Quick answer: The Albany metro employs about 130 surveyors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state surveying licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Surveying is licensed in every state. The national sequence is a board-approved surveying degree, documented experience under a licensed surveyor, the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying exam and then Principles and Practice of Surveying. Most states add a state-specific examination covering that state’s boundary law and land records, which is why surveying licenses transfer between states less readily than most professional credentials.
See the New York licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state surveying licensing board.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 2 schools within 206 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 2 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Surveyors in the Albany area earn a median $72,360 per year, below the national median of $75,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Albany metro | New York | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $72,360 | $78,870 | $75,440 |
| 10th percentile | $46,410 | $53,390 | $46,880 |
| 25th percentile | $58,020 | $63,600 | $58,170 |
| 75th percentile | $97,070 | $103,540 | $98,130 |
| 90th percentile | $105,120 | $126,340 | $125,590 |
| Employment | 130 | 1,470 | 50,830 |
| Location quotient | 0.9 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metropolitan statistical area.
The Albany median of $72,360 is below the national median of $75,440, and below the New York statewide median of $78,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.9 means surveyors are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $83,610 | 1,300 |
| Rochester | $69,490 | 120 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for surveyors in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area is $72,360, below the national median of $75,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area employs about 130 surveyors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Surveying is licensed in every state. The national sequence is a board-approved surveying degree, documented experience under a licensed surveyor, the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying exam and then Principles and Practice of Surveying. Most states add a state-specific examination covering that state's boundary law and land records, which is why surveying licenses transfer between states less readily than most professional credentials. Confirm current requirements with your state surveying licensing board.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state surveying licensing board.
The Albany metro median is $72,360 against a statewide median of $78,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
