Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
42,020 1.7 % $28.24 $58,740 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.01 $19.61 $26.73 $35.34 $43.80
Annual Wage (2) $31,220 $40,790 $55,590 $73,510 $91,100


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 30,710 2.38 $27.52 $57,240
Local Government (OES Designation) 2,910 0.05 $30.98 $64,450
State Government (OES Designation) 1,850 0.08 $34.28 $71,310
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 1,220 0.41 $27.30 $56,780
Nonresidential Building Construction 750 0.12 $28.33 $58,930

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 30,710 2.38 $27.52 $57,240
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 1,220 0.41 $27.30 $56,780
Coal Mining 280 0.33 $22.76 $47,330
Metal Ore Mining 120 0.31 $27.32 $56,820
Land Subdivision 130 0.28 $26.80 $55,740

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 470 0.02 $39.68 $82,540
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8) (8) $36.43 $75,770
Management of Companies and Enterprises 280 0.01 $34.33 $71,410
State Government (OES Designation) 1,850 0.08 $34.28 $71,310
Activities Related to Real Estate (8) (8) $33.38 $69,430


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,480 0.32 0.98 $39.60 $82,370
Texas 4,210 0.41 1.25 $25.68 $53,420
Florida 2,080 0.29 0.89 $27.49 $57,180
New York 1,570 0.19 0.57 $30.49 $63,420
Virginia 1,560 0.44 1.34 $26.67 $55,480




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 400 1.27 3.87 $35.14 $73,100
Wyoming 270 0.99 3.02 $26.88 $55,920
Montana 370 0.88 2.68 $28.81 $59,930
Vermont 200 0.69 2.10 $23.79 $49,480
Louisiana 1,160 0.63 1.93 $25.14 $52,280




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,480 0.32 0.98 $39.60 $82,370
Nevada 410 0.37 1.13 $35.18 $73,180
Alaska 400 1.27 3.87 $35.14 $73,100
Massachusetts 940 0.30 0.91 $34.09 $70,920
Delaware 110 0.28 0.86 $33.83 $70,360





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,440 0.57 1.73 $26.81 $55,770
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 840 0.49 1.50 $25.78 $53,630
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 820 0.35 1.08 $29.51 $61,380
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 760 0.34 1.04 $25.36 $52,750
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 680 0.13 0.41 $33.90 $70,520
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 620 0.17 0.52 $30.34 $63,100
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 590 0.43 1.30 $40.11 $83,430
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 560 0.45 1.38 $38.72 $80,550
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 530 0.14 0.42 $42.05 $87,460
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 510 0.25 0.76 $26.92 $55,990




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lafayette, LA 330 2.27 6.94 $24.90 $51,800
Yuba City, CA 70 1.86 5.67 $44.83 $93,250
Anchorage, AK 300 1.81 5.53 $35.77 $74,400
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 210 1.33 4.07 $25.19 $52,400
Midland, TX 90 1.29 3.95 $27.01 $56,180
Tyler, TX 110 1.24 3.79 $23.39 $48,640
Grand Junction, CO 60 1.13 3.46 $22.98 $47,790
Hot Springs, AR 40 1.07 3.27 $16.07 $33,420
Redding, CA 60 1.03 3.15 $43.75 $90,990
Bismarck, ND 60 1.03 3.14 $23.28 $48,420




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 330 0.35 1.05 $45.24 $94,100
Yuba City, CA 70 1.86 5.67 $44.83 $93,250
Redding, CA 60 1.03 3.15 $43.75 $90,990
Stockton, CA 80 0.39 1.20 $43.11 $89,660
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 530 0.14 0.42 $42.05 $87,460
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 400 0.35 1.07 $41.78 $86,900
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 410 0.24 0.74 $40.49 $84,230
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 590 0.43 1.30 $40.11 $83,430
Reno-Sparks, NV 100 0.54 1.64 $40.10 $83,400
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 50 0.32 0.97 $40.04 $83,280

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area 160 1.58 4.82 $27.50 $57,190
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 140 0.37 1.13 $26.19 $54,480
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 140 0.87 2.65 $23.68 $49,260
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 120 1.06 3.25 $18.45 $38,380
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 1.05 3.20 $30.26 $62,950

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area 160 1.58 4.82 $27.50 $57,190
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 90 1.42 4.34 $25.62 $53,290
Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 70 1.35 4.13 $22.80 $47,420
Northwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 50 1.23 3.76 $28.92 $60,150
North Idaho nonmetropolitan area 50 1.17 3.57 $20.46 $42,560

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.62 1.90 $39.53 $82,230
Western Montana nonmetropolitan area 70 1.09 3.33 $31.13 $64,750
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 40 0.59 1.81 $30.81 $64,090
Sussex County, Delaware nonmetropolitan area 30 0.49 1.51 $30.56 $63,570
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 1.05 3.20 $30.26 $62,950


About May 2011 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 mean 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012