How to hire a survey project manager

How to hire a survey project manager, step by step

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

What does a survey project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the survey project manager you need to hire. Certain survey project manager 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 project 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 project manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of survey project managers.

   Type of Survey Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Survey Project 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.	$20-41
   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:

   • Civil 3D
   • GPS
   • Project Management
   • Survey Data
   • Survey Projects
   • PLS
   • Boundary Surveys
   • GIS
   • Topographic Surveys
   • Data Collection
   • Robotic
   • Real Estate
   • Legal Descriptions
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a variety of construction, boundary, right-of-way and easement surveys.
   • Lead team as point of reference for plat interpretation and schedule requirements for ALTA certify surveys.
   • Manage and direct a team of 10 for a Lidar analysis and 3D spatial modeling contract through FSU.
   • Manage overall SAP/ERP software application development life-cycle and assure completion of ERP readiness tasks.
   • Manage and conduct the development of a SharePoint base system for providing notifications of application and automation releases throughout the enterprise.
   • Perform problem resolution, cost recovery, manage inventory of network components, direct RFP process for procurement of telecommunications services.

   More survey project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your survey project manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A survey project manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, survey project managers' average salary in nebraska is 46% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level survey project managers 51% less than senior-level survey project managers.
   • Certifications. A survey project manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a survey project manager's salary.

   Average survey project manager salary

   $60,193yearly

   $28.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level survey project manager salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average survey project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$83,356	$40
   2	Massachusetts	$73,911	$36
   3	New York	$72,788	$35
   4	Ohio	$67,882	$33
   5	Illinois	$65,809	$32
   6	New Mexico	$64,902	$31
   7	Colorado	$64,779	$31
   8	North Carolina	$63,213	$30
   9	Texas	$61,918	$30
   10	Wisconsin	$59,621	$29
   11	Arizona	$59,407	$29
   12	Washington	$57,823	$28
   13	Georgia	$57,433	$28
   14	Missouri	$57,234	$28
   15	South Carolina	$56,618	$27
   16	Virginia	$54,081	$26
   17	Florida	$53,943	$26
   18	Indiana	$50,706	$24
   19	Tennessee	$50,241	$24

   Average survey project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Berklee College of Music	$94,669	$45.51
   2	Bowman Consulting Group	$86,312	$41.50	98
   3	Jacobs Engineering Group	$85,115	$40.92
   4	Halff Associates	$84,387	$40.57	13
   5	Manhard Consulting	$82,573	$39.70
   6	Dewberry	$81,752	$39.30	43
   7	French & Parrello Associates	$80,880	$38.88	5
   8	Psomas	$80,660	$38.78	11
   9	George F. Young	$80,612	$38.76	4
   10	The Foth Companies	$80,431	$38.67	7
   11	MSA Professional Services	$80,370	$38.64	13
   12	DLZ	$80,289	$38.60	3
   13	LJA Engineering	$80,256	$38.58	21
   14	KPFF Consulting Engineers	$80,003	$38.46	14
   15	Atwell	$79,906	$38.42	49
   16	Stantec	$79,643	$38.29	270
   17	Volkert	$79,364	$38.16	73
   18	Vickrey & Associates	$79,001	$37.98
   19	KCI Technologies	$78,993	$37.98	34
   20	Control Point Associates	$78,627	$37.80	11

4. Writing a survey project manager job description

   A good survey project manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a survey project manager job description:

   Survey project manager job description example

   At Jacobs, we challenge what is currently accepted, so we can shape innovative and lasting solutions for tomorrow. If you're interested in a rewarding career working with the industry's best and most innovative engineers, then Jacobs is where you belong.
   
   We are looking for a dedicated Project Surveyor to grow with our collaborative team and work on a variety of land development projects.
   Here's what you'll do:
   Understand the project scope of work and the goals and expectations of the client and PM. Provide input on project safety plan and ensure work activities are compliant. Track schedules, project cost and time to complete for all tasks. Coordinate with Technical Discipline Leads on staff requirements and development. Workings with the PM prepare, monitor and adjust the project quality plan. Serve as the primary project technical expert and assist with technical problem resolution. Ensure project team complies with processes and procedures. Provide lessons learned during the project and incorporate lessons learned on other projects. Ensure that all checking and approval activities are undertaken prior to transmitting deliverables. Give particular attention to coordination of technical work between different disciplines. Identify technical issues which may affect client satisfaction and act with the PM to resolve. Perform or delegate technical tasks to ensure all elements of the scope of work are completed, including: Field crew setup Geodetic control network planning and design Control survey processing and adjustment Feature processing of topographic field data Generating, editing and clean-up of Digital Terrain Models (DTM) Title commitment review Public records research COGO calculations Writing property descriptions Obtaining permits Obtaining Right of Entry Ensuring all QC plans are followed Work with PM to establish estimate of hours to complete each task Schedule tasks
   
   Most importantly, you'll take action to ensure the safety, health and well-being of yourself and your team.
   
   6+ years of experience in surveying. 2+ years of experience as a Project Surveyor. Professional Land Surveying license preferred. Experience with, and the coordination of, the following disciplines preferred: laser scanning, photogrammetry, remote sensing, LiDAR, CAD, GIS, subsurface utilities, or ROW acquisition. Minimum requirements:
   Bachelor's or associate's degree in applicable field. Proven ability to complete all technical aspects of a surveying task. Must have good social and communication skills. Ability to pass drug screen and background checks. Reputation as a trusted and respected member of the surveying community.
   This position can work remotely in the US.
   
   #LI-remote

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find survey project managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any survey project managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level survey project managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your survey project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit survey project 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 project 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 project manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect survey project manager 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new survey project manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 project manager?