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Surveying and Mapping Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
4 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Surveying and Mapping Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for GEODETIC COMPUTATOR (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| CHIEF OF PARTY (Prof & Kin) | 0053 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| GEODETIC COMPUTATOR | 0217 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TECHNICIAN | 0546 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| SURVEYOR ASSISTANT INSTRUMENT | 0551 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What surveying and mapping technicians earn, by state
California has the highest state median for surveying and mapping technicians ($78,110) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($32,370), across the 51 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $78,110 | $37.55 | 3,340 |
| Alaska | $76,970 | $37.01 | 300 |
| Minnesota | $73,190 | $35.19 | 1,060 |
| Washington | $62,720 | $30.15 | 1,030 |
| Maryland | $61,600 | $29.62 | 470 |
| North Dakota | $60,870 | $29.26 | 160 |
| New Jersey | $60,720 | $29.19 | 750 |
| Montana | $60,330 | $29.00 | 430 |
| Ohio | $60,330 | $29.01 | 1,350 |
| Rhode Island | $60,320 | $29.00 | 110 |
| Utah | $59,600 | $28.66 | 360 |
| Wisconsin | $59,080 | $28.40 | 660 |
| Iowa | $58,950 | $28.34 | 390 |
| Connecticut | $58,900 | $28.32 | 380 |
| Nevada | $58,790 | $28.27 | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $58,730 | $28.24 | 640 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,270 | $28.02 | 1,340 |
| Wyoming | $58,220 | $27.99 | 150 |
| Colorado | $57,890 | $27.83 | 2,340 |
| Illinois | $57,470 | $27.63 | 1,110 |
| New York | $57,360 | $27.58 | 2,540 |
| New Hampshire | $57,290 | $27.55 | 260 |
| Delaware | $57,130 | $27.47 | 180 |
| Virginia | $56,760 | $27.29 | 2,440 |
| Maine | $56,470 | $27.15 | 220 |
| Vermont | $56,460 | $27.14 | 40 |
| Indiana | $56,440 | $27.13 | 1,060 |
| New Mexico | $56,210 | $27.02 | 610 |
| Oregon | $55,790 | $26.82 | 1,280 |
| Hawaii | $55,580 | $26.72 | 140 |
| Arizona | $54,080 | $26.00 | 700 |
| North Carolina | $53,160 | $25.56 | 4,100 |
| Idaho | $52,630 | $25.30 | 450 |
| Missouri | $51,700 | $24.86 | 720 |
| Kansas | $50,900 | $24.47 | 730 |
| Tennessee | $50,370 | $24.22 | 1,340 |
| Michigan | $50,340 | $24.20 | 690 |
| South Dakota | $50,050 | $24.06 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $49,440 | $23.77 | 930 |
| Georgia | $48,810 | $23.46 | 1,890 |
| West Virginia | $48,530 | $23.33 | 370 |
| Nebraska | $48,080 | $23.11 | 770 |
| Florida | $48,040 | $23.10 | 4,810 |
| Texas | $47,680 | $22.93 | 8,720 |
| Mississippi | $47,320 | $22.75 | 550 |
| Oklahoma | $46,760 | $22.48 | 810 |
| Alabama | $46,450 | $22.33 | 1,320 |
| Arkansas | $46,370 | $22.29 | 810 |
| Kentucky | $46,050 | $22.14 | 920 |
| South Carolina | $43,740 | $21.03 | 1,420 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,370 | $15.56 | 90 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).