Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
17-1022 Surveyors
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.
National estimates for Surveyors
Industry profile for Surveyors
Geographic profile for Surveyors
National estimates for Surveyors:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Surveyors:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 46,390 |
2.8 % |
$ 33.12 |
$ 68,880 |
1.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Surveyors:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 17.96 |
$ 22.93 |
$ 29.62 |
$ 38.27 |
$ 48.68 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 37,360 |
$ 47,690 |
$ 61,600 |
$ 79,600 |
$ 101,240 |
Industry profile for Surveyors:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Surveyors are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Surveyors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Surveyors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
34,040 |
2.25 |
$ 32.65 |
$ 67,900 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
2,530 |
0.05 |
$ 35.42 |
$ 73,680 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
1,500 |
0.07 |
$ 42.06 |
$ 87,480 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction |
860 |
0.24 |
$ 35.21 |
$ 73,240 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
720 |
0.05 |
$ 33.86 |
$ 70,420 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Surveyors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
34,040 |
2.25 |
$ 32.65 |
$ 67,900 |
| Metal Ore Mining |
260 |
0.64 |
$ 34.03 |
$ 70,780 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
390 |
0.36 |
$ 37.81 |
$ 78,650 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction |
860 |
0.24 |
$ 35.21 |
$ 73,240 |
| Coal Mining |
80 |
0.21 |
$ 33.20 |
$ 69,060 |
Top paying industries for Surveyors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
440 |
0.02 |
$ 44.98 |
$ 93,560 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
1,500 |
0.07 |
$ 42.06 |
$ 87,480 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution |
430 |
0.11 |
$ 40.60 |
$ 84,460 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors |
310 |
0.03 |
$ 38.34 |
$ 79,750 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
260 |
0.01 |
$ 38.08 |
$ 79,210 |
Geographic profile for Surveyors:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Surveyors are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Surveyors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Surveyors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
5,480 |
0.45 |
1.36 |
$ 31.60 |
$ 65,730 |
| California |
3,990 |
0.24 |
0.73 |
$ 47.44 |
$ 98,670 |
| Florida |
3,420 |
0.40 |
1.21 |
$ 29.29 |
$ 60,910 |
| Colorado |
1,750 |
0.67 |
2.02 |
$ 32.78 |
$ 68,190 |
| Georgia |
1,680 |
0.38 |
1.17 |
$ 27.27 |
$ 56,720 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Surveyors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| West Virginia |
610 |
0.93 |
2.82 |
$ 30.89 |
$ 64,260 |
| Alaska |
250 |
0.83 |
2.53 |
$ 44.18 |
$ 91,900 |
| Montana |
330 |
0.70 |
2.13 |
$ 29.79 |
$ 61,960 |
| Wyoming |
180 |
0.68 |
2.07 |
$ 31.09 |
$ 64,660 |
| Colorado |
1,750 |
0.67 |
2.02 |
$ 32.78 |
$ 68,190 |
Top paying states for Surveyors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
3,990 |
0.24 |
0.73 |
$ 47.44 |
$ 98,670 |
| Alaska |
250 |
0.83 |
2.53 |
$ 44.18 |
$ 91,900 |
| Washington |
680 |
0.21 |
0.64 |
$ 42.06 |
$ 87,490 |
| New York |
1,400 |
0.16 |
0.49 |
$ 40.07 |
$ 83,350 |
| New Jersey |
840 |
0.22 |
0.66 |
$ 39.17 |
$ 81,470 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Surveyors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
1,680 |
0.58 |
1.76 |
$ 32.50 |
$ 67,600 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,370 |
0.38 |
1.16 |
$ 32.13 |
$ 66,830 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,300 |
0.15 |
0.46 |
$ 42.96 |
$ 89,350 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
1,250 |
0.48 |
1.47 |
$ 27.01 |
$ 56,190 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,050 |
0.36 |
1.09 |
$ 33.16 |
$ 68,960 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
1,050 |
0.72 |
2.18 |
$ 33.84 |
$ 70,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
950 |
0.17 |
0.50 |
$ 47.41 |
$ 98,610 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
910 |
0.35 |
1.07 |
$ 38.77 |
$ 80,650 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
830 |
0.34 |
1.02 |
$ 30.23 |
$ 62,880 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
810 |
0.19 |
0.58 |
$ 33.79 |
$ 70,280 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Surveyors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Charleston, WV |
110 |
1.15 |
3.50 |
$ 28.48 |
$ 59,240 |
| Yuba City, CA |
50 |
1.11 |
3.38 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Fairbanks, AK |
40 |
1.05 |
3.19 |
$ 41.24 |
$ 85,780 |
| Midland, TX |
100 |
1.03 |
3.12 |
$ 36.15 |
$ 75,180 |
| Anchorage, AK |
170 |
1.02 |
3.10 |
$ 45.04 |
$ 93,690 |
| Bismarck, ND |
70 |
1.00 |
3.03 |
$ 33.47 |
$ 69,610 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
70 |
0.91 |
2.77 |
$ 23.23 |
$ 48,310 |
| Tyler, TX |
90 |
0.86 |
2.62 |
$ 26.20 |
$ 54,500 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
70 |
0.85 |
2.57 |
$ 30.55 |
$ 63,540 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
620 |
0.83 |
2.53 |
$ 33.68 |
$ 70,040 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Surveyors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
350 |
0.33 |
1.01 |
$ 54.02 |
$ 112,360 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
550 |
0.25 |
0.75 |
$ 50.36 |
$ 104,740 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
290 |
0.29 |
0.88 |
$ 49.64 |
$ 103,260 |
| Fresno, CA |
110 |
0.29 |
0.89 |
$ 49.49 |
$ 102,950 |
| Redding, CA |
40 |
0.63 |
1.93 |
$ 49.24 |
$ 102,410 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
950 |
0.17 |
0.50 |
$ 47.41 |
$ 98,610 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
420 |
0.30 |
0.91 |
$ 46.24 |
$ 96,180 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
80 |
0.76 |
2.31 |
$ 45.57 |
$ 94,780 |
| Anchorage, AK |
170 |
1.02 |
3.10 |
$ 45.04 |
$ 93,690 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA |
60 |
0.24 |
0.73 |
$ 44.99 |
$ 93,590 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Surveyors:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Surveyors:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Surveyors:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
