> After having worked for an civil/surveying firm in western NC for 10 years, my employment came to an end in 2010. I have worked part-time since for various surveyors doing mapping and field work. Education and experience is not the problem.
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> In western NC, the economy is still struggling. A few small companies have listed positions, BUT at $8.00 an hour a person will starve.
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> It would seem that most I have got an interview with including several regional firms like what they see, but when it comes to salary they seem to want people to work for poverty wages. Several have said my educational classes and experience price me out of most available jobs.
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> So, at this point I have applied to quite a few companies within the CONUS with little result. It would seem that the need of my employment in land surveying has come to an end.
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> Anyone have any leads to companies that are looking for someone who is capable of field to finish.
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> Thinking of taking up mechanical drafting.
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> It is sad to see a profession that held such promise go to poverty wages then still demand a four year degree.
What are you guys paying your survey technicians and surveyors?
I AM NOT a "Surveyor". I started in the woods of South Ga. in 1970. I worked for a couple of amazing Surveyors. I studied Mech. Eng., had to drop out after 3 years, out of cash. Got a job at a power plant expansion. Between heavy const. I always had a place to go back home with the Surveyors. I envy all of you guys, your insight and wisdom has been a critical part of my life. I have never been unemployed for more than a week since then. Most times the jobs call me, not the other way around. Road/Bridge work pays a lot less than Industrial, but usually gives weekends off. Road/Bridge work is generally salary, 80k+. Industrial work is hourly, as a survey manager, and generally offers from 10 to 40+ hours of time and a half a week, plus per diem. The last power plant I did, 5 years ago, required 96 to 112 hours a week of me for 750 days straight. I brought home around $3000 a week or more. I have now moved 35,000 miles, 23 states. I am 59, and pretty tired, but still employed, I get around fine. I should have been a land surveyor. AutoCad since DOS, all types of equipment, all environments. Keep your spirits up, keep learning. We will ALWAYS NEED LAND SURVEYORS! You might need to re-locate, though.
I personally wouldn't put all that much hope in the employment for anything. Maybe you might look at how your employment could aid in the unemployment of others. My attempts at employing others were all mostly bad. Paying all the taxes and just dealing with the government regs are not worth it. So I work solo or use a family member once in a while if I can't do it myself.
I think manufacturing will come back to America but it will be mostly automated, done by machines. Surveying has already gone down that road. There used to be crews, now replaced by a single operator and technology. So to stay employed one needs to be able to replace several other employees or become self employed.
In the end the fate of employees lays in the hands of employers. We need one big change if being an employer is worth the effort. You become an employer in an attempt to better your own situation. Today in America an employer is expected to be some sort of social organization for its employees. Until that changes and the incentive returns to be an employer being an employee is going to be difficult.
There are lots of very good people that would do a great job and be super employees. But the burden of being an employer in today’s environment is just to great.
I agree.
There has to be some incentive ($) for a business owner to expand and take on more employees (responsibility).
Damn - looks like TX is the place to be right now.
A major component to Texas’ long-term economic development is consistent job growth, and that is exactly what we are seeing across a number of different industries,” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Andres Alcantar. “The private sector in Texas has grown by 279,800 jobs over the last year, a 3.2 percent increase, while national private sector annual growth has been just 1.8 percent.” - OAOA.COM
Being in any profession right now is tough. Go take a look at your States monthly disciplinary reports that includes all of them. This is a brutal economy right now and the politics to match. Everybody's suffering. It's not just you.....
As much as I hope that your opinion of the future of land surveying is incorrect, I tend to agree. The combination of a poor economy ,upgrades in data collection and processing technologies has unfortunately reduced the demand for some of the traditional surveying services. I do think, however, that more opportunities will open up for qualified surveyors to do quality analysis of spatial data. With so much data available (currently and particularly in the future) from so many different sources, there should be a demand for professionals to qualify said data and determine its usability. Assessing and qualifying data is something surveyors already do, though the context may likely be a little different. The caveat is that we as surveyors will need to prove we are the right professionals for the task.
If a person googles "pipeline surveying companies" and calls anyone that pops up they'll be hired in minutes if they can stand up sorta straight and pass a drug test.
