Surveyors

SOC Code: 17-1022
Also known as:
City Surveyor, Construction Surveyor, County Surveyor, Field Surveyor, Geophysical Prospecting Surveyor
Median Annual Salary
$72,740
+4.4% growth (2024-2034)
4K
Openings/Year
56K
Current Jobs

What Surveyors Do

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.

💰 Salary

$72,740
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

+4.4%
Faster than average

🎓 Education

Bachelor's degree
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

4K
Projected average per year

📚 On-the-Job Training

Internship/residency
Expected training period

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

56,100

Projected Employment (2034)

58,600

Related Careers

Surveyors

$72,740 • +4.4% growth
View →

Civil engineers

$99,590 • +5.0% growth
View →

Surveying and mapping technicians

$51,940 • +4.5% growth
View →

Top Skills Required

Mathematics
Mathematics
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • 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.

Technology & Tools

Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Bentley MicroStation ESRI ArcGIS software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Word Amazon Web Services AWS software C# C++

📚 Entry-Level Education

Bachelor's degree
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Bachelor's Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for Surveyors

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a surveyors:

Surveying Technology/Surveying

1,046 degrees awarded • 79 colleges offer this program
View Colleges →

Surveying Engineering

99 degrees awarded • 14 colleges offer this program
View Colleges →

Best Colleges for Becoming a Surveyors

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become surveyors.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 27 A
2 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 5 B+
3 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 4 B+
4 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY 16 B
5 Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI 15 B
6 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 14 B
7 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 13 B
8 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC 7 B
9 New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM 7 B
10 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 7 B
11 California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA 5 B
12 Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR 4 B
13 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA 3 B
14 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY 2 B
15 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH 60 C+
16 Tyler Junior College Tyler, TX 51 C+
17 University of Maine Orono, ME 49 C+
18 Vincennes University Vincennes, IN 32 C+
19 Utah Valley University Orem, UT 27 C+
20 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA 22 C+

Want this ranking as a spreadsheet? Investor Pro+ members can export any Repit table to CSV. See plans →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do surveyors make?
The median annual salary for surveyors is $72,740.
What education do surveyors need?
Most surveyors positions require a bachelor's degree. Common degree programs include Surveying Technology/Surveying, Surveying Engineering.
Is becoming surveyors a good career choice?
Surveyors is projected to see +4.4% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which is about average for all occupations. With approximately 3,900 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for surveyors?
Top colleges for aspiring surveyors include University of Florida, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Ohio State University-Main Campus, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Michigan Technological University. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to surveyors?
Surveyors may also be known as: City Surveyor, Construction Surveyor, County Surveyor, Field Surveyor, Geophysical Prospecting Surveyor, Health Facilities Surveyor, Home Surveyor, Insurance Loss Control Surveyor, Land Examiner, Land Measurer, Land Surveyor, Licensed Land Surveyor, Licensed Surveyor, Loss Control Surveyor, Mine Surveyor, Mineral Surveyor, Port Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor, Project Surveyor, Railroad Surveyor. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.