How to hire a survey manager

How to hire a survey manager, step by step

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

What does a survey manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The survey manager 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

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a survey manager 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 manager that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Survey Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Survey Manager	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.	$15-36
   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
   Professional Land Surveyor	Professional land surveyors have skills in reading comprehension, mathematics, listening, speaking, and time management, as well as a keen attention to detail. These traits are needed for the tasks of this chosen career, which include updating boundary lines for construction in order to prevent legal disputes... Show more	$14-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Civil 3D
   • Data Collection
   • CAD
   • Survey Data
   • PLS
   • Project Management
   • Topographic Surveys
   • Business Development
   • Civil Engineering
   • Survey Projects
   • Construction Layout
   • Boundary Surveys
   • Machine Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a group of 8 surveyors and 2 GIS technicians who are working on commercial development and public infrastructure projects
   • Prepare documents for zoning, easement vacations, and right-of-way acquisitions.
   • Hire and train new employees with entry level, instrument operator and to operate the GPS system.
   • Perform quality control and quality assurance reviews on exhibit documents submit to RMP for the right-of-way acquisition process.
   • Provide complete boundary surveying services and prepare minor subdivisions.

   More survey manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the survey manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A survey manager 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 survey manager in Tennessee may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level survey manager. Additionally, a survey manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average survey manager salary

   $50,706yearly

   $24.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level survey manager salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average survey manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$74,125	$36
   2	New Jersey	$71,119	$34
   3	New York	$62,191	$30
   4	Texas	$57,957	$28
   5	Colorado	$56,177	$27
   6	Ohio	$55,499	$27
   7	North Carolina	$53,500	$26
   8	Arizona	$53,449	$26
   9	Florida	$52,957	$25
   10	Illinois	$52,571	$25
   11	Washington	$50,921	$24
   12	Virginia	$50,141	$24
   13	South Carolina	$50,061	$24
   14	Georgia	$49,183	$24
   15	Wisconsin	$47,909	$23
   16	Maryland	$47,508	$23
   17	Pennsylvania	$45,456	$22
   18	Tennessee	$41,811	$20
   19	Alabama	$40,956	$20
   20	Indiana	$40,648	$20

   Average survey manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bowman Consulting Group	$82,469	$39.65	65
   2	Davis & Floyd	$81,612	$39.24
   3	Volkert	$79,293	$38.12	9
   4	DAAR Engineering	$77,752	$37.38
   5	GRAEF	$77,163	$37.10	3
   6	M.J. Engineering	$76,074	$36.57
   7	Olsson	$75,400	$36.25	19
   8	Merrick & Co	$75,174	$36.14
   9	SAM Companies	$75,121	$36.12	17
   10	Bolton & Menk	$74,775	$35.95	8
   11	S&ME	$74,620	$35.88
   12	Stantec	$73,678	$35.42	42
   13	Farnsworth Group	$73,540	$35.36	13
   14	AMT Engineering	$73,257	$35.22	5
   15	GAI Consultants	$73,060	$35.13	1
   16	LJA Engineering	$72,668	$34.94	24
   17	Hanson Professional Svc Inc	$72,382	$34.80
   18	Langan	$72,236	$34.73	34
   19	KCI Technologies	$71,575	$34.41	17
   20	GPAC	$71,497	$34.37

4. Writing a survey manager job description

   A survey manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a survey manager job description:

   Survey manager job description example

   You are an experienced Surveyor with a strong leadership background, seeking a great wage, extensive benefits, and want to work for a company who prides themselves on safety. You have previously supervised crews within a heavy civil environment.
   Apply today to join the Ledcor Heavy Civil Mining team on site!
   
   Essential Responsibilities:
   Complete field survey requests, measurements, setup and configuring survey instruments Establish primary and secondary survey control Interpret and extrapolate surveying data from construction and design drawings Install survey stake lines and survey control monuments Help prepare surveying notes, grade sheets, and calculate coordinates
   
   Qualifications:
   Minimum 1-2 years of field Surveying experience Completed diploma in Surveying, Geomatics, Civil Engineering, or a related field Experience with civil construction, earthworks, and concrete are all assets Motivated, self-starter who can work well independently and within a team environment Good attention to detail with the ability to recognize discrepancies Must be able to meet all safety requirements and applicable safety policies
   
   Work Conditions:
   Rotational shift work Work will be primarily outdoors in various weather conditions
   
   Additional Information:
   Company Description
   The Ledcor Group of Companies is one of North America's most diversified construction companies. Ledcor is a company built on a rich history of long-standing project successes.
   But when you work for Ledcor, your experience will go far beyond the project. Do you want a career that means more? Join our True Blue team now!
   
   Employment Equity
   
   At Ledcor we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion should be part of everything we do. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or any other identifying characteristic are encouraged to apply.
   Our True Blue team consists of individuals from all backgrounds who contribute diverse perspectives and experiences to Ledcor. We are committed to continuing to build on our culture of empowerment, inclusion and belonging.
   
   View our full Inclusion & Diversity statement here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right survey manager 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 managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit survey managers 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 manager job on Zippia to find and recruit survey manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with survey manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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 manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the survey manager 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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How much does it cost to hire a survey manager?