Survey manager vs topographical surveyor

The differences between survey managers and topographical surveyors 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 manager and a topographical surveyor. Additionally, a topographical surveyor has an average salary of $54,768, which is higher than the $50,706 average annual salary of a survey manager.

The top three skills for a survey manager include GPS, civil 3d and data collection. The most important skills for a topographical surveyor are survey data, GPS, and .

Survey manager vs topographical surveyor overview

	Survey Manager	Topographical Surveyor
Yearly salary	$50,706	$54,768
Hourly rate	$24.38	$26.33
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	2,935	1,929
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Survey manager vs topographical surveyor salary

Survey managers and topographical surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Survey Manager	Topographical Surveyor
Average salary	$50,706	$54,768
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $76,000	Between $36,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Bowman Consulting Group	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between survey manager and topographical surveyor education

There are a few differences between a survey manager and a topographical surveyor in terms of educational background:

	Survey Manager	Topographical Surveyor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies	Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	University of Florida

Survey manager vs topographical surveyor demographics

Here are the differences between survey managers' and topographical surveyors' demographics:

	Survey Manager	Topographical Surveyor
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9%	Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 4.2% White, 78.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between survey manager and topographical surveyor duties and responsibilities

Survey manager example 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.

Topographical surveyor example responsibilities.

Collect, processes, analyzes and manages field data using GIS and spatial technologies.
Complete field work by inspecting dams, setting grade stakes, and updating property records using a Trimble R8 GNSS system.
Perform excellent outside sales serving thousands of Medicare and Medicaid members in multiple states promoting free delivery of prescription medications.

Survey manager vs topographical surveyor skills

Common survey manager skills

GPS, 10%
Civil 3D, 7%
Data Collection, 6%
CAD, 6%
Survey Data, 5%
PLS, 5%

Common topographical surveyor skills

Survey Data, 76%
GPS, 24%

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Survey Manager vs Topographical Surveyor

Updated January 8, 2025

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