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Land survey technician vs land surveyor

The differences between land survey technicians and land surveyors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a land surveyor has an average salary of $46,182, which is higher than the $45,850 average annual salary of a land survey technician.

The top three skills for a land survey technician include GPS, CAD and civil 3d. The most important skills for a land surveyor are GPS, data collection, and topographic surveys.

Land survey technician vs land surveyor overview

Land Survey TechnicianLand Surveyor
Yearly salary$45,850$46,182
Hourly rate$22.04$22.20
Growth rate4%1%
Number of jobs10,6344,717
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4444
Years of experience-6

What does a land survey technician do?

A land survey technician is responsible for monitoring and inspecting different construction sites. Their job is to take measurements and gather other data. They need to have an inventory of different locations or sites and gather essential information for development purposes. They must also identify possible barriers to development in the area, including who will be affected by conducting a thorough land survey. Often, they work for a mapping or engineering company.

What does a land surveyor do?

Land surveyors are skilled professionals who measure land areas to determine the boundaries of properties and present findings to their clients and government agencies. To make the precise boundary calculations, these surveyors are required to use sophisticated field equipment such as high order global positioning system (GPS), theodolites, and aerial or terrestrial scanners. They must record the results of their surveying and establish official land and water boundaries for deeds, leases, and other legal documents. Land surveyors must also provide relevant data that shape and contour the surface of the earth for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects.

Land survey technician vs land surveyor salary

Land survey technicians and land surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Land Survey TechnicianLand Surveyor
Average salary$45,850$46,182
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $67,000Between $31,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CAWalnut Creek, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companySouthern California EdisonAdobe
Best paying industry--

Differences between land survey technician and land surveyor education

There are a few differences between a land survey technician and a land surveyor in terms of educational background:

Land Survey TechnicianLand Surveyor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorBusinessCivil Engineering
Most common collegeStanford UniversityPennsylvania State University

Land survey technician vs land surveyor demographics

Here are the differences between land survey technicians' and land surveyors' demographics:

Land Survey TechnicianLand Surveyor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 62.4% Female, 37.6%Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage5%7%

Differences between land survey technician and land surveyor duties and responsibilities

Land survey technician example responsibilities.

  • Work closely with GIS department to determine land locations.
  • Load documents into the database using a custom GIS application.
  • Provide topographic data through leverage of the photogrammetric process at an archeological dig in Spain.
  • Aid in the completion of natural gas pipeline layouts and in grind location projects through multiple GPS techniques.
  • Perform calculations necessary to prepare individual residential lot permit and as-built plans necessary for township approval.
  • Job types include residential, commercial/industrial staking, water management elevations and wetland location.

Land surveyor example responsibilities.

  • Utilize GPS technology to manage a two man robotic crew assign to residential/ commercial development projects.
  • Operate survey robotic instruments (Leica TPS1200), data collectors (Carlson, TDS).
  • Hire and train tribal members in using GPS and conventional survey equipment to assist perform field surveys of vary complexity.
  • Finalize plans through AutoCAD and Carlson software.
  • Used a Leica total station with TDS software.
  • Stake commodities and existing underground using Trimble GNSS equipment.
  • Show more

Land survey technician vs land surveyor skills

Common land survey technician skills
  • GPS, 15%
  • CAD, 11%
  • Civil 3D, 10%
  • Boundary Surveys, 7%
  • Survey Data, 7%
  • Legal Descriptions, 6%
Common land surveyor skills
  • GPS, 21%
  • Data Collection, 8%
  • Topographic Surveys, 8%
  • Survey Data, 8%
  • Boundary Surveys, 6%
  • Civil 3D, 6%

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