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Surveyor
Skilled TradesYou measure land with equipment that costs more than most cars, establishing property lines that determine who owns what and where things get built. You'll stand in fields, on roadsides, and in swamps with a total station and GPS while everyone drives past wondering what you're pointing at. One wrong measurement and a building ends up on the wrong lot. No pressure.
Salary Range
Low
$40k
Median
$63k
High
$92k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
49K
Education
Bachelor's in Surveying or Geomatics + Professional Surveyor (PS) license
Environment
outdoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Total station and GPS/GNSS equipment operation
- ▸AutoCAD Civil 3D and survey software
- ▸Boundary and topographic survey methods
- ▸Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- ▸Legal description interpretation
- ▸Drone photogrammetry and LiDAR
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Precision and accuracy
- ▸Attention to detail
- ▸Communication with clients and engineers
- ▸Problem-solving in the field
- ▸Adaptability to weather conditions
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Boundary and topographic survey methods
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
What you'll actually do
- 01Set up surveying equipment and shoot measurements with sub-centimeter accuracy in all weather
- 02Research property records, deeds, and historical plats that were written before GPS existed
- 03Calculate coordinates, elevations, and boundaries using math that gives most people nightmares
- 04Mark property corners with stakes and pins that become the legal definition of 'yours' vs 'theirs'
- 05Produce survey maps and legal descriptions that hold up in court
- 06Stand on the side of a highway with a tripod while traffic passes at 70 mph — high-vis vest mandatory
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