Quick answer: The Dallas metro employs about 1,400 surveyors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state surveying licensing board.
Licensing
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 Texas licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state surveying licensing board.
Schools Near You
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.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 3 schools
within 195 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
3 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
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.
Surveyors in the Dallas area earn a median $66,030 per year, below the national median of $75,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Surveying Pay in Dallas, TX
Metric
Dallas metro
Texas
National
Median annual wage
$66,030
$61,150
$75,440
10th percentile
$47,520
$42,450
$46,880
25th percentile
$52,430
$49,660
$58,170
75th percentile
$85,030
$81,120
$98,130
90th percentile
$115,390
$107,850
$125,590
Employment
1,400
6,410
50,830
Location quotient
1.06
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Dallas median of $66,030 is below the national median of $75,440, and above the Texas statewide median of $61,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.06 means surveyors are more 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do surveyors make in Dallas?
The median annual wage for surveyors in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area is $66,030, below the national median of $75,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many surveyors work in the Dallas area?
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area employs about 1,400 surveyors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do surveyors in Dallas need a license?
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.
Can I study surveying online from Dallas?
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.
Is Dallas a better market than the rest of Texas?
The Dallas metro median is $66,030 against a statewide median of $61,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Surveyors (SOC 17-1022), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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/.
