Surveyors salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,880 | $22.54 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $75,440 | $36.27 |
| Mean (average) | $80,570 | $38.73 |
| 90th percentile | $125,590 | $60.38 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Surveyors pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,840 | $38,520 | $112,580 | 910 | 1.31 |
| Alaska | $99,550 | $73,520 | $142,980 | 250 | 2.35 |
| Arizona | $77,490 | $48,940 | $110,950 | 1,360 | 1.28 |
| Arkansas | $51,800 | $36,380 | $91,610 | 550 | 1.29 |
| California | $105,330 | $59,310 | $160,430 | 4,520 | 0.76 |
| Colorado | $79,310 | $51,220 | $115,990 | 1,620 | 1.72 |
| Connecticut | $76,730 | $58,140 | $109,050 | 430 | 0.77 |
| Delaware | $82,890 | $63,200 | $126,600 | 120 | 0.75 |
| Florida | $65,480 | $46,160 | $121,360 | 4,000 | 1.23 |
| Georgia | $58,100 | $44,680 | $105,270 | 1,770 | 1.11 |
| Guam | $61,490 | $40,660 | $80,000 | 60 | 2.71 |
| Hawaii | $82,200 | $58,900 | $104,190 | 140 | 0.69 |
| Idaho | $73,940 | $46,500 | $113,400 | 250 | 0.89 |
| Illinois | $75,980 | $46,540 | $126,300 | 1,710 | 0.86 |
| Indiana | $80,510 | $48,260 | $118,760 | 870 | 0.83 |
| Iowa | $77,090 | $47,830 | $129,670 | 450 | 0.88 |
| Kansas | $75,860 | $50,320 | $100,920 | 350 | 0.75 |
| Kentucky | $71,840 | $39,000 | $101,330 | 670 | 1.03 |
| Louisiana | $63,140 | $38,810 | $111,790 | 1,460 | 2.3 |
| Maine | $83,200 | $56,110 | $131,890 | 270 | 1.31 |
| Maryland | $64,910 | $44,110 | $166,400 | 950 | 1.06 |
| Massachusetts | $94,590 | $57,880 | $129,410 | 1,290 | 1.09 |
| Michigan | $72,080 | $51,240 | $99,940 | 1,050 | 0.73 |
| Minnesota | $83,620 | $49,510 | $125,040 | 980 | 1.02 |
| Mississippi | $58,720 | $38,840 | $96,460 | 570 | 1.5 |
| Missouri | $62,110 | $42,700 | $101,730 | 830 | 0.86 |
| Montana | $84,610 | $57,720 | $120,370 | 350 | 2.06 |
| Nebraska | $68,050 | $51,660 | $103,650 | 430 | 1.29 |
| Nevada | $82,460 | $64,160 | $127,660 | 490 | 0.97 |
| New Hampshire | $65,130 | $58,000 | $93,560 | 280 | 1.27 |
| New Jersey | $77,160 | $58,240 | $132,930 | 900 | 0.64 |
| New Mexico | $74,230 | $42,890 | $101,230 | 290 | 1.01 |
| New York | $78,870 | $53,390 | $126,340 | 1,470 | 0.46 |
| North Carolina | $76,210 | $46,750 | $128,200 | 1,530 | 0.94 |
| North Dakota | $79,360 | $52,680 | $127,780 | 250 | 1.75 |
| Ohio | $70,620 | $48,600 | $114,440 | 1,300 | 0.72 |
| Oklahoma | $61,300 | $37,510 | $103,270 | 960 | 1.72 |
| Oregon | $97,070 | $64,880 | $131,040 | 530 | 0.82 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,950 | $52,160 | $115,450 | 1,610 | 0.81 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,870 | $29,480 | $72,470 | 140 | 0.46 |
| Rhode Island | $62,670 | $44,130 | $99,270 | 150 | 0.9 |
| South Carolina | $63,300 | $44,710 | $100,360 | 1,000 | 1.33 |
| South Dakota | $77,190 | $59,690 | $122,560 | 180 | 1.21 |
| Tennessee | $76,340 | $48,950 | $114,400 | 920 | 0.86 |
| Texas | $61,150 | $42,450 | $107,850 | 6,410 | 1.39 |
| Utah | $73,230 | $45,180 | $106,230 | 650 | 1.14 |
| Vermont | $76,450 | $50,640 | $83,860 | ||
| Virginia | $71,070 | $50,770 | $109,600 | 1,360 | 1.01 |
| Washington | $85,610 | $63,860 | $134,620 | 780 | 0.67 |
| West Virginia | $61,520 | $37,920 | $100,280 | 630 | 2.76 |
| Wisconsin | $79,650 | $57,510 | $118,850 | 610 | 0.63 |
| Wyoming | $81,250 | $53,500 | $116,770 | 240 | 2.63 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for surveyors
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for surveyors
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Surveying Engineering CIP 14.3801
- Surveying Technology/Surveying CIP 15.1102
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (in demand)
- Bentley MicroStation (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD Land Desktop
- Bentley GeoPak Bridge
- Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
- CE SURVEYOR III
- CMT Incorporated CogoCAD
- Cadcorp desktop GIS
- Carlson SurvCADD
- Carlson SurvCE
- Carlson Survey
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Instructing.
Common job titles: City Surveyor, County Surveyor, Land Surveyor, Licensed Land Surveyor, Mine Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor, Registered Land Surveyor, Staff Land Surveyor, State Surveyor, Surveyor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do surveyors make?
The national median annual wage for surveyors was $75,440 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $46,880 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $125,590. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do surveyors need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and internship/residency on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is surveyors a growing career?
BLS projects employment of surveyors to change +5.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay surveyors the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($105,330), Alaska ($99,550), Oregon ($97,070). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.