How to hire a marine surveyor

How to hire a marine surveyor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step marine surveyor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a marine surveyor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new marine surveyor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the marine surveyor you need to hire. Certain marine surveyor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect marine surveyor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of marine surveyor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Marine Surveyor	Description	Hourly rate
   Marine Surveyor	Surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries. They provide data relevant to the shape and contour of the Earth’s surface for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects.	$21-53
   Party Chief	A party chief is a management position responsible for leading and guiding a program and providing leadership for its success. To fill this role, you will manage the program and provide overall technical expertise... Show more	$14-31
   Survey Party Chief	Survey party chiefs are individuals distinguished from an engineering technician class. The chiefs supervise land surveys, plan, and assess the proposed field survey projects... Show more	$14-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Bulk Cargo
   • Boats
   • ABS
   • Data Acquisition
   • Insurance Claims
   • USCG
   • ISO
   • DP
   • Classification Society
   • Preform
   • API
   • Insurance Carriers
   • IMO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize and maintain GPS, dive beacons, and sonar equipment in order to achieve safe and cost-effective positioning.
   • Insure that all repairs meet IICL and ISO regulations.
   • Research utility services via GIS computer system and reference library and mark relevant utilities in specify construction areas.
   • Check compliance of cargo boat in accordance with the law; check loading/downloading condition of the goods
   • Develop new data from photogrammetric records.

   More marine surveyor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the marine surveyor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A marine surveyor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a marine surveyor in Alabama may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level marine surveyor. Additionally, a marine surveyor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average marine surveyor salary

   $70,572yearly

   $33.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level marine surveyor salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average marine surveyor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$91,427	$44
   2	California	$90,699	$44
   3	North Carolina	$75,609	$36
   4	Texas	$69,470	$33
   5	Virginia	$68,570	$33
   6	Washington	$68,068	$33
   7	Louisiana	$67,356	$32
   8	Maryland	$66,889	$32
   9	South Carolina	$64,900	$31
   10	Florida	$63,127	$30
   11	District of Columbia	$61,884	$30

   Average marine surveyor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Sedgwick LLP	$79,588	$38.26	22
   2	Lloyd's Register	$79,373	$38.16
   3	American Bureau of Shipping	$79,261	$38.11	14
   4	SGS	$79,067	$38.01
   5	GL Noble Denton	$78,826	$37.90
   6	Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty	$78,262	$37.63
   7	*n/a*	$78,126	$37.56
   8	Eagle Maritime Consultants	$78,096	$37.55
   9	AmSpec Group	$77,884	$37.44
   10	Fugro	$77,218	$37.12
   11	Bureau Veritas	$76,073	$36.57	1
   12	Tetra Tech	$74,200	$35.67	6
   13	USfalcon	$73,590	$35.38
   14	PetroMar International	$69,635	$33.48
   15	ManTech	$69,606	$33.46

4. Writing a marine surveyor job description

   A good marine surveyor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a marine surveyor job description:

   Marine surveyor job description example

   Working at USfalcon is about providing exceptional professional services to the DoD and various Federal Agencies. We have been excelling in diverse platforms for almost 30 years and continue to be an industry leader. If you thrive in an organization that values integrity, commitment, stewardship, and service, we want to meet you.
   
   We have an exciting opportunity to join us in supporting one of our valued customers as a Marine Surveyor, Mid-level to work out of the DC Metro area. This position is contingent upon contract award.
   
   We are hiring for support to the Department of the Navy (DoN), Program Executive Office Ships (PEO), Auxiliary and Special Mission Shipbuilding Program Office, PMS 325 and USN & FMS Boats and Craft Program Office, PMS 300. PMS 325 and PMS 300 deliver integrated ship, boat and craft products and services to U.S. and international maritime forces around the world. The PMS 325 and PMS 300 portfolio may include multiple Acquisition Category (ACAT) I through IV programs, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases with over 50 foreign partners, and many non-ACAT programs, typically managing approximately $12B+ across the Future Year Defense Program (FYDP). Programs will be in different stages of the acquisition process, requiring the scope of support to encompass all phases of the DOD Acquisition Life Cycle/Defense Acquisition Management Framework. This ranges from Pre-Systems Acquisition (Concept & Technology Development Phase), Systems Acquisition (System Development & Demonstration Phase and Production & Deployment Phase), and Sustainment (Operations & Support Phase).
   
   This position will provide a full range of program management support to the Foreign Military Sales activity.
   
   + Support Service Craft Planning Yard and In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), functions including development and processing of Liaison Action Requests (LARs), Ship Alteration Records (SARs), SHIPALT drawings, Cost Estimates, Work Packages, and Technical Feedback Reports.
   
   + Provide technical support to service craft custodians/end users including design shipchecks, on-site representation for SHIPALT installs and troubleshooting, as necessary in both CONUS and overseas locations.
   
   + Conduct inspections, surveys or examinations of marine vessels to assess, monitor and report on their condition and the products on them, as well as inspects damage caused to both vessels and cargo.
   
   + Inspect equipment intended for new or existing vessels to ensure compliance with various standards or specifications.
   
   + Survey which typically includes the structure, deck machinery and propulsion machinery, equipment and systems, including piping, electrical, communications, navigational, safety, etc. and general operational condition of a vessel and/or cargo.
   + Additional duties as assigned.
   
   Required Qualifications:
   
   + 3+ years of experience in ship building or ship availabilities, Government technical management3+ years in shipyard or ship repair availabilities, Government technical management
   
   + GED
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   + 7 + years shipyard experience, Government technical management
   
   + Bachelor's of Science in Marine Engineering or Transportation
   
   + 5+ years in shipyard or ship repair availabilities, Government technical management
   
   Required Clearance: Secret Clearance
   
   Travel: 10%
   
   All USfalcon employees are required to show proof of vaccination status at time of hire to ensure compliance with EO14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (effective December 8, 2021).
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find marine surveyors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any marine surveyors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level marine surveyors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your marine surveyor job on Zippia to find and recruit marine surveyor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting marine surveyors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new marine surveyor

   Once you've selected the best marine surveyor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new marine surveyor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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