Measure large areas of the Earth's surface using satellite observations, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), or related sources.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
About these figures. BLS publishes wages, growth, openings and typical education for the broader occupation "Surveyors" (SOC 17-1022), so this career shares them with one related career. Skills, interests and other O*NET details are specific to this career.
State licensing. Geodetic Surveyors is licensed or registered in 1 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 4 professional certifications to Geodetic Surveyors. 3 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Lidar Technologist, Certified UAS Technologist, Fundamentals of Surveying (FSu). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. Shares of workers who cannot pause their work (under 0.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (80.3%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most workers in the occupation group that includes geodetic surveyors (2 related careers are counted together) are Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (74% of the jobs counted, median pay $73,320), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (5% of the jobs counted, median pay $89,190), State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $97,880), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $81,100) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($97,880), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($89,190), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction ($81,100). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the occupation group that includes geodetic surveyors (2 related careers are counted together) (BLS category "Surveyors"), employers reported 56.6 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 4 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Architecture and engineering", which includes this career, 6.4% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $2,083 for union members and $1,921 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to geodetic surveyors.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to geodetic surveyors, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for geodetic surveyors are: e-mail (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (96%), telephone conversations (92%), freedom to make decisions (81%), indoors, environmentally controlled (80%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (30% of 27 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (26% of 27 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (26% of 27 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to geodetic surveyors in the work done and the skills used: Surveying and Mapping Technicians, Surveyors, Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians, Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians, Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists, Remote Sensing Technicians, Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare geodetic surveyors with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Surveying Engineering
CIP 14.3801
Surveying Technology/Surveying
CIP 15.1102