Surveying and Mapping Technicians Salary
The median pay for a surveying and mapping technicians in Texas is $47,680/year ($22.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $52,115 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 41.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Texas, month by month
About surveying and mapping technicians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Texas
Pay for surveying and mapping technicians in Texas runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $54K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 42.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for surveying and mapping technicians.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level surveying and mapping technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Surveying and Mapping Technicians salary by metro in Texas
21 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco | $61K | +28% | 70 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $57K | +20% | 160 |
| Killeen-Temple | $50K | +4% | 60 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | +4% | 2,650 |
| Amarillo | $50K | +4% | 40 |
| Lubbock | $49K | +3% | 70 |
| Sherman-Denison | $49K | +3% | 30 |
| El Paso | $49K | +3% | 130 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $48K | +2% | 600 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $48K | +1% | 1,170 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $48K | +1% | 90 |
| College Station-Bryan | $48K | -0% | 60 |
| Corpus Christi | $47K | -1% | 110 |
| Midland | $46K | -4% | 250 |
| San Angelo | $46K | -5% | 30 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $45K | -5% | 2,010 |
| Texarkana | $45K | -5% | 30 |
| Longview | $44K | -7% | 70 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $42K | -11% | 50 |
| Tyler | $40K | -16% | 130 |
| Laredo | $37K | -22% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 21 metros
Compare to other states
Track surveying and mapping technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a surveying and mapping technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 42.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveying and mapping technicians in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveying and mapping technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,588/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surveying and mapping technician a high-paying job in Texas?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $48K here vs. $54K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for surveying and mapping technicians?
Texas pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do surveying and mapping technicians make in Texas?
The median is $47,680 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,120, and experienced surveying and mapping technicians can clear $77,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,363/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 42.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a surveying and mapping technicians salary go in Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surveying and mapping technicians salary is worth about $52,115 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveying and mapping technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.