Surveyors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Surveyors fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Surveyors earn a median salary of $72,740 per year, ranking in the top 31% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.4% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do surveyors earn?

The median annual wage for surveyors is $72,740. That puts surveyors at #252 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is surveyors a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for surveyors is +4.4%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 56K positions in 2024 to 58K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.

What do surveyors do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working surveyors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
2. 2.Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.
3. 3.Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
4. 4.Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
5. 5.Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.
6. 6.Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.
7. 7.Analyze survey objectives and specifications to prepare survey proposals or to direct others in survey proposal preparation.
8. 8.Develop criteria for survey methods and procedures.

Top skills for surveyors

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become surveyor?

The standard path into surveyors begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

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• Aerospace Engineers
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• Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
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• Nuclear Engineers
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• Chemical Engineers
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Common questions parents ask about surveyors