Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial positions of points based on the distances and angles between them.
Find out about the types of surveyor, what they do in different sectors, and their average salaries.
What does a surveyor do? | Salary and types of surveyor | RICS
Surveyors are highly skilled professionals who play an important role in the development, building and defining of properties, construction and environmental sites. They undergo specialized training to qualify for work in their field and typically rely on a range of skills to perform their jobs.
How To Become a Surveyor in 5 Steps (Plus What They Do)
Surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries. They provide data relevant to features of the Earth’s surface, such as shape and contour, for engineering, mapmaking, construction, and other purposes. Surveyors mark and document the location of legal property lines.
The requirements to become a surveyor vary by state and have developed with the technology used. While apprenticeships have always been part of the industry, there are ABET-accredited college programs offering two-year and four-year degrees.
Surveyors measure and map physical spaces, playing a crucial role in construction, real estate, and environmental planning. Their work ensures accuracy in defining property boundaries and contributes to legal and safety standards.
Surveyors provide professional advice on a range of construction-related matters. They could be ensuring that new-build properties are built to regulations and specifications; advising on maintenance and repair of existing structures or assessing damage for legal and insurance purposes.
Although advances in surveying technology now allow many jobs to be performed by just one surveyor, other jobs may be performed by a crew, consisting of a licensed surveyor and trained surveying technicians.