Surveyors Career, Salary and Skills
Surveyors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $75,440 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 50,830. Wage data is published for 265 locations.
Occupation 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.
O*NET code
17-1022.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$75,440
Hourly median
$36.27
Employment
50,830
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Coordination | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.12 | 3.50 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
Technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Autodesk AutoCAD Land Desktop
- Bentley GeoPak Bridge
- Bentley MicroStation
- Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
- Cadcorp desktop GIS
- Carlson SurvCADD
- Carlson SurvCE
- Carlson Survey
- CE SURVEYOR III
- CloudWorks
- CMT Incorporated CogoCAD
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
Surveyors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Surveyors Salary in TXMedian $61,150 · Employment 6,410
- Surveyors Salary in CAMedian $105,330 · Employment 4,520
- Surveyors Salary in FLMedian $65,480 · Employment 4,000
- Surveyors Salary in Houston, TXMedian $62,960 · Employment 1,960
- Surveyors Salary in GAMedian $58,100 · Employment 1,770
- Surveyors Salary in ILMedian $75,980 · Employment 1,710
- Surveyors Salary in COMedian $79,310 · Employment 1,620
- Surveyors Salary in PAMedian $75,950 · Employment 1,610
- Surveyors Salary in NCMedian $76,210 · Employment 1,530
- Surveyors Salary in NYMedian $78,870 · Employment 1,470
- Surveyors Salary in LAMedian $63,140 · Employment 1,460
- Surveyors Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $66,030 · Employment 1,400
Related careers
- Landscape ArchitectsNational median $79,870
- Forest and Conservation TechniciansNational median $54,560
- Construction ManagersNational median $114,990
- Conservation ScientistsNational median $73,010
- HydrologistsNational median $96,600
- Architects, Except Landscape and NavalNational median $99,280
- Transportation InspectorsNational median $92,100
- Cost EstimatorsNational median $78,740
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.