How to hire a professional surveyor

How to hire a professional surveyor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step professional 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 professional surveyor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new professional surveyor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The professional surveyor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect professional 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of professional surveyors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Professional Surveyor	Description	Hourly rate
   Professional 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.	$16-36
   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:

   • Survey Data
   • Legal Descriptions
   • GPS
   • Civil 3D
   • CAD
   • As-Built
   • Carlson
   • Mdot
   • GIS
   • Construction Layout
   • Survey Products

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement the use of GPS into the day to day survey operations.
   • Create and utilize geographic information systems (GIS) for various clients.
   • Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, and electronicdistance-measuring equipment.
   • Interface with multiple legal, financial and governmental entities to meet requirements of approvals processes and finalize complex ALTA surveys.
   • Develop new data from photogrammetric records.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your professional surveyor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A professional surveyor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, professional surveyors' average salary in nebraska is 50% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level professional surveyors 55% less than senior-level professional surveyors.
   • Certifications. A professional surveyor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a professional surveyor's salary.

   Average professional surveyor salary

   $51,224yearly

   $24.63 hourly rate

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   Entry-level professional surveyor salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a professional surveyor job description

   A job description for a professional surveyor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a professional surveyor job description:

   Professional surveyor job description example

   Martin/Martin, Inc. is looking for a Professional Surveyor to join our Civil Engineering Group in our Lakewood, Colorado office. This surveyor will work on multiple projects on a broad range of project types. This position will focus conducting survey work requiring good judgment in evaluation and implementation of standard survey techniques, procedures, and criteria.
   
   Projects are typically in the Rocky Mountain Region. Requires minimal daily supervision and may be developing project management skills. Learning to represent Martin/Martin in project meetings. Developing communication skills required to manage the flow of survey information on projects and work efficiently as a consultant. Provide quality control by checking calculations and documents. Applies knowledge of surveying principles and techniques in a broad area of land and construction surveying.
   
   We operate in a fast-paced environment and strive to support a culture that is collaborative, innovative, and creative. Each project presents unique challenges and opportunities to learn and grow as a surveyor.
   
   We pride ourselves in providing our employees a positive and interactive work and play culture and offer benefits/perks such as:
   Growth opportunities Hybrid work schedule Robust compensation package (year-end bonus, profit sharing, 401k match) Mentorship program Community Involvement (Martin/Martin Gives Back) Martin/Martin has been involved with several premier projects including Coors Stadium, CU and CSU campus projects, Frisco Main Streetscape, and currently involved in the 16th Street Mall Redesign.
   Duties and Responsibilities include: The following duties are illustrative only and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Promote work and assists with survey proposal preparation. Write and review legal descriptions. Process and analyze field work. Coordinate office and field work. Research public records. Read and decipher legal descriptions. Makes initial analysis of documentary and physical evidence. Performs or directs computations for control surveys, subdivisions of sections, boundary analysis and construction staking. Trains personnel. Reduction and analysis of GPS Control surveys. Prepare legal descriptions, exhibits and plats. Sign and stamp legal descriptions he/she has prepared or reviewed. About Martin/Martin, Inc. Martin/Martin, Inc. is a full-service civil and structural engineering and surveying firm, operating from Colorado since the 1940s. Growing steadily over the last decade, Martin/Martin is about exciting projects, shared ownership, informed staff and a commitment to quality that keeps clients returning to us time after time. Our services are provided to municipalities, public, and private redevelopment entities, architects, homebuilders, state and federal agencies, land developers and special districts in Colorado, across the United States, and in other countries.
   Benefits: Competitive Pay Extended Vision Coverage Wellness Reimbursement Earned Parental Leave Program Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Company Paid Continuing Education Comprehensive Health and Dental Coverage Life, Short-Term, and Long-Term Disability Insurance Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account (HSA) 401(k) Plan Company Match and Profit Sharing (when appropriate) Perks: Hybrid Work Environment Committee Involvement (Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Recreation) Extensive Employee Events (outings, picnics, golf, and ski days) Employee Recognition Awards Internal Continuing Education and Training On-Site Workout Facilities Community Involvement (Martin/Martin Gives Back Program) PE License Reimbursement Opportunity to Work on Exceptional Projects
   Requirements: Required Qualifications: Graduation from High School or GED equivalent. Valid Colorado Driver's License and violation record acceptable to the companies Auto Insurance carrier. Minimum of eight years survey experience. Professional Land Surveyors license (P.L.S.). Ability to conduct business with clients. Ability to do advanced survey calculations. Has field experience as crew chief. Desired Qualifications: Experience as a surveyor group manager. Bachelor's degree or Associate degree in survey technology or civil engineering. Be experienced in work in both the field and office.
   COVID-19 full vaccination (as defined by the CDC) is required for new employees. Proof of vaccination (or a request for medical/religious exemption) shall be provided to HR one week prior to negotiated start date.
   Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time. Please note that due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about the status of your application.
   Martin/Martin, Inc. is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local law.
   
   
   PI194465812

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right professional surveyor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit professional surveyors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 professional surveyor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the professional surveyor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new professional surveyor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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