Surveyors Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for surveyors is $75,440, or $36.27 per hour. About 50,830 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $105,330 in California to $51,800 in Arkansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 50 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,330 | $50.64 | 4,520 | 0.76 |
| 2 | Alaska | $99,550 | $47.86 | 250 | 2.35 |
| 3 | Oregon | $97,070 | $46.67 | 530 | 0.82 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $94,590 | $45.48 | 1,290 | 1.09 |
| 5 | Washington | $85,610 | $41.16 | 780 | 0.67 |
| 6 | Montana | $84,610 | $40.68 | 350 | 2.06 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $83,620 | $40.20 | 980 | 1.02 |
| 8 | Maine | $83,200 | $40.00 | 270 | 1.31 |
| 9 | Delaware | $82,890 | $39.85 | 120 | 0.75 |
| 10 | Nevada | $82,460 | $39.64 | 490 | 0.97 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $82,200 | $39.52 | 140 | 0.69 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $81,250 | $39.06 | 240 | 2.63 |
| 13 | Indiana | $80,510 | $38.71 | 870 | 0.83 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $79,650 | $38.30 | 610 | 0.63 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $79,360 | $38.15 | 250 | 1.75 |
| 16 | Colorado | $79,310 | $38.13 | 1,620 | 1.72 |
| 17 | New York | $78,870 | $37.92 | 1,470 | 0.46 |
| 18 | Arizona | $77,490 | $37.26 | 1,360 | 1.28 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $77,190 | $37.11 | 180 | 1.21 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $77,160 | $37.10 | 900 | 0.64 |
| 21 | Iowa | $77,090 | $37.06 | 450 | 0.88 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $76,730 | $36.89 | 430 | 0.77 |
| 23 | Vermont | $76,450 | $36.75 | — | — |
| 24 | Tennessee | $76,340 | $36.70 | 920 | 0.86 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $76,210 | $36.64 | 1,530 | 0.94 |
| 26 | Illinois | $75,980 | $36.53 | 1,710 | 0.86 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $75,950 | $36.51 | 1,610 | 0.81 |
| 28 | Kansas | $75,860 | $36.47 | 350 | 0.75 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $74,230 | $35.69 | 290 | 1.01 |
| 30 | Idaho | $73,940 | $35.55 | 250 | 0.89 |
| 31 | Utah | $73,230 | $35.21 | 650 | 1.14 |
| 32 | Michigan | $72,080 | $34.65 | 1,050 | 0.73 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $71,840 | $34.54 | 670 | 1.03 |
| 34 | Virginia | $71,070 | $34.17 | 1,360 | 1.01 |
| 35 | Ohio | $70,620 | $33.95 | 1,300 | 0.72 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $68,050 | $32.71 | 430 | 1.29 |
| 37 | Alabama | $66,840 | $32.13 | 910 | 1.31 |
| 38 | Florida | $65,480 | $31.48 | 4,000 | 1.23 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $65,130 | $31.31 | 280 | 1.27 |
| 40 | Maryland | $64,910 | $31.21 | 950 | 1.06 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $63,300 | $30.43 | 1,000 | 1.33 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $63,140 | $30.36 | 1,460 | 2.30 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | $62,670 | $30.13 | 150 | 0.90 |
| 44 | Missouri | $62,110 | $29.86 | 830 | 0.86 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $61,520 | $29.58 | 630 | 2.76 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $61,300 | $29.47 | 960 | 1.72 |
| 47 | Texas | $61,150 | $29.40 | 6,410 | 1.39 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $58,720 | $28.23 | 570 | 1.50 |
| 49 | Georgia | $58,100 | $27.94 | 1,770 | 1.11 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $51,800 | $24.91 | 550 | 1.29 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do surveyors make?
The median annual wage for surveyors in the United States is $75,440, or $36.27 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $46,880, and the top 10% earn $125,590.
How many surveyors are employed in the U.S.?
About 50,830 people work as surveyors nationwide.
Which state pays surveyors the most?
California pays the most at a median of $105,330, followed by Alaska ($99,550) and Oregon ($97,070).
Which state pays surveyors the least?
Arkansas has the lowest median at $51,800.
Where are surveyors jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is West Virginia at 2.76×.