Surveyors: Job Description
Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries. Provide data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation, or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, construction, and other purposes.
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What Do Surveyors Take On?
The core tasks performed by surveyors include:
- Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
- Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed.
- Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
- Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.
- Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
- Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
- Prepare, or supervise preparation of, all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.
- Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective surveyors combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Surveyors Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- City Surveyor
- Construction Surveyor
- County Surveyor
- Field Inspector
- Field Surveyor
- Geophysical Prospecting Surveyor
- Health Facilities Surveyor
- Home Surveyor
How Many Surveyors Are There?
There are roughly 345,666 surveyors working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +15.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Surveyors Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $131,353 |
| Hourly median | $63.15 |
| 10th percentile | $82,988 |
| 25th percentile | $107,170 |
| 75th percentile | $155,536 |
| 90th percentile | $179,718 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $103,790 |
| New Jersey | $93,260 |
| Washington | $88,340 |
| Oregon | $87,730 |
| South Dakota | $86,260 |
| Alaska | $85,520 |
| Delaware | $85,350 |
| Massachusetts | $84,260 |
| Nevada | $82,990 |
| Indiana | $81,010 |
| Maine | $80,740 |
| Hawaii | $79,730 |
| Montana | $79,230 |
| New York | $79,050 |
| North Dakota | $78,750 |
| Arizona | $78,480 |
| Illinois | $77,540 |
| Wyoming | $77,320 |
| Colorado | $77,050 |
| Wisconsin | $76,790 |
| Connecticut | $76,760 |
| Iowa | $76,720 |
| New Mexico | $75,190 |
| Tennessee | $74,690 |
| Idaho | $74,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,680 |
| Virginia | $73,380 |
| Kansas | $70,820 |
| Michigan | $69,990 |
| Vermont | $68,510 |
| North Carolina | $67,870 |
| Kentucky | $67,060 |
| New Hampshire | $66,750 |
| Nebraska | $66,020 |
| Ohio | $65,970 |
| Utah | $64,260 |
| Alabama | $63,700 |
| South Carolina | $62,160 |
| Maryland | $62,100 |
| Florida | $62,100 |
| West Virginia | $61,610 |
| Oklahoma | $60,870 |
| Georgia | $60,410 |
| Louisiana | $60,020 |
| District of Columbia | $59,860 |
| Missouri | $59,500 |
| Texas | $59,450 |
| Mississippi | $57,370 |
| Arkansas | $57,260 |
| Guam | $55,990 |
| Rhode Island | $52,000 |
| Minnesota | $46,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $40,780 |
Where Surveyors Earn the Most
Earnings for surveyors differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $96,962 | 11.5% | 0.77 |
| New England | $79,236 | 5.9% | 1.28 |
| Middle Atlantic | $76,529 | 9.6% | 0.72 |
| Rocky Mountains | $74,348 | 5.8% | 1.53 |
| Great Lakes | $73,826 | 10.7% | 0.77 |
| Southeast | $63,979 | 28.5% | 1.23 |
| Southwest | $62,625 | 18.9% | 1.52 |
| Plains States | $59,639 | 8.6% | 1.41 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuba City, CA | CA | $130,730 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $124,990 | 310 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $122,690 | 520 |
| Redding, CA | CA | $121,250 | 40 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $115,620 | 130 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $110,450 | 190 |
| Salem, OR | OR | $105,000 | 50 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $104,480 | 50 |
Top Industries Employing Surveyors
The largest employers of surveyors work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 40,270 | $67,870 |
| Construction | 5,050 | $72,800 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1,590 | $86,050 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 690 | $75,840 |
| Utilities | 500 | $91,870 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 240 | $82,820 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 210 | $76,430 |
| Wholesale Trade | 60 | $63,660 |
Below are examples of industries where surveyors work:
Software Surveyors Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for surveyors reflects the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level surveyors positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Construction Managers (Supplemental)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Supplemental)
- Cost Estimators (Supplemental)
- Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate (Primary-Long)
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (Supplemental)
- Landscape Architects (Supplemental)
- Cartographers and Photogrammetrists (Primary-Short)
- Geodetic Surveyors (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring surveyors commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
1 programs across 1 majors
Engineering
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-1022.00 (Surveyors).
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