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Career Exploration

Surveyors

Also called: County Surveyor, Land Surveyor, Licensed Land Surveyor, Surveyor

What they do:

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.

On the job, you would:
  • 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.
On the job, you'll need:

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • geography

Engineering and Technology

  • product and service development
  • computers and electronics

Business

  • customer service
  • management

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Basic Skills

  • using math to solve problems
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Verbal

  • read and understand what is written
  • communicate by writing

Ideas and Logic

  • use rules to solve problems
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Spatial

  • imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Persistence
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Bentley MicroStation

Analytical or scientific software

  • Sokkia Spectrum Survey Suite
  • Survey software

Map creation software

  • Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
  • Sokkia Imap

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $63,080

Education

Bachelor's degree or some college is usually needed.