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ConstructionTop JobColorado Talent Pipeline Report-aligned occupation with strong annual openings, growth, and wage signals.Critical OccupationOccupation identified by industry partners as critical to business success.

Surveyors

Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries. Provide data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation, or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, construction, and other purposes.

Annual openings

134

Median wage

$79,310

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Growth 2026–2032

+8%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Credential requirement

Some jobs require a Professional Land Surveyor, which includes two years as a Land Surveyor Intern

Work experience

No previous work experience is required, though previous construction experience is valued.

Employer competency information

  • Refer above to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities information. Math skills are important to understand elevation changes and site maps.
Surveyors and Surveying Technicians often work as a small team to prepare for a bigger construction project. Both jobs are in high demand in the Construction and Broadband industries.
Surveying jobs are evolving, incorporating technology like rovers, GIS and GPS.
A lot more information, including opportunities to explore jobs and gain experience, are at Green Pathways under "The Field of Forestry" and "The Field of Land Management".

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Automation exposure

Moderate exposure

Some routine tasks may shift as tools improve, but the role is likely to adapt.

A typical day

  1. Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
  2. Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
  3. Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.
  4. Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
  5. Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
  6. Prepare, or supervise preparation of, all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.
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