They face all types of weather when they are outside. Sometimes, they have to travel long distances and stay overnight. Surveyors also spend time in offices. While in an office, they have to make plans, read their facts, and prepare reports and maps. Most of the time, surveyors use a computer to do math problems and draw maps.
Cartographers spend almost all their time in offices.
Most of the jobs are those working for engineers, architects, and surveying firms. Some of the jobs are in Federal, State, and local government agencies. A few thousand surveyors and other types were self-employed in 1998. However, as technology advances, a 4-year college degree is becoming more important for surveyors, cartographers, and related workers. Survey technicians can work toward getting a certificate from the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.