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The differences between surveyors and survey managers 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 survey manager. Additionally, a survey manager has an average salary of $50,706, 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 survey manager are GPS, civil 3d, and data collection.
| Surveyor | Survey Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $46,875 | $50,706 |
| Hourly rate | $22.54 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 4,087 | 2,935 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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.
Survey managers lead the team on survey plans associated with engineering or construction projects and oversee construction sites. Their responsibilities include preparing contracts and reports, presenting right-of-way plans, and performing fieldwork. They need to take measurements of property boundaries. They research the history of the land for survey records, legal records, and information about the property. Additionally, managers provide construction crew, contractors, and clients with a detailed description of a land's characteristics and features. They must be skilled at using mapping programs and computers.
Surveyors and survey managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surveyor | Survey Manager | |
| Average salary | $46,875 | $50,706 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $33,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Bowman Consulting Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a surveyor and a survey manager in terms of educational background:
| Surveyor | Survey Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 survey managers' demographics:
| Surveyor | Survey Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| 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, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |