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Surveyors

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries. Provide data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation, or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, construction, and other purposes.

Related: Cartographers & Photogrammetrists Civil Engineering Technologists & Technicians Civil Engineers Geodetic Surveyors Surveying & Mapping Technicians

Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical

Summary
Details

Determine longitudes and latitudes of important features and boundaries in survey areas, using theodolites, transits, levels, and satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS).
Locate and mark sites selected for geophysical prospecting activities, such as efforts to locate petroleum or other mineral products.
Train assistants and helpers, and direct their work in such activities as performing surveys or drafting maps.
Survey bodies of water to determine navigable channels and to secure data for construction of breakwaters, piers, and other marine structures.
Direct aerial surveys of specified geographical areas.
Conduct research in surveying and mapping methods, using knowledge of photogrammetric map compilation and electronic data processing.
Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
Develop criteria for survey methods and procedures.
Determine specifications for equipment to be used for aerial photography, as well as altitudes from which to photograph terrain.
Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
Train assistants and helpers, and direct their work in such activities as performing surveys or drafting maps.
Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.
Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.
Coordinate findings with the work of engineering and architectural personnel, clients, and others concerned with projects.
Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments.
Testify as an expert witness in court cases on land survey issues, such as property boundaries.
Develop criteria for the design and modification of survey instruments.
Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed.
Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
Adjust surveying instruments to maintain their accuracy.
Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
Prepare, or supervise preparation of, all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.
Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.
Plan and conduct ground surveys designed to establish baselines, elevations, and other geodetic measurements.
Analyze survey objectives and specifications to prepare survey proposals or to direct others in survey proposal preparation.
Conduct research in surveying and mapping methods, using knowledge of photogrammetric map compilation and electronic data processing.

Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.

Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Internship/residency

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

88340/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

42.47/hr

Currently Employed

1,110

Yearly Projected Openings

Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:

Cautiousness
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Perseverance
Achievement Orientation

Barometers
Clinometers
Distance meters
Electromagnetic geophysical instruments
Extension pole
Geological compasses
Global positioning system GPS receiver
Height gauges
Instrument tripods
Interferometers
Laser measuring systems
Lasers
Level sensors or transmitters
Levels
Machetes
Map measurers
Measuring rods
Measuring tapes
Measuring wheels for distance
Notebook computers
Optical calibration sets
Personal computers
Plumb bobs
Prisms
Rangefinders
Scanners
Sonars
Sonometers
Tape measures
Theodolites
Two way radios
Video attachments for microscopes

Analytical or scientific software
Application server software
Computer aided design CAD software
Data base user interface and query software
Data conversion software
Document management software
Geographic information system
Graphics or photo imaging software
Information retrieval or search software
Internet browser software
Map creation software
Mobile location based services software
Office suite software
Project management software
Route navigation software
Spreadsheet software
Time accounting software
Word processing software

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