Surveyors

Surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries. They provide data relevant to features of the Earth’s surface, such as shape and contour, for engineering, mapmaking, construction, and other purposes.

Duties

Surveyors typically do the following:

• Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed
• Measure distances and angles between points on, above, and below the Earth’s surface
• Travel to locations and use known reference points to determine the exact location of important features
• Record the results of surveying and verify the accuracy of data
• Prepare or supervise preparation of plots, maps, and reports
• Present findings to clients
• Establish official land and water boundaries for deeds, leases, and other legal documents and testify in court regarding survey work

Surveyors mark and document the location of legal property lines. For example, when a house or commercial building is bought or sold, surveyors may mark property boundaries to prevent or resolve disputes.

Much of the measuring equipment surveyors use incorporates technology. For example, when taking measurements in the field, surveyors use handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) units as well as robotic total stations, instruments that automate positioning of a telescope. They also use computers to interpret and verify the results of the information they gather.

In addition, surveyors use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to present spatial information as visualizations in maps, reports, and charts. For example, a surveyor might overlay aerial or satellite images with GIS data, such as tree density in a region, and use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to create digital maps.

Surveyors may be part of a crew that includes surveying technicians. These crews also work with civil engineers, landscape architects, cartographers and photogrammetrists, and urban and regional planners to develop comprehensive design documents. The documents have a variety of purposes, such as to advise local governments on where to plan and build roads.

The following are examples of types of surveyors:

Boundary or land surveyors determine the legal property lines and help determine the exact locations of real estate and construction projects.

Geodetic surveyors use high-accuracy technology, including aerial and satellite observations, to measure large areas of the Earth’s surface.

Pipeline surveyors survey and record the location of existing and planned pipelines to ensure that placement complies with established requirements.

Surveyors held about 56,100 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of surveyors were as follows:

Surveying involves both fieldwork and office work. Fieldwork may require working outdoors in all types of weather, walking long distances, and standing for extended periods while taking measurements. Surveyors may climb hills with heavy packs of surveying instruments. When working near hazards such as traffic, surveyors generally wear brightly colored or reflective vests to make themselves more visible. When working in underground mines, surveyors are in enclosed spaces.

Traveling is often part of the job, and surveyors may commute long distances. Those who work on resource extraction projects may be in remote areas and spend long periods away from home.

Work Schedules

Most surveyors work full time. They may have longer workdays while doing fieldwork.

Surveyors typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. They must be licensed before they can certify legal documents and provide surveying services to the public.

The median annual wage for surveyors was $72,740 in May 2024.

Employment of surveyors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 3,900 openings for surveyors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.