Surveying, Mapping, and Drafting Technicians

Background

The military builds and repairs many airstrips, docks, barracks, roads, and other projects each year. Surveying, mapping, and drafting technicians conduct land surveys, make maps, and prepare detailed plans and drawings for construction projects and to locate military targets and plot troop movements. 

What They Do

Surveying, mapping, and drafting technicians in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Build scale models of land areas that show hills, lakes, roads, and buildings
• Conduct land surveys and compute survey results
• Draw diagrams for wiring and plumbing of structures
• Draw maps and charts using drafting tools and computers
• Make scale drawings of roads, airfields, buildings, and other military projects
• Piece together aerial photographs to form large photomaps
• Use global positioning systems to collect location information from satellites

Physical Demands

Good depth perception is required to study aerial photos through stereoscopes. Normal color vision is required to work with color-coded maps and drawings.

Special Requirements

No information available.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to convert ideas into drawings
• Interest in maps and charts
• Interest in working with drafting equipment and computers

Helpful School Subjects

Helpful school subjects include:

• Algebra
• Geometry
• Trigonometry

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Surveying, mapping, and drafting technicians work both indoors and outdoors in all climates and weather conditions. Those assigned to engineering units sometimes work outdoors with survey teams. Those assigned to intelligence units may work on ships as well as on land.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• Marine Corps
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for enlisted personnel.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of nine to 31 weeks of classroom instruction, depending on specialty.

Course content typically includes:

• Aerial photo interpretation
• Architectural and structural drawing
• Surveying and drafting techniques

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian surveying, mapping, and drafting technicians work for construction, engineering, and architectural firms and government agencies such as the highway department. Their work is used for planning construction projects such as highways, airport runways, dams, and drainage systems. Surveyors and mapmakers are also called cartographic technicians and photogrammetrists.

Related Civilian Careers

• Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
• Drafters
• Surveying and Mapping Technicians
• Surveyors

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 3,000 surveying, mapping, and drafting technicians. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new technicians due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, technicians make simple drawings, trace photos, perform basic survey duties, or help make maps under close supervision. With experience, they work more independently. Eventually, they may supervise mapmaking facilities, surveying teams, or construction units.