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The differences between survey project managers and professional land 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 project manager and a professional land surveyor. Additionally, a survey project manager has an average salary of $60,193, which is higher than the $47,097 average annual salary of a professional land surveyor.
The top three skills for a survey project manager include civil 3d, GPS and project management. The most important skills for a professional land surveyor are GPS, civil 3d, and PLS.
| Survey Project Manager | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Yearly salary | $60,193 | $47,097 |
| Hourly rate | $28.94 | $22.64 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 97,606 | 47,350 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A survey project manager is responsible for making measurements and determining property boundaries. You will prepare data related to the contour, location, shape, dimension, elevation, and gravitation of land or land features. Typical day-to-day duties include coordinating findings with the work of architectural and engineering personnel, clients, and other stakeholders, developing criteria for survey procedures and methods, and preparing sketches, reports, legal descriptions, and maps of surveys. As a survey project manager, you are also responsible for developing criteria for designing and modifying survey instruments.
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. Land surveyors also oversee the provision of relevant data on the shape and contour of the surface of the Earth for projects ranging from engineering to mapmaking to construction.
Survey project managers and professional land surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Survey Project Manager | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Average salary | $60,193 | $47,097 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $86,000 | Between $31,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Eureka, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Berklee College of Music | Amd |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a survey project manager and a professional land surveyor in terms of educational background:
| Survey Project Manager | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between survey project managers' and professional land surveyors' demographics:
| Survey Project Manager | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.3% 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, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |