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The differences between surveyors and survey project 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 project manager. Additionally, a survey project manager has an average salary of $60,193, 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 project manager are civil 3d, GPS, and project management.
| Surveyor | Survey Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $46,875 | $60,193 |
| Hourly rate | $22.54 | $28.94 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 4,087 | 97,606 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
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.
Surveyors and survey project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surveyor | Survey Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $46,875 | $60,193 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $67,000 | Between $42,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Berklee College of Music |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a surveyor and a survey project manager in terms of educational background:
| Surveyor | Survey Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between surveyors' and survey project managers' demographics:
| Surveyor | Survey Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% |
| 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, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |