Surveyors in Texas
Thinking about a career as a Surveyors in Texas? Here’s what you need to know. 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.
What do Surveyors Make in Texas?
For surveyors working in Texas, the median annual wage is $59,450 per year (or about $28.58/hour).Earnings range from $37,820 at the 10th percentile to $103,730 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,820 | $18.18 |
| 25th percentile | $47,010 | $22.60 |
| Median (50th) | $59,450 | $28.58 |
| 75th percentile | $81,470 | $39.17 |
| 90th percentile | $103,730 | $49.87 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Texas relative to the national average — is 1.58, indicating that surveyors are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, surveyors earn a median of $131,353 per year ($63.15/hour), lower than the Texas median.
Employment Outlook
National employment for 345,666 surveyors in the U.S.. In Texas alone, approximately 7,530 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 660 surveyors.
Top Texas Metros for Surveyors
These are the Texas metros with the most surveyors in Texas.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,300 | $58,780 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,680 | $63,710 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 730 | $61,260 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 520 | $57,170 |
| Midland, TX | 210 | $58,110 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 200 | $57,940 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 140 | $63,520 |
| Longview, TX | 130 | $72,730 |
| Tyler, TX | 110 | $48,370 |
| Lubbock, TX | 90 | $59,640 |
| El Paso, TX | 80 | $46,600 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 80 | $62,500 |
| Odessa, TX | 70 | $50,200 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 50 | $58,330 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 50 | $64,620 |
| Waco, TX | 50 | $55,330 |
| Amarillo, TX | 40 | $58,920 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 40 | $64,060 |
| Laredo, TX | 40 | $45,310 |
| San Angelo, TX | 40 | $45,970 |
Top States for Surveyors Employment
These states have the highest employment of surveyors work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Texas | 7,530 |
| Florida | 4,310 |
| California | 3,750 |
| Minnesota | 1,850 |
| Massachusetts | 1,800 |
| Georgia | 1,720 |
| North Carolina | 1,660 |
| Colorado | 1,580 |
| New York | 1,570 |
| Illinois | 1,450 |
| Arizona | 1,440 |
| Michigan | 1,410 |
| Virginia | 1,410 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | 1,360 |
| Ohio | 1,160 |
| Maryland | 1,150 |
| Missouri | 1,150 |
| Indiana | 1,000 |
| New Jersey | 950 |
Highest-Paying States for Surveyors
These states pay the most for surveyors.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $103,790 |
| New Jersey | $93,260 |
| Washington | $88,340 |
| Oregon | $87,730 |
| South Dakota | $86,260 |
| Alaska | $85,520 |
| Delaware | $85,350 |
| Massachusetts | $84,260 |
| Nevada | $82,990 |
| Indiana | $81,010 |
Skills
Key surveyors skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for surveyors, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks 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 performed.
- 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.
- Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
- Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
- Prepare, or supervise preparation of, all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.
- Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.
- Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.
- Plan and conduct ground surveys designed to establish baselines, elevations, and other geodetic measurements.
- Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments.
- Determine longitudes and latitudes of important features and boundaries in survey areas, using theodolites, transits, levels, and satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS).
Work Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Working with Computers
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Getting Information
- Processing Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Scheduling Work and Activities
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Tools & Technology
Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD In-demand technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Related college programs include:
- Engineering-Related Technologies
- Surveying Engineering
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Careers similar to surveyors include:
- Construction Managers
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators
- Cost Estimators
- Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Landscape Architects
Also Known As
City Surveyor, Construction Surveyor, County Surveyor, Field Inspector, Field Surveyor, Geophysical Prospecting Surveyor, Health Facilities Surveyor, Home Surveyor, Insurance Loss Control Surveyor, Land Examiner, Land Measurer, Land Surveyor, Licensed Land Surveyor, Licensed Surveyor, Loss Control Surveyor.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 17-1022.00
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