How to hire a survey crew member

How to hire a survey crew member, step by step

Here's a step-by-step survey crew member hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the survey crew member you need to hire. Certain survey crew member 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a survey crew member to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a survey crew member that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of survey crew member salaries for various roles:

   Type of Survey Crew Member	Description	Hourly rate
   Survey Crew Member	Surveying and mapping technicians collect data and make maps of the Earth’s surface. Surveying technicians visit sites to take measurements of the land... Show more	$13-30
   Instrument Operator	Instrument operators assist a construction or surveying crew in the assessment of topography. The operators provide assistance in clearing obstructions from any instrument... Show more	$13-29
   Instrument Person	An instrument person is also called a survey party chief. They are responsible for preparing and conducting surveys before a particular land is constructed and developed... Show more	$14-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Survey Equipment
   • Boundary Surveys
   • Survey Data
   • Trimble Gps
   • Autocad
   • Leica
   • Robotic
   • Construction Sites
   • Civil Engineering
   • Construction Surveys
   • GIS
   • Property Lines
   • Construction Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Collect data using a hand hold computer data collector attach to a survey rod with a prism.
   • Utilize Topcon autolevels and total stations.
   • Set up & work the surveying equipment including the total station & GPS.
   • Mark centerline, run level loops, and survey cross-sections of highway roads.
   • Set signs and cones, divert lanes of traffic and run congested intersections.
   • Move into instrument operator operating total stations, theodolites, distance meters and levels.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your survey crew member job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A survey crew member salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, survey crew members' average salary in minnesota is 50% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level survey crew members earn 54% less than senior-level survey crew members.
   • Certifications. A survey crew member with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a survey crew member's salary.

   Average survey crew member salary

   $43,568yearly

   $20.95 hourly rate

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   Entry-level survey crew member salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

4. Writing a survey crew member job description

   A job description for a survey crew member 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 survey crew member job description:

   Survey crew member job description example

   1. Work effectively in a team environment
   2. Effective communication skills, oral and written
   3. Valid driver’s license
   4. At least 18 years of age
   5. Ability to work in all climates
   6. Ability to work out-of-town
   7. Ability to pass a physical exam and drug test

   Heavy physical effort is required. While performing the duties of this position, the Employee is regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the facility and job site. The employee is required to walk; have the full use of hands and fingers to handle or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb and balance. Verbal and written communication is required, as well as the ability to hear.

   1. Strength – Must be capable of lifting and transporting up to 40 lbs for a period of up to 30 minutes at a time and incrementally throughout the day, position equipment as directed and drive stakes and other marking material (using a mallet or sledgehammer) for construction purposes.

   2. Climbing/balance – Must have the ability to ascend/descend slopes, traverse difficult terrain, climb fencing, cross creeks or creek beds.

   3. Walking/standing – Must have the ability to walk and stand for extended periods.

   4. Reaching/handling/fingering – Must have the ability to measure, handle supplies, pull manhole covers with hook, operate tools such as machete and bush-hook to clear underbrush and use a shovel.

   5. Talking/hearing – Must have the ability of verbal and written communication.

   6. Seeing – Specific vision abilities required by this job include reading vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Must have the ability to distinguish shapes, size, distance and color.

   7. Other - This position requires the endurance of weather conditions and possible exposure to snakes, insects and poisonous plants.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right survey crew member for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with survey crew members they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit survey crew members who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit survey crew members, 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 survey crew member

   Once you've decided on a perfect survey crew member candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new survey crew member. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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