Cost of living / reasonable conpensation

This site may help you:?ÿ https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/united-states

Good luck and welcome to the US?ÿ?ÿ ??ÿ

So....you're unlicensed?

Houston is a damned huge city and an oil city and it is probably possible to pull down 100K even if you are not licensed.

Savannah and Charleston are my two favorite southern cities. Charleston is more refined. But you won't pull down 100k. A RLS doesn't make that in Savannah and I doubt they make that in Charleston.?ÿ

Not licensed yet. I am looking into it and with any luck my degree will be recognized by the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying and the process of registering as a RPLS will be a smooth one.

Thanks FL/GA PLS, that is a handy website. I presume that you practice in those two states? How are the work prospects?

@nsteyn

?ÿ"How are the work prospects?"

I'm registered in Georgia but do not practice there. My office is in Central Florida and there are plenty of opportunities in the Surveying field. Not being registered, but depending on your experience and qualifications, the average salary you could expect would range from about $40-60K. Keep in mind there are two types of survey systems in the US. The PLSS system and the Colonial or "metes and bounds" system. Not sure about Texas, they are in a world of their own. The cost of living in the States varies wildly from area to area.?ÿ ??ÿ

The licensed/unlicensed thing is of varying importance based on the type of work you want to do and the type of firm you want to work for.?ÿ A smaller firm, that?ÿdoes a?ÿlot of boundary?ÿand residential land development work is going to value a license higher than, for example, a bigger firm that does a lot of transportation?ÿand large utility?ÿrelated work.?ÿ I've had unlicensed guys working for me who were making $75,000+

The truth of the matter is that the licensure process?ÿin the US is a standard that measures minimum competency in boundary retracement and (on the national exam level) makes sure the candidate has a smattering of knowledge in a number of fields (a few exam questions on GIS, a few on photogrammetry, etc.).?ÿ Someone with specialized knowledge in?ÿa more "technical"?ÿarea (scanning, monitoring, large scale mapping and control projects), with the ability to manage budgets and staff, is always going to be in demand and is going to demand greater compensation.?ÿ

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.... Keep in mind there are two types of survey systems in the US. The PLSS system and the Colonial or "metes and bounds" system. Not sure about Texas, they are in a world of their own....?ÿ

Perhaps better to say that there are 3 systems in the US, the eastern colonial states, the western PLSS states, and Texas.?ÿ

...t I have chatted to one company in the Houston area that is offering $100k P/A with benefits (dental, medical, etc..)?ÿ

$100k is a pretty high number for a surveyor and Texas is a generally low cost of living place.?ÿ I've never been to Houston but I hear that it can be extremely hot and humid for much of the year.?ÿ

100k is entirely a reasonable expectation in a good bit of Texas right now. Anyone who isnƒ??t making that needs to go have a chat with their boss.

Ever been to Houston? For one thing, Iƒ??d hardly qualify the stretch of gulf it pollutes as ƒ??the coast,ƒ? unless you like catching three-eyed fish and generally itching after a swim. And otherwise- at complete risk of hurting the feelings of various good dudes on here- Houston is the biggest sh*thole Iƒ??ve ever been forced to visit repeatedly.?ÿ

Hi all,

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Some good feedback, thank you for your input - this is exactly the information I am looking for.

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Flyin Solo, thanks sharing your thoughts on Houston. Fishing and family fun at the beach is an important aspect of our lives, a shame then that Houston is a no-go in this regard. Is it that bad?

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Look, Iƒ??m not gonna go citing water quality data or air pollution indexes or whatever. I grew up on the east coast of Florida, and relative to that- yeah, itƒ??s bad. My perception is just that, nothing more. But Iƒ??m familiar with all the locations youƒ??ve mentioned and as far as the coastal aspect goes I suspect youƒ??d be disappointed with the Texas coast. Between the oil rigs visible from the beach, the ship channel activity, to the saturation of the refineries along the I-10 corridor- Iƒ??d at least pay a visit before Iƒ??d consider moving my family there.

The coast along and through Georgia and the Carolinas is TONS more inviting for somebody for whom the ocean is a component part of their being.

"Houston is the biggest sh*thole Iƒ??ve ever been forced to visit repeatedly."

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I thought you liked being forced in the sh*thole, has something changed .. ? ?ÿ?ÿ ??ÿ

Posted by: R.J. Schneider

"Houston is the biggest sh*thole Iƒ??ve ever been forced to visit repeatedly."

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I thought you liked being forced in the sh*thole, has something changed .. ? ?ÿ?ÿ ??ÿ

Nic,

Not sure where you are coming from, but if it is from Canada, feel free to drop me a line and I can probably assist with some guidance.

Firstly, given the political situation in the United States, I would come down now rather than later. With the current political blustering, NAFTA may be reworked, and as a Canadian surveyor, you are only qualified to work as a ƒ??scientific technicianƒ?, under NAFTA.

One of the peculiarities of the Visa is you need to work under a civil engineer. This means any outfit willing to sponsor you must have a engineer on staff, not just a surveyor. Also, make sure the position is posted as a mix of field and office, because the border guys have a history of denying CAD technicians trying to qualify as survey technicians.

And finally, make sure that the job posting does not use the term manager (not even project manager), because it triggers another issue at the border.

Generally, US land surveying is easier to get licensed than Canada, and pays more. ?ÿ Canada is known to be one of the best countries in the world when it comes to the skill level of land surveyors, but if I was still there, I very likely still wouldnƒ??t be licensed.

If it were me, I would come on down under a 1 year T-1 visa and see if you like it. If you do, bone up on your studies and fly to a PLSS state and write your Fundamentals exam (used to be called the LSIT exam). The PLSS system is similar to the Canadian Dominion system, but upside down and backwards. Once you have your LSIT, you are pretty employable anywhere, and can begin studying for your professional license, which varies by state.

Best of Luck, I have been here since 2004,

Justin

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Even though I was born in San Antonio, and have spent the last 16 years in Indiana, I was raised in Houston and I still consider it home. I'm not sure why Mr. Solo seems to hate Houston so much. It's not perfect. Yes, the beaches around Galveston are not the greatest, but I've never caught a three-eyed fish there and I go down there to fish, not to swim. Other places pollute their waters much worse than Houston. At least they were smart enough to not combine their sewers. You won't find any human waste being dumped into waters as there is in many other places who are still slow to separate their sewers.

About fishing, most of what I did was offshore. I always went down to Freeport, a little further down the coast, to do that. I had many enjoyable trips catching snapper, redfish, ling, amberjack, kingfish, and more. There are also some good lakes in the Houston area if you prefer fresh water fishing. Lake Conroe is the first to come to mind. I really am more of a saltwater guy, but there is good bass fishing at Lake Conroe. I've fished in Florida also, but I think Texas fishing is superior.

The traffic in Houston sucks. The humidity sucks even more. The cost of living has been rising the last few years. Housing costs have gone up, but they are still reasonable. What you will find in Houston is that there are still nice people there. You will find people who will give you a friendly "howdy" as you walk past each other. People will mostly let you change lanes if you use your signal, and if you let someone else change lanes they will give you wave of thanks. Those are the things that I have not found anywhere else. You also get great festivals all year long, the biggest rodeo in the world, and a vibrant arts scene.

The Houston food scene is the best. The best BBQ in the world. Much better than anything you will ever find in the Carolinas or Georgia. There is a great Chinatown with awesome cuisine from many different Asian countries. Mexican taquerias that will have you wishing you wore your stretchy pants to dinner. Being so close to Louisiana you will find many transplants who serve up fantastic Cajun food. Fresh seafood! I miss that so much. Heck, I even salivate at the thought of Whataburger. I have a subscription to MLB, and when I watch Astros games, I always get excited when I see a Whataburger commercial and for a few seconds I forget that I can't just drive down the street to get a burger from there.

I hope to one day make it back to Houston. Maybe in four or five years, unless I decide I want to explore Oregon or Vermont or some other place where I've spent little or no time. Yes, Houston has issues. Most places do. There is a vibrant economy that means jobs are plentiful, and no state income tax. I don't consider it to be a s---hole. I consider it home.

I believe Mr. Solo lives in Austin, hating Houston gets you a special card that entitles you half off the cover charge on 6th Street and a free vegan breakfast taco four times a year. ?ÿ

Hi Justin,

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I am coming from South Africa. I have a B.Sc. degree in Land Surveying, 9 years working experience and I am registered as a PLS here. Unfortunately our Land Survey council has not signed the Washington Accord and therefore my degree is not recognized by ABET. This would have been ideal as I would save a lot of time registering in the state of Texas. I am exploring other options, I might have found a work around.?ÿ

@blitzkriegbob thanks for you insight. I am an avid offshore fisherman and my wife loves the food/arts scene. Sounds like a Houston is a winning combination then.

The only problem that I can foresee is the willingness of companies to petition to sponsor an immigrant. Any business owners on the forum that could share their views?

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Regards,

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Nic.

If I were going to make that large a leap, I might aim for something higher than an unlicensed position in the Houston area.

Here is an Craigslist ad that occasionally shows up in the Houston Craigslist. There are other metro areas with better compensation than Houston.

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https://houston.craigslist.org/egr/d/surveyors-survey-party-chiefs/6528500465.html

like i said- i knew i'd hurt some feelings.?ÿ but from what i've interacted with r.j. and a couple others on here, they're good guys.?ÿ i liken it to the couple of friends i have who've married ugly, mean spirited women- doesn't make me like my friends any less, but "better you than me."?ÿ ??ÿ

and james- if you think i don't have similar feelings regarding the miasma that my hometown has become (and that i have admittedly been complicit in helping to become)...?ÿ the only thing that's kept me here the last 10 years is a custody agreement. (although regarding that stupid el arroyo sign:?ÿ i am grateful that, if i'm gonna have to live amid and among so much yoga, that yoga pants were invented.?ÿ i don't think that makes much sense- another way to say it is: i don't think there are too many other places in the u.s. where the prevalence of yoga pants would be such a positive quality-of-life addition.)

I just watched my nephew go through the process. He came here from Brazil through Engineers without Borders and completed a stateside CE degree (to match the one he had from Brazil).?ÿ

A lot will depend on the attitude of the community. I couldn't find a willing sponsor for him. He had to look in a less conservative State and with agencies or entities more immune to politicization. In the end he landed a great job. You just have to keep at it. Once you build a reputation it gets easier.

Good luck, Tom?ÿ