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Survey engineer vs structural designer

The differences between survey engineers and structural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a survey engineer and a structural designer. Additionally, a structural designer has an average salary of $63,273, which is higher than the $47,960 average annual salary of a survey engineer.

The top three skills for a survey engineer include GPS, vertical control and autocad. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.

Survey engineer vs structural designer overview

Survey EngineerStructural Designer
Yearly salary$47,960$63,273
Hourly rate$23.06$30.42
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs19,05651,432
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

Survey engineer vs structural designer salary

Survey engineers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Survey EngineerStructural Designer
Average salary$47,960$63,273
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $71,000Between $47,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CitySunrise, FLSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateFloridaCalifornia
Best paying companyAviat NetworksTesla
Best paying industryEnergyConstruction

Differences between survey engineer and structural designer education

There are a few differences between a survey engineer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:

Survey EngineerStructural Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringDrafting And Design
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborCarnegie Mellon University

Survey engineer vs structural designer demographics

Here are the differences between survey engineers' and structural designers' demographics:

Survey EngineerStructural Designer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 92.1% Female, 7.9%Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between survey engineer and structural designer duties and responsibilities

Survey engineer example responsibilities.

  • Create maps and graphs, using GIS software and relate equipment.
  • Select the control point (BM) by GPS or global positioning system.
  • Utilize hands on equipment, total stations, GPS units, data collectors, and optical levels.
  • Perform calculations necessary to prepare individual residential lot permit and as-built plans necessary for township approval.
  • Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites and electronic distance-measuring equipment.
  • Job types include residential, commercial/industrial staking, water management elevations and wetland location.

Structural designer example responsibilities.

  • Field route pipe systems; manage line and pipe support list; ISO s for fabrication / installation.
  • Assure compliance with refinery and OSHA safety requirements in selecting, locating and hookup of equipment.
  • Develop record system, QA & QC policies and procedures, peer review system to reduce installation errors.
  • Provide general arrangement, detail, and design drawings of ladders, platforms, and frame structure for the following projects.
  • Prepare AutoCAD engineering drawings of structural components for natural gas turbine compressor stations.
  • Programme PLC, VFD and SCADA equipment.
  • Show more

Survey engineer vs structural designer skills

Common survey engineer skills
  • GPS, 31%
  • Vertical Control, 11%
  • Autocad, 6%
  • CAD, 6%
  • RF, 6%
  • Survey Data, 6%
Common structural designer skills
  • Revit, 14%
  • Structural Design, 10%
  • BIM, 5%
  • Navisworks, 5%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Engineering Design, 4%

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