surveying process and the operations involved in it, as well as knowledge of the technology used in every step (and of course, how to properly handle it and perform maintenance on it as well).
As a surveying technician, one can expect a salary of between $43,000 – $48,000 a year. The job doesn’t pay that well for the amount of work involved, according to most standards, as surveying technicians are usually tasked with a wide range of duties they must cope with in order to complete their jobs. Still, it’s a good starting point for those interested in advancing their careers in this field, and definitely holds a lot of potential for those dedicated enough to perform the job well.