Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 17-1022

Surveyors

The published band from $46,880 to $125,590 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Computer Hardware Engineers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Surveyors: Computer Hardware Engineers ($162K) , Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K) , Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($130K) , Engineers, All Other ($123K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Surveyors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-1022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles
  2. 2. Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work perfo…
  3. 3. Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents
  4. 4. Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites
  5. 5. Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed
  6. 6. Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features
  7. 7. Prepare, or supervise preparation of, all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys
  8. 8. Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic feat…
  9. 9. Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain
  10. 10. Plan and conduct ground surveys designed to establish baselines, elevations, and other geodetic measurements
  11. 11. Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments
  12. 12. Determine longitudes and latitudes of important features and boundaries in survey areas, using theodolites, transits, levels, and satelli…

Surveyors: O*NET ranks Mathematics first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-1022 - lead skill Mathematics at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Mathematics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.0
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  3. 3. Writing 3.8
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.8
  5. 5. Speaking 3.6
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.5
  7. 7. Coordination 3.5
  8. 8. Active Learning 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.7
  2. 2. Engineering and Technology 4.3
  3. 3. Geography 4.0
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 4.0
  5. 5. Customer and Personal Service 3.7
  6. 6. Design 3.7
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$46,880 to $125,590
median $75,440 · ~2.7× spread
$75K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
3,900
Annual openings
50,830
Estimated US jobs
Computer Hardware Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $162K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Surveyors

1. Delaware $82,890
2. Montana $84,610
3. Minnesota $83,620
4. Washington $85,610
5. Maine $83,200
6. Nevada $82,460
7. Alaska $99,550
8. Massachusetts $94,590
9. Oregon $97,070
10. California $105,330

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $130,220
  2. 2. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $112,230
  3. 3. Engineers, All Other $122,930
  4. 4. Computer Hardware Engineers $161,740
  5. 5. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $115,160
  6. 6. Nuclear Engineers $133,970

The OEWS band for Surveyors runs from $46,880 (10th) to $125,590 (90th), about 2.7× wide, with median $75,440. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Delaware at $82,890. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Computer Hardware Engineers at $161,740. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Surveyors pay-rank #26 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

On the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Surveyors lands at #26, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Surveyors is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Surveyors salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-1022

Delaware · top state for Surveyors

$83K published median

Montana · #2 state pay

$85K · behind Delaware

Computer Hardware Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Surveyors · $162K

Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

Lower-pay peer beside Surveyors · $112K

Compare Surveyors

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Surveyors with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Surveyors land on the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table? ▼
Surveyors is pay-rank #26 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($75K), Electrical and Electronics Drafters ($77K), Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians ($74K), Mechanical Drafters ($72K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do surveyors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Surveyors. Leading ones include: 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 perfo…; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for surveyors? ▼
For SOC 17-1022, O*NET importance scores lead with Mathematics (4.0), Reading Comprehension (3.9), Writing (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, Geography. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Surveyors? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $46,880 and the 90th at $125,590 for Surveyors (2.7× spread). The national median is $75,440. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Surveyors? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Surveyors is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 3,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Surveyors? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Surveyors. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Surveyors? ▼
Delaware ($82,890), Montana ($84,610), Minnesota ($83,620) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Surveyors card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-1022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Surveyors. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics