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The differences between surveyors and 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 surveyor and a land surveyor. Additionally, a surveyor has an average salary of $46,875, which is higher than the $46,182 average annual salary of a land surveyor.
The top three skills for a surveyor include GPS, survey data and data collection. The most important skills for a land surveyor are GPS, data collection, and topographic surveys.
| Surveyor | Land Surveyor | |
| Yearly salary | $46,875 | $46,182 |
| Hourly rate | $22.54 | $22.20 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 4,087 | 4,717 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 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.
Land surveyors are skilled professionals who measure land areas to determine the boundaries of properties and present findings to their clients and government agencies. To make the precise boundary calculations, these surveyors are required to use sophisticated field equipment such as high order global positioning system (GPS), theodolites, and aerial or terrestrial scanners. They must record the results of their surveying and establish official land and water boundaries for deeds, leases, and other legal documents. Land surveyors must also provide relevant data that shape and contour the surface of the earth for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects.
Surveyors and land surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surveyor | Land Surveyor | |
| Average salary | $46,875 | $46,182 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Adobe |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a surveyor and a land surveyor in terms of educational background:
| Surveyor | Land Surveyor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between surveyors' and land surveyors' demographics:
| Surveyor | Land Surveyor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% |
| 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, 3.4% 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% |