Black Intelligentsia Libraries
The New Way Of Thinking
Surveyor
​Do you enjoy being outdoors?   Have you ever been curious about the specifics and locations of road and building construction?  Are you particularly fond of using microscopes, telescopes, and other specialized instruments and equipment?  If so, and if you love Math, Science, Drafting, Technology, and outdoor activities, then you should consider becoming a Surveyor.

Surveyors measure the Earth’s surface to collect data used to draw maps and to determine the shape and contour of parcels of land, airspace (airports, etc.), and bodies of water.  They use special equipment to take exact measurements of and determine property lines and boundaries, providing data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, map-making, mining, land evaluation, construction, etc.​

The duties of a Surveyor include but are not limited to:  measuring distances, directions, and angles between points on, above, and below the Earth's surface (construction and mining sites, etc.); using known reference points to determine and mark exact locations of important features in survey areas and proper depths for foundations of buildings and roads; establishing official land and water boundaries; researching land records and other property information; recording results of surveying and analyzing data; preparing plots, maps, and reports; certifying legal documents showing property lines; providing information needed for the buying and selling of property; working with Cartographers, Civil Engineers, Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban and Regional Planners, Construction Managers, etc. to develop design documents; writing land descriptions for deeds, leases, and other legal documents; interpreting GPS results; gathering data for Geographic Information System (to create detailed maps); providing expert testimony regarding surveying in courts of law; conducting field research; ​presenting findings to clients, government agencies, etc.; and teaching at universities.

High school students interested in becoming a Surveyor benefit from taking Art, Drafting, Horticulture, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Geography, Computer Applications, Earth Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science.  Students entering Surveying Technology Bachelor's of Science programs with no previous surveying experience should expect a period of four years to complete said program.  During senior year, candidates must pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, after which four years of work experience under a licensed Surveyor is required for licensure, which is a requirement of all states.  Subsequently, the final step is to pass the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) licensing exam, administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

Surveying specialties include but are not limited to:  Geodetic Surveyors (use satellite observations to measure large areas of Earth's surface); Geophysical Prospecting Surveyors (mark sites for subsurface exploration); Marine or Hydrographic Surveyors (survey harbors, bodies of water to determine shorelines, underwater topography, water depth, etc.).  Unlicensed Surveyors can work as Survey Technicians, but they must work under the supervision of licensed Surveyors.

Due to increased construction related to improving infrastructure and to the number of Surveyors expected to retire, employment of Surveyors is expected to grow 25 percent.  And, with increased demand for geographic data, those involved in developing and using GIS technology and digital map-making should enjoy dividends of employment options that come with specialty and versatility of skills.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $56,230

Salary Range:  ~$32,190 - $90,920+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The normal routes to becoming a Surveyor have been to major in Professional Land Surveying, Surveying Technology, Civil Engineering, Geomatics, Architectural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Urban Design, Urban and Regional Planning, Geographic Information Science, City and Regional Planning, City Planning, Environmental Planning, Transportation Planning, Construction Science, Civil Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, Built Environment Studies, Forestry, Plant and Soil Science, Environmental Science, Horticulture, Mining Engineering Technology, Building Construct Technology, or Earth Science. 
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
​Colleges and universities that have Surveying Technology and related majors are:  North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Mississippi Valley State University (Itta Bena, Mississippi); Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); Texas Southern University (Houston, Texas); North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina); Bluefield State University (Bluefield, West Virginia); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia); Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Alabama); Tuskegee University (Tuskegee Alabama); University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, Arkansas); Delaware State University (Dover, Delaware); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC); Howard University (Washington, DC); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Maryland); Xavier University (New Orleans, Louisiana); Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio); Alcorn State University (Lorman, Mississippi); Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, Florida); Harris-Stowe State University (St. Louis, Missouri); Cheyney University (Cheyney, Pennsylvania); Langston University (Langston, Oklahoma); Lincoln University (Lincoln University, Pennsylvania); Voorhees College (Denmark, South Carolina); and Kentucky State University (Frankfort, Kentucky).
Available Scholarships