Surveyors
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.
Also called: City Surveyor · County Surveyor · Land Surveyor · Licensed Land Surveyor · Mine Surveyor · Professional Land Surveyor
Median pay (national)
$72,740
$43,680–$116,330 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
53,080
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.4%
~3,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for surveyors shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $116,330 versus $43,680 at the bottom 10% — 2.7x. The median of $72,740 leaves roughly 60% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.4% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $103,790, +43% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $40,780 — a 155% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Writing as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Bentley MicroStation, Microsoft Excel as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
- 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.
- Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.
- Plan and conduct ground surveys designed to establish baselines, elevations, and other geodetic measurements.
- Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Bentley MicroStation
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Autodesk AutoCAD Land Desktop
- Bentley GeoPak Bridge
- Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
- Cadcorp desktop GIS
- Carlson SurvCADD
- Carlson SurvCE
- Carlson Survey
- CE SURVEYOR III
- CloudWorks
- CMT Incorporated CogoCAD
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Geography
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management