Hiring a surveying and mapping technician in Fayetteville, NC

Do Fayetteville residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Fayetteville, NC area pay?

Fayetteville residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $63,176 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $88,505 as the median of the 10 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Fayetteville, NC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 29%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole architecture and engineering group, not this one role. In the Fayetteville, NC area the group covers 10 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from architectural and civil drafters at $56,120 to engineers, all other at $125,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with surveying and mapping technicians at $58,280 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 10 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Fayetteville residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Fayetteville?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 17-3031.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 28.6% of Fayetteville adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Fayetteville aged 25 and over.

The average Fayetteville commute runs 18.9 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 6.6% of Fayetteville workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Fayetteville.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Cumberland County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 903 and turns over 6.0% a quarter, with 65 hires against 209 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,307 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5413.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about surveying and mapping technicians. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $58,280 median in the Fayetteville, NC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $11,656 to $17,484 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a surveying and mapping technician in Fayetteville

What does it cost to hire a surveying and mapping technician in Fayetteville?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $58,280 median wage in the Fayetteville, NC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $11,656 to $17,484 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a surveying and mapping technician in Fayetteville look like?

Employers in the Fayetteville, NC area pay surveying and mapping technicians a median of $58,280, with the middle half of the market between $46,370 and $64,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $46,370 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Fayetteville residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Fayetteville, NC area pay?

Fayetteville residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $63,176 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $88,505 as the median of the 10 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Fayetteville, NC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 29%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Fayetteville?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 28.6% of Fayetteville adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Surveying and Mapping Technicians: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Fayetteville
• Every North Carolina city we cover

Fayetteville is the 6th largest of 6 North Carolina cities in this dataset.