How to hire a cartographic technician

How to hire a cartographic technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cartographic technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a cartographic technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new cartographic technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a cartographic technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect cartographic technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents cartographic technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Cartographic Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Cartographic Technician	Surveying and mapping technicians collect data and make maps of the Earth’s surface. Surveying technicians visit sites to take measurements of the land... Show more	$15-37
   GIS Technician	A GIS Technician is responsible for making maps and customizing geographic information systems applications. They also provide technical support to users or clients regarding the maintenance, development, or operation of geographic information systems databases.	$18-41
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Remote Sensing
   • Digitizing
   • Real Estate
   • ArcGIS
   • Federal Agencies
   • CAD
   • Spatial Data
   • BLM
   • Map Data
   • Data Collection
   • Esri
   • Digital Data
   • Aerial Photographs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
   • Conduct individual ArcView, ArcInfo and GPS training for resource specialists.
   • Form part of a LiDAR data extraction team that collect surface and planimetric data.
   • Train NPS seasonal employees in the use of GPS equipment, theory and proper field collection techniques.
   • Field survey culvert locations as part of the LiDAR Hydrography update.
   • Lead a multi-department utilities & infrastructure mapping project using ESRI's geodatabase model.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your cartographic technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A cartographic technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, cartographic technicians' average salary in vermont is 20% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cartographic technicians earn 58% less than senior-level cartographic technicians.
   • Certifications. A cartographic technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a cartographic technician's salary.

   Average cartographic technician salary

   $51,358yearly

   $24.69 hourly rate

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   Entry-level cartographic technician salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a cartographic technician job description

   A cartographic technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a cartographic technician job description:

   Cartographic technician job description example

   Job DescriptionSCA Crosswalk: Cartographic Technician
   
   Summary:
   This position serves as a Cartographic Technician reporting directly to the Mapping Team Lead within the Surveying and Mapping Department. The Surveying and Mapping Department is responsible for providing land survey and mapping support in the maintenance, operation and development of new BPA facilities. This position will assist with preparing cartographic products including digital maps and geospatial data. This position verifies that maps, diagrams and data are of high quality and of value to studies, land surveys, or development planning. The principal emphasis is on performing a variety of tasks related to the creation and maintenance of technical documents related to the acquisition of real property or the rights to occupy real property for BPA transmission facilities.
   
   Education & Applicable Fields:
   " High school diploma or GED is required.
   " Associate s or Bachelor s degree in Land Surveying or Civil Engineering or a closely related field is preferred
   " Land Surveyor In Training (LSIT) or Engineer in Training (EIT) license is preferred
   " Experience with Microstation software is preferred.
   
   Education & Experience Requirements:
   " 7 years of Cartographic Technician experience is required.
   
   Typical Tasks may include:
   Note: All official drafts, documents and recommendations, as listed below, must be reviewed, finalized and approved / accepted by appropriate BPA manager or other federal personnel with the authority to do so.
   " Revise existing maps and charts, making all necessary corrections and adjustments.
   " Compile data required for map preparation, including aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports, and original maps
   " Build and update digital databases.
   " Identify and compile database information to produce maps in response to requests.
   " Edit, manipulate and maintain geographic data using custom and 3rd party software.
   " Evaluate and process database updates according to established methodology.
   " Research resources such as survey maps and legal descriptions to verify property lines and to obtain information needed for mapping.
   " Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents; examine documentation such as plat books, easements, maps, etc. in order to verify properties' legal descriptions.
   " Identify basic issues/risk using proper cartographic techniques.
   " Identify, document and report spatial accuracy deficiencies or issues that do not meet minimum standards.
   
   Specific Tasks may include:
   " Utilize computer drafting software
   " Work with GIS to maintain data bases and ensure data quality through use of automated and manual techniques to enter, edit, and process data sets.
   " Thoroughly inspect and check deliverables for accuracy and correctness; deliverable s includes BPA plan and profiles, GIS data in various formats.
   " Compile all available evidence for right-of-way boundary locations. Decipher and interpret vague boundary legal descriptions.
   " Research BPA, BLM, and state, county and city records for information concerning BPA rights-of-ways.
   " Support BPA projects in the creation or revision of BPA electric transmission facility drawings. Drawings are oriented toward facility right-of-way and electric transmission line design. Provides customer support to various work groups within BPA. Works closely with real estate, engineering, and project management staff to determine scope and schedule of required work.
   " Support BPA projects in the preparation of legal descriptions, permits applications, and associated exhibits for the design, acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of transmission lines and facilities.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find cartographic technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your cartographic technician job on Zippia to find and recruit cartographic technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit cartographic technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new cartographic technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect cartographic technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new cartographic technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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