Land surveyor salary
A median of $72,740 and a top 10% of $116,330 — the highest-paying outdoor occupation on this site that is not geoscience. The route in is long, licensed, and worth understanding before you start.
Highest paying outdoor jobs → Land surveyor
- Median pay
- $72,740
- Range (10th–90th)
- $43,680–$116,330
- Entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Licence
- Required, all 50 states
- Season
- Year-round
- Growth to 2034
- +4%
Government pays surveyors the most — the opposite of most trades
On heavy equipment, local government pays least by a wide margin. For surveyors, the pattern inverts completely.
Median pay by industry
BLS, surveyors, May 2024The practical read: if you are a licensed surveyor working at an engineering consultancy, a state DOT or county surveyor's office is likely a raise rather than a pay cut, which is the reverse of what most people assume about public sector work.
What the work actually is
Surveyors measure and map land — establishing property boundaries, providing the data engineers build from, and certifying the legal documents that record where one parcel ends and the next begins. The work splits between field time with GNSS receivers, total stations and increasingly drones, and office time processing data and preparing plats.
It is genuinely outdoor work, but not uniformly so. Expect a mix, with the balance shifting toward the office as you become senior and take on certification responsibility.
The distinctive thing about this occupation is legal weight. A licensed surveyor's certification of a boundary is a legal instrument. That responsibility is why the licence exists, why it takes years, and why the pay holds up.
Licensure: the barrier and the reason for the pay
All 50 states and the District of Columbia require surveyors to be licensed before they can provide surveying services to the public. There is no route around it and no state where it does not apply.
The path BLS describes:
- A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement, with some colleges running programmes specifically preparing students for licensure.
- Several years working under a licensed surveyor before you qualify to sit for the licence. Entry-level surveyors work under direction; the experience requirement is not a formality.
- An alternative route exists. BLS notes that some surveyors begin as surveying technicians and become licensed after gaining many years of experience under a licensed surveyor. That is the door for anyone without a degree — longer, but real.
- Requirements vary by state. Check your state licensing agency; there is no national standard.
Where the jobs are
- Architectural and engineering firms — the largest employer, and the lowest-paying of the four industries BLS reports.
- Government — state DOTs, county surveyor offices, federal land agencies. Highest median at $90,630.
- Mining, quarrying, oil and gas — $86,050, often remote and sometimes with a travel per diem.
- Construction — site layout and as-built survey, $72,800.
The occupation employs 56,100 people and is projected to grow 4% to 2034 — steady rather than dramatic, with licensure keeping the supply of qualified surveyors tight.
Common questions
How much do land surveyors make?
The median is $72,740, with the lowest 10% at $43,680 and the top 10% at $116,330 (BLS, May 2024). Government employers pay a median of $90,630, well above the $69,330 typical of architectural and engineering firms.
Do you need a licence to be a surveyor?
Yes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require surveyors to be licensed before providing services to the public. It typically follows a bachelor's degree plus several years working under a licensed surveyor.
Can you become a surveyor without a degree?
It is possible but slower. BLS notes that some surveyors start as surveying technicians and become licensed after many years of experience under a licensed surveyor. Requirements vary by state, so check your state licensing agency rather than relying on a general answer.
Is surveying an outdoor job?
Partly. Fieldwork with GNSS receivers, total stations and drones is genuinely outdoors, but there is substantial office work processing data and preparing plats — and the balance shifts toward the office as you become senior.
Sources
- Wage and employment
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Surveyors, national, May 2024. Median $72,740; 10th percentile $43,680; 90th percentile $116,330; 56,100 jobs; +4% to 2034. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- By industry
- Government (excluding state and local education and hospitals) $90,630 · mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction $86,050 · construction $72,800 · architectural, engineering and related services $69,330. Same source.
- Licensure
- Quoted from the same OOH page: all 50 states and DC require licensure; entry-level surveyors typically work under a licensed surveyor for several years; some enter as surveying technicians and license after many years of experience.
- What we did not publish
- State-by-state licence requirements or exam fees. These vary by state and change; the OOH direction to check your state licensing agency is the correct answer rather than a number we would have to keep current for 51 jurisdictions.
- Corrections
- If a figure here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it and note the change.