SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-1022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,880 | $3,907 | $902 | $22.54 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $58,170 | $4,848 | $1,119 | $27.97 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $75,440 | $6,287 | $1,451 | $36.27 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $98,130 | $8,178 | $1,887 | $47.18 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $125,590 | $10,466 | $2,415 | $60.38 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Surveyors is $75,440, which is 48% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 26 by median pay. With 50,830 jobs, it makes up about 3.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Surveyors pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($105,330), Alaska ($99,550) and Oregon ($97,070). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($44,870), Arkansas ($51,800) and Georgia ($58,100). The most jobs were in Texas (6,410), California (4,520) and Florida (4,000). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 2.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4,520 | $105,330 | $110,220 | $50.64 |
| Alaska | 250 | $99,550 | $104,340 | $47.86 |
| Oregon | 530 | $97,070 | $96,920 | $46.67 |
| Massachusetts | 1,290 | $94,590 | $92,110 | $45.48 |
| Washington | 780 | $85,610 | $95,530 | $41.16 |
| Montana | 350 | $84,610 | $87,770 | $40.68 |
| Minnesota | 980 | $83,620 | $86,390 | $40.20 |
| Maine | 270 | $83,200 | $90,520 | $40.00 |
| Delaware | 120 | $82,890 | $89,340 | $39.85 |
| Nevada | 490 | $82,460 | $92,420 | $39.64 |
| Hawaii | 140 | $82,200 | $82,320 | $39.52 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $81,250 | $87,190 | $39.06 |
| Indiana | 870 | $80,510 | $83,000 | $38.71 |
| Wisconsin | 610 | $79,650 | $84,980 | $38.30 |
| North Dakota | 250 | $79,360 | $89,210 | $38.15 |
| Colorado | 1,620 | $79,310 | $82,630 | $38.13 |
| New York | 1,470 | $78,870 | $87,640 | $37.92 |
| Arizona | 1,360 | $77,490 | $78,630 | $37.26 |
| South Dakota | 180 | $77,190 | $86,630 | $37.11 |
| New Jersey | 900 | $77,160 | $86,060 | $37.10 |
| Iowa | 450 | $77,090 | $86,740 | $37.06 |
| Connecticut | 430 | $76,730 | $82,710 | $36.89 |
| Vermont | not published | $76,450 | $70,990 | $36.75 |
| Tennessee | 920 | $76,340 | $79,090 | $36.70 |
| North Carolina | 1,530 | $76,210 | $82,130 | $36.64 |
| Illinois | 1,710 | $75,980 | $81,660 | $36.53 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,610 | $75,950 | $80,270 | $36.51 |
| Kansas | 350 | $75,860 | $79,070 | $36.47 |
| New Mexico | 290 | $74,230 | $75,490 | $35.69 |
| Idaho | 250 | $73,940 | $78,680 | $35.55 |
| Utah | 650 | $73,230 | $75,790 | $35.21 |
| Michigan | 1,050 | $72,080 | $72,420 | $34.65 |
| Kentucky | 670 | $71,840 | $70,020 | $34.54 |
| Virginia | 1,360 | $71,070 | $76,510 | $34.17 |
| Ohio | 1,300 | $70,620 | $75,480 | $33.95 |
| Nebraska | 430 | $68,050 | $71,950 | $32.71 |
| Alabama | 910 | $66,840 | $71,980 | $32.13 |
| Florida | 4,000 | $65,480 | $76,490 | $31.48 |
| New Hampshire | 280 | $65,130 | $71,120 | $31.31 |
| Maryland | 950 | $64,910 | $78,670 | $31.21 |
| South Carolina | 1,000 | $63,300 | $70,580 | $30.43 |
| Louisiana | 1,460 | $63,140 | $72,810 | $30.36 |
| Rhode Island | 150 | $62,670 | $69,750 | $30.13 |
| Missouri | 830 | $62,110 | $67,640 | $29.86 |
| West Virginia | 630 | $61,520 | $67,780 | $29.58 |
| Guam | 60 | $61,490 | $58,190 | $29.56 |
| Oklahoma | 960 | $61,300 | $68,290 | $29.47 |
| Texas | 6,410 | $61,150 | $70,450 | $29.40 |
| Mississippi | 570 | $58,720 | $65,510 | $28.23 |
| Georgia | 1,770 | $58,100 | $69,720 | $27.94 |
| Arkansas | 550 | $51,800 | $58,160 | $24.91 |
| Puerto Rico | 140 | $44,870 | $47,730 | $21.57 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$78,350 a year
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 a year
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters$76,870 a year
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 a year
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 a year
- Mechanical Drafters$71,550 a year
Common questions
How much do Surveyors earn in the United States?
The median pay was $75,440 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,880 and the highest-paid 10% more than $125,590.
How many people work as Surveyors?
About 50,830 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.