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Surveying

Types of Degrees Surveying Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Surveying have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	117
Associate’s Degree	316
Bachelor’s Degree	228
Master’s Degree	365
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Surveying Majors Need to Know

Studies in Surveying emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Surveying graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Surveying emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mathematics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Surveying program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Surveying careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Surveying graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Surveying professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Bentley MicroStation	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
ESRI ArcView	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Geomechanical design analysis GDA software	Map creation software	—
Bentley Systems InRoads Suite	Map creation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Surveying graduates include:

• Land Surveyor
• Licensed Land Surveyor
• Field Surveyor
• Topographical Surveyor
• Geophysical Prospecting Surveyor
• Land Measurer
• Surveyor
• Staff Land Surveyor
• Mineral Surveyor
• Solar Site Surveyor
• State Surveyor
• Mine Surveyor
• Railroad Surveyor
• Insurance Loss Control Surveyor
• Professional Land Surveyor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Surveying graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.4%
Some college courses	17.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.6%
Postsecondary certificate	8.2%
Master’s degree	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Surveying?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 90.5% of Surveying degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	99	9.5%
Men	947	90.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Surveying graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	769	73.5%
Asian	11	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	156	14.9%
Black or African American	32	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	35	3.3%
Race Unknown	33	3.2%
International Students	2	0.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Surveying Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Surveying graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$61,962
4 years	$60,220
5 years	$64,342

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,342 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Surveying Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Surveying. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	1
Bachelor’s	4	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Surveying Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Surveying graduates earn a median of $60,220 four years after completion — roughly 58% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General	4,395
CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician	2,476
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	1,237
Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician	112
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	79
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	68
3-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician	40

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.