What Do Surveyors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

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. They also verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.

Other tasks include:

• Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
• Prepare or supervise preparation of all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.
• Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed.
• Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.
• Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
• Coordinate findings with the work of engineering and architectural personnel, clients, and others concerned with projects.

We asked Surveyors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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70% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 55% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Surveyors prepare or supervise preparation of all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys. They direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.

A typical day for a Surveyor will also include:

• Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed.
• Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.
• Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.
• Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.
• Record the results of surveys including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.

We asked some Surveyors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	91% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	55% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	85% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	24% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	3% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	42% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Surveyors also write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents. They may also coordinate findings with the work of engineering and architectural personnel, clients, and others concerned with projects.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Surveyors Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed. They might also Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments.

In addition, they Analyze survey objectives and specifications to prepare survey proposals or to direct others in survey proposal preparation.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Adjust surveying instruments to maintain their accuracy.

To some Surveyors, it is also their responsibility to Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Surveyor, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/architecture-and-engineering/surveyors.htm

http://www.aagsmo.org/

http://www.asprs.org/

http://www.nsps.us.com/