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The differences between survey party chiefs and survey managers 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 party chief and a survey manager. Additionally, a survey manager has an average salary of $50,706, which is higher than the $45,923 average annual salary of a survey party chief.
The top three skills for a survey party chief include GPS, survey party and survey equipment. The most important skills for a survey manager are GPS, civil 3d, and data collection.
| Survey Party Chief | Survey Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $45,923 | $50,706 |
| Hourly rate | $22.08 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 15,901 | 2,935 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Survey party chiefs are individuals distinguished from an engineering technician class. The chiefs supervise land surveys, plan, and assess the proposed field survey projects. They gather field data using the necessary equipment. Their job involves managing equipment logistics, travel-related budgets, and recruiting local staff. They perform work on several highway projects like fills and cuts, bridgework, and centerline layouts. Also, they execute data analysis and offer recommendations for the expansion of military bases and to achieve runway capabilities.
Survey managers lead the team on survey plans associated with engineering or construction projects and oversee construction sites. Their responsibilities include preparing contracts and reports, presenting right-of-way plans, and performing fieldwork. They need to take measurements of property boundaries. They research the history of the land for survey records, legal records, and information about the property. Additionally, managers provide construction crew, contractors, and clients with a detailed description of a land's characteristics and features. They must be skilled at using mapping programs and computers.
Survey party chiefs and survey managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Survey Party Chief | Survey Manager | |
| Average salary | $45,923 | $50,706 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $66,000 | Between $33,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jackson, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bowman Consulting Group | Bowman Consulting Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a survey party chief and a survey manager in terms of educational background:
| Survey Party Chief | Survey Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between survey party chiefs' and survey managers' demographics:
| Survey Party Chief | Survey Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |