Surveyors
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
- Self-employed
- 4.3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mathematicsimportance 4.7/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.3/5
- Geographyimportance 4.0/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
- Designimportance 3.7/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.7/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail5.0/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.8/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.5/5
- Contact With Others4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors96% skill match
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists96% skill match
- Forest and Conservation Technicians95% skill match
- Forensic Science Technicians95% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers94% skill match
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians94% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers94% skill match
- Radiologists92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Autodesk AutoCAD Land Desktop
- Bentley GeoPak Bridge
- Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
- CE SURVEYOR III
- CMT Incorporated CogoCAD
- Cadcorp desktop GIS
- Carlson SurvCADD
- Carlson SurvCE
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Self-Confidence
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where surveyors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA3.96× national avg
- 2Lafayette, LA3.76× national avg
- 3Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX3.45× national avg
- 4Wildwood-The Villages, FL3.42× national avg
- 5Anchorage, AK3.01× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic TechniciansCareer Change
- Forest and Conservation TechniciansCareer Change
- Forensic Science TechniciansCareer Change
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.