A mapping technician works as an assistant to mapmakers, providing them with various technical services to speed up the process and offload some of the more menial tasks. The job duties of mapping technician typically include collecting data from various sources and performing basic calculations and analysis on it; identifying the presence and density of various important resources and organize this data into accessible charts; as well as calculate various important factors which are going to be used in the creation of the map in the end.
A degree in engineering or a similar field can give a good boost to someone trying to get hired as a mapping technician, though it’s not a strict requirement in most cases. The job requires very good knowledge of mathematics, as well as intricate knowledge of some of the basic principles behind the process of mapping and map analysis. The job also requires a lot of concentration and in some cases multitasking, as it often involves working with more than one sources of information simultaneously.
Understandably, a mapping technician won’t earn as much as a mapping engineer, mainly because the job isn’t so demanding and can be attained more easily. The average annual salary is between $32,000 – $47,000, and the job often has less attractive working hours than that of a mapping engineer. Furthermore, technicians aren’t usually compensated as much as the engineers themselves when it comes to completing extra tasks related to the project.