How to Become a Land Surveyor in 2026
Quick answer: Becoming a land surveyor requires a 4-year degree - typically a Bachelor’s in surveying, geomatics, or civil engineering technology. The national median pay is $75,440 per year, and BLS projects +4.4% employment change from 2024 to 2034 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Land Surveyor at a Glance
| Metric | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $75,440 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Typical wage range | $46,880 (10th pct) - $125,590 (90th pct) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected growth (2024-34) | +4.4% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
| Typical education | Bachelor’s in surveying, geomatics, or civil engineering technology | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| License / certification | State PS (Professional Surveyor) license required to certify boundaries | State licensing boards |
What Does a Land Surveyor Do?
Land surveyors establish official property boundaries, map terrain for construction projects, and certify the measurements that deeds, site plans, and construction layouts depend on. The work splits between fieldwork with GPS/total-station equipment and office computation and drafting.
Skills That Make a Great Land Surveyor
- GPS and total-station operation
- Boundary law and deed research
- CAD drafting of plats and plans
- Applied trigonometry and adjustment math
- Meticulous field documentation
How to Become a Land Surveyor
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree
Surveying, geomatics, or civil engineering technology; check your state board’s approved-degree list.
2. Pass the FS exam
The Fundamentals of Surveying exam starts the licensure clock as a surveyor-in-training.
3. Gain supervised field experience
Typically 4 years under a licensed professional surveyor.
4. Pass the PS exam
The Principles and Practice of Surveying exam plus any state-specific exam grants the license.
5. Advance
Party chief, project surveyor, then firm ownership or county/city surveyor roles.
Why an Online Degree Works for This Career
Survey crew members and construction workers already know the field half of this career - the bachelor’s in surveying or geomatics adds the legal, computational, and licensure half. Online surveying and geomatics degree programs are built for working field technicians.
Land Surveyor Salary
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,880 |
| 25th | $58,170 |
| 50th (median) | $75,440 |
| 75th | $98,130 |
| 90th | $125,590 |
Job Outlook
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 56,100 |
| 2034 projected | 58,600 |
| Percent change | +4.4% |
Cost and Time to Complete the Degree
For land surveyors, the credential is: Bachelor’s in surveying, geomatics, or civil engineering technology. A bachelor’s degree is typically 120 credit hours: four years full-time, and commonly five to six years part-time while working. Transfer credit is the other lever: prior college, military training, apprenticeship coursework, and industry certifications can be worth a year or more at transfer-friendly schools, so get a written transfer evaluation before enrolling anywhere. Costs vary widely by school type; in-state public online programs are usually the value benchmark, and employer tuition assistance is common for working adults in this field.
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Land Surveyor
Pros
- Median pay of $75,440 nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- BLS projects +4.4% employment growth through 2034
- Field experience from the trades is a genuine hiring advantage
- Accredited online and hybrid degree paths exist for working adults
Cons
- Requires a 4-year degree (typically 120 credit hours)
- Entry-level pay starts near $46,880 at the 10th percentile
- Licensing hurdle: State PS (Professional Surveyor) license required to certify boundaries
Frequently Asked Questions
Do surveyors need a degree?
Most states now require a bachelor's degree for the professional surveyor (PS) license; survey technicians can start without one, which makes the online degree a common mid-career step.
How much do land surveyors make?
The national median annual wage for surveyors is $75,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The top 10% earn $125,590 or more, while entry-level pay starts around $46,880.
What is the job outlook for land surveyors?
BLS projects employment of surveyors to change by +4.4% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Land Surveyor Salary and Requirements by State
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Related Trade Careers
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Surveyors (SOC 17-1022)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Surveyor Salary by State
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/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |