Seven States With Low Percentage Of Bachelor Degrees

Alabama requires one

On the flip side, CT has a higher percentage than most states, but no degree is required.

Paul,
Is that the percentage of people in the state with a degree?
BTW, MS don't yet, AL does.

Gosh Paul, you are certainly on an education role. That's ok with me and it's always a good topic.

Not sure of those Southern states, but NV had passed legislation several years ago (7 or 8) to require a BS to take effect in 2011 I think. It got "tabled" so all though it's still on the books and technically a requirement, the board kind of takes a deep look see at "other things" (whatever that means in the Silver State).

South Carolina requires a bachelor math or science and our license rate is drastically down. I believe the day of a solo surveyor are numbered. I also believe that it will be a side license for civil engineers. Even the surveyor spots on the license board are duel license. Why would anyone get a 4 year degree and get paid less?

To make us relevant, we need to change the culture. We need to change 4 things.

1) We need to stop letting other professions take bits and pieces of surveying away. I.e. GIS, surface model building and the new aerial survey craze.

2) We need to charge what will keep you in business and feed your family. Stop cutting prices. If you have 4 bidders and there is a large gap from the second lowest to the lowest, then there is meat on the bone.

3) Educate the public. I am amazed at how many real estate agents and attorneys don't know the difference between a survey with a Plat to be recorded and just locating and verifying property corners.

4) If you don't have planning department, lobby to get one. If you do, make your profession relevant. An example is in Horry County SC. We brought it to the planning department that lots were being sold with no surveys. Survey affidavits were being signed. Then a house was built. We were finding a lot of homes being built in the setbacks. The planning department and surveyors came together to require foundation surveys before a builder goes vertical. The planning department thought surveys were being made when they weren't. When they were educated, they saw a potential threat to the public.

I gave a presentation to a middle school class last year. I had more questions from the teachers because they were amazed at what we actually do.

You may want to look at the percentage of people who live under the poverty level in correlation to the numbers that are college educated.

I say this all the time about the subject. The field has grown immensely more complicated since the old days. The required knowledge to have minimum competence is pretty extensive.

My personal story: I already had a degree in civil engineering and was an EIT, but I wanted to be a surveyor so bad I went back to school to get a surveying degree. (In NJ the degree must be in surveying, as they draw a major distinction between engineering and surveying here.) I actually wound up getting my PLS license before the PE by 6 months.

Anyway, I guess one of my main points is that I get paid way more than I would with just the PE, and it's about a million times easier to find a job. When you say licensure is way down, then economics dictates that you should get paid more if you have that license. Why settle for less if they need you and can't get anyone else?

Percentage Of Population

I would think the US average of 27.9% is quite high, considering how many non degree jobs need to be filled. The article may have had in wrong in that I think it should be percentage of adults.

Yes, level of poverty is a factor.

Another thing to consider, once a person has a 4 year degree they are more likely to move to where the jobs are.

I saw the article and thought that might be relevant to a survey degree discussion.

I should have linked the article, if I trip across it today I will.

Paul in PA

Link To All 50 States Data

http://www.statemaster.com/red/graph/edu_bac_deg_or_hig_by_per-bachelor-s-degree-higher-percentage&b_printable=1

District of Columbia is at a whopping 45.7%

This is older data so actual percentages vary somewhat.

Paul in PA

Kentucky now requires a 4 year surveying degree. It was changes about 2 years ago or so.