How much does a Professional Land Surveyor make?
As of Sep 28, 2021, the average annual pay for a Professional Land Surveyor in the United States is $74,928 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $36.02 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,441/week or $6,244/month.
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While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $111,000 and as low as $34,000, the majority of Professional Land Surveyor salaries currently range between $62,500 (25th percentile) to $85,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $98,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Professional Land Surveyor varies greatly (by as much as $22,500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Professional Land Surveyor job market in both Lake Mary, FL and the surrounding area is very active. A Professional Land Surveyor in your area makes on average $65,744 per year, or $9,184 (12%) less than the national average annual salary of $74,928. Florida ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Professional Land Surveyor salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Professional Land Surveyor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
@flga-2-2?ÿ
This post speaks volumes on why we don't have more young blood in our ranks.
And while I'm not an degree requirement advocate, how do we expect those who've gone that route to choose this as a profession when we're topping out at about $100,000?
I'm going to throw up a caution sign. I recently was chatting with a PELS about his son getting his surveying license.
Seems he is having to take online classes to qualify to sit for his license. His son has been in his dad's company for over a decade surveying and the son is also a PE who graduated from a highly respected engineering school. The son has been teaching surveying classes for the last 5-10 years at the local college, but the state board says he doesn't have the qualifications to sit for the exam. Of all the local engineers I'm certain he is the best qualified to be a surveyor.?ÿ
My point being to check into the boards requirements before jumping in.?ÿ
@bill93?ÿ
I had to break down and buy a digital 7th editionof browns for my class. It's been expanded and the material is rearranged so much my 2nd edition was just wasting too much time trying to figure out the assignments.
No, but it's over the top. Why his college teaching gig didn't count is beyond me.?ÿ
I'm leaving New Mexico for a similar reason.
I have a science degree, the legislative code says I only need to augment the degree with the appropriate additional classes. Except the board's rules say I can't be qualified for my LSIT UNTil I'm holding the ABET degree I'm enrolled in.
Solution: go to another state, take the FS and be admitted. Then get accepted by proxy in NM.
AND then I'll apply for licensure after I get the ABET degree to seal their deal mostly as a formality.
Not all boards are this capricious and arbitrary, NM is and so is one of their neighbors. ?????ÿ
I would first ask how he landed a college teaching gig without a license...
@rover83?ÿ
You don't need a license to teach at a college. And like I said he has a PE.
OK, then if you don't need a license to teach at a college, then why would teaching at a college automatically make them qualified for the license?
You say this guy has over a decade surveying experience - did this not count toward licensure? And obviously there is a local college with surveying courses that could be taken to fulfill educational requirements. If someone's good enough to teach at that college, it stands to reason that they could probably pass any coursework that is required for licensure...why would they be given a pass versus other prospective licensees?
I guess I'm just not understanding the "this dude is super sharp, just give him the license already" attitude. I'm all for streamlining the licensure process and cutting down on the red tape, but there still have to be some minimum standards that need to be met, for everyone. It doesn't sound like he's getting unfairly screwed, just that they're holding him to the same standards as everyone else.
@rover83?ÿ
I'm saying he's qualified to sit for the test, not to "give" him a license. He will be taking the same engineering surveying courses he's already teaching.
@rover83?ÿ
Please don't ever cut any red tape, I want the same measure of my skills when I'm being considered.
That being said, the problem is the tremendous personal and capricious attitudes some board members bring to the table. They need to be held accountable, and largely won't be as in New Mexico they serve at the pleasure of the governor, and rarely leave.
That's the only thing I can see needs changed, and just base the test scores, and years of experience on the balance sheet.
Leave your personal opinions and other crap outside the process. It's not an opinion that you passed the tests, it's a quantifiable fact.
Short of felony arrest or otherwise, no board members should be able to slight or hinder anyone who is interested and qualifies for the legal definition of the process.
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Won't you need another PLS to work under during those 5 years?
I would think you could buy a copy of ACAD and a good computer, hang out your shingle, and make close to $100k a year right now doing engineering (depending on where you are in the world). It confuses me why you would want to move from a position where you are poised to make the maximum in a profession back to pounding hubs. Honestly, I cannot imagine you making good money for at least 5-10 years given the facts you have shared.
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That said, I am happy if you do it! I love seeing people make their dreams happen.?ÿ
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One of the most satisfied engineers I know does one-stop-shop for survey and engineering. Pretty much insists that you take both if you take any. He does the field work, does the design, stakes it in the field, drafts the asbuilts. (Actually, he has a helper, and he does the drafting.) He is retiring after many years of that, so I know it can be done.
All I can tell you is you have to follow your dreams or you risk looking back later and saying 'what if'?' Just be smart about it. If you're looking to pull down 100k a year working a 40 hour week, depending on the market where you are, it might take a while to get there and the experience and knowledge that demands those pay scales doesn't come cheap. It takes time and they're dues to first be paid. It's been my observation that the grass is usually greener on the other side in large part due to copious quantities of manure. Set incremental realistic goals and see where it gets you. My 0.02' Good luck.
