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The AI Resilience Report helps you understand how AI is likely to impact your current or future career. Drawing on data from over 1,500 occupations, it provides a clear snapshot to support informed career decisions.
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Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 4/23/2026
Your role’s AI Resilience Score is
39.2%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Low
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
This result is backed by strong agreement across multiple data sources.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forSurveying and Mapping Technicians
Surveying and Mapping Technicians are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Surveying and Mapping Technicians are "Somewhat Resilient" because while AI tools are making data analysis and map creation faster, many essential tasks still need a human touch. Machines can't replace the physical work of cutting brush or carrying equipment, nor can they plan surveys or ensure map accuracy like humans do.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is somewhat resilient
Surveying and Mapping Technicians are "Somewhat Resilient" because while AI tools are making data analysis and map creation faster, many essential tasks still need a human touch. Machines can't replace the physical work of cutting brush or carrying equipment, nor can they plan surveys or ensure map accuracy like humans do.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Surveying & Mapping Techs
Updated Quarterly • Last Update: 2/17/2026
How is AI changing Surveying & Mapping Techs jobs?
Survey and mapping work is getting smarter but not fully automatic. For example, computer programs can now spot roads, buildings or water in aerial photos much faster than people could by eye [1]. The US Geological Survey even built a new land-cover map by processing millions of satellite images (about 300 trillion pixels) with their software [2].
In offices, technicians use GIS computer systems to manage map data—selecting, editing, and combining images into maps [3] [3]. All this shows that AI and modern software help do many mapping tasks more easily.
But many parts of the job still need human work. Machines can’t cut brush or carry survey stakes in the field [3]. People must still plan surveys, walk the land, and check maps to make sure everything is correct.
Right now, AI tools mostly augment the job: they speed up image analysis and handle routine data work [1] [2], while humans handle the on-site and quality-control tasks.
How fast is AI adoption growing for Surveying & Mapping Techs?
New tools are arriving quickly, but they spread gradually. Big organizations (like government mapping agencies) are already using AI because they process huge amounts of data and see large time and cost savings [1] [2]. For example, one study found that using computer vision for road mapping cuts time and errors compared to doing it by hand [1] [1].
However, advanced equipment (drones, software licenses, training) can be expensive. Smaller survey teams or local governments may wait until tools are cheaper or rules allow their use.
Economics and jobs also matter. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics still expects “surveying and mapping technicians” jobs to grow about 5% by 2034 [3], even as tools improve. This suggests companies will keep hiring people, often using AI to make workers more productive rather than replace them.
Social and legal factors also slow adoption: maps are used for things like property boundaries and safety, so agencies will be careful and keep humans in charge of final decisions.
In short, AI is helping in this field, especially for analyzing data and making maps faster [1] [2]. But many human skills — like working outside, solving field problems, and checking results — stay important. By learning to work with these new tools, young people can use technology to do their jobs better while still using the uniquely human parts of surveying.
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More Career Info
Career: Surveying and Mapping Technicians
They collect data and make maps by measuring land, helping to create accurate maps and plans for construction and development projects.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$51,940
Jobs (2024)
59,400
Growth (2024-34)
+4.5%
Annual Openings
7,600
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, the inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.
2
Place and hold measuring tapes when electronic distance-measuring equipment is not used.
3
Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.
4
Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.
5
Lay out grids, and determine horizontal and vertical controls.
6
Run rods for benches and cross-section elevations.
7
Set out and recover stakes, marks, and other monumentation.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
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