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The differences between surveyors 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 surveyor and a professional land surveyor. Additionally, a professional land surveyor has an average salary of $47,097, which is higher than the $46,875 average annual salary of a surveyor.
The top three skills for a surveyor include GPS, survey data and data collection. The most important skills for a professional land surveyor are GPS, civil 3d, and PLS.
| Surveyor | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Yearly salary | $46,875 | $47,097 |
| Hourly rate | $22.54 | $22.64 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 4,087 | 47,350 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
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.
Surveyors and professional land surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surveyor | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Average salary | $46,875 | $47,097 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $31,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Eureka, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Amd |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a surveyor and a professional land surveyor in terms of educational background:
| Surveyor | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between surveyors' and professional land surveyors' demographics:
| Surveyor | Professional Land Surveyor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| 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, 3.3% 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% |