Also called: Licensed Surveyor, PLS
Licensed expert who measures land and legally decides where property lines are.
Two neighbors are fighting over where a fence belongs. You dig through 100-year-old deeds and maps, then go out with GPS gear to find old iron pins buried in the dirt. Your signed survey settles where the line really is.
Approximate May 2024 figures; owners of survey firms can earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in surveying or geomatics (or years of experience in some states) plus a state license.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Surveying & Geomatics, Civil Engineering.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Approximate projection; many surveyors are retiring, so new ones are in demand.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Drones, GPS and AI mapping let small crews do more; legal boundary judgment and the license stay human.
Classes: Geometry, Trigonometry, Earth science, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.