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The differences between surveyors and instrument people can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surveyor has an average salary of $46,875, which is higher than the $43,699 average annual salary of an instrument person.
The top three skills for a surveyor include GPS, survey data and data collection. The most important skills for an instrument person are topographic surveys, data collection, and survey equipment.
| Surveyor | Instrument Person | |
| Yearly salary | $46,875 | $43,699 |
| Hourly rate | $22.54 | $21.01 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,087 | 35,373 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A surveyor is responsible for measuring the physical boundaries of a property based on the design documents. Surveyors' duties include determining reference points using special measuring equipment, analyzing land records, evaluating the stability of the property location, verifying data to property agencies and other organizations, responding to the client's inquiries, processing legal property documents, and finalizing boundary lines and maps. A surveyor must have a broad knowledge of the land and property processes, as well as excellent research and analytical skills.
An instrument person is also called a survey party chief. They are responsible for preparing and conducting surveys before a particular land is constructed and developed. They usually oversee a group of professionals such as surveyors, contractors, project managers, engineers, and architects to ensure that all duties are done correctly and safely. They assign the staff to particular jobs based on their expertise and conduct a pre-survey before the project starts.
Surveyors and instrument people have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surveyor | Instrument Person | |
| Average salary | $46,875 | $43,699 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $30,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a surveyor and an instrument person in terms of educational background:
| Surveyor | Instrument Person | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | - |
Here are the differences between surveyors' and instrument people' demographics:
| Surveyor | Instrument Person | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 4.9% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 5% |