Instrument operator vs surveying crew rodman

The differences between instrument operators and surveying crew rodmen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instrument operator has an average salary of $43,179, which is higher than the $35,243 average annual salary of a surveying crew rodman.

The top three skills for an instrument operator include GPS, survey equipment and data collection. The most important skills for a surveying crew rodman are GPS, electronic distance measuring, and survey equipment.

Instrument operator vs surveying crew rodman overview

	Instrument Operator	Surveying Crew Rodman
Yearly salary	$43,179	$35,243
Hourly rate	$20.76	$16.94
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	29,503	63,560
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Instrument operator vs surveying crew rodman salary

Instrument operators and surveying crew rodmen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Instrument Operator	Surveying Crew Rodman
Average salary	$43,179	$35,243
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $62,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between instrument operator and surveying crew rodman education

There are a few differences between an instrument operator and a surveying crew rodman in terms of educational background:

	Instrument Operator	Surveying Crew Rodman
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Civil Engineering
Most common college	-	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Instrument operator vs surveying crew rodman demographics

Here are the differences between instrument operators' and surveying crew rodmen' demographics:

	Instrument Operator	Surveying Crew Rodman
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between instrument operator and surveying crew rodman duties and responsibilities

Instrument operator example responsibilities.

Train in Carlson, TDS, and EFB.
Experience with static, RTK, and DGPS using Trimble R8 or Leica systems.
Experience with TDS and Carlson survey programs.
Measure distance between survey points using a steel tape or using an EDM.
Perform physical layouts using GPS, total station, and robotic units on large and small scale civil projects.
Used robotics and Nikon total stations.

Surveying crew rodman example responsibilities.

Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as GPS, theodolites, and electronic distance-measuring equipment ;.
Traverse and sometimes clear land to allow GPS to shoot in lay of land for preliminary and right of way.
Observe general weather and visibility conditions, and operate survey computers and theodolites during training and overseas deployments.
Support ordnance excavations by mapping out anomalies within survey areas.

Instrument operator vs surveying crew rodman skills

Common instrument operator skills

GPS, 19%
Survey Equipment, 12%
Data Collection, 9%
Work Ethic, 6%
Robotic, 4%
Construction Surveys, 4%

Common surveying crew rodman skills

GPS, 65%
Electronic Distance Measuring, 7%
Survey Equipment, 5%
Data Collection, 4%
Fish Species, 3%
Property Corners, 3%

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Instrument Operator vs Surveying Crew Rodman

Updated January 8, 2025

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