What does a Surveyor do?

Surveyors spend most of their time directing surveys of land to determine property lines or ownership rights of a piece of land. They use specialized equipment to conduct a survey and then record the results. They often work with a team of different surveyors or land development teams. Surveyors can also be in charge of consulting companies or private institutions wellsites, mining claims or utility right-of-ways.

Surveyor skills and qualifications

A successful surveyor or survey technician will have the following skills and qualifications:

• Technical knowledge of how to use tools such as a global positioning system(GPS) or geographic information system(GIS)
• Technical knowledge of how to develop survey plans, methods and procedures for conducting a survey.
• Knowledge of how to record all measurements done during the survey.
• Advanced communication skills, with the ability to explain the process of doing a legal land survey.
• Understanding of how to supervise other surveyors or survey technologists.

Surveyor experience requirements

A successful surveyor or survey technologist candidate should have experience using specialized tools to conduct a legal land survey. They also need experience in planning and conducting a legal land survey. Having experience preparing reports on data collected during a survey and reporting back to the organization is a must. Being able to work as part of a team, especially one made up of other surveyors or survey technologists is an asset.

Surveyor education and training requirements

A surveyor or survey technologist takes precise measurements in order to determine land boundaries. They must have a bachelor’s degree or a college diploma with a specialization in survey science or geomatics technology. They must also complete a one-to-three year articling period and the professional land surveyor examination—and be registered with the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors. In some provinces, candidates will also need to obtain a registration with the provincial regulatory body.

Surveyor salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a surveyor is $27.46 per hour. Salaries for surveyors usually depend on experience, location and company.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a surveyor or survey technologist is not quite what you are looking for, check out these similar positions that can be found here.

• Civic Engineer
• Real Estate Agent

Surveyor Job Description FAQs

What qualities make a good Surveyor?

A good surveyor or survey technologist should be able to understand how to conduct a legal land survey for a real estate agent, mining company or municipal/provincial/federal government. They should have expert knowledge on how to use the specialized surveying tools and will be able to supervise others. They should also be able to take detailed notes, ensuring everything is as per guidelines.

What are the day-to-day duties of a surveyor?

Usually, a surveyor works in a team to conduct legal land surveys. They do this work outside, making sure to get accurate measurements. Their role can also include supervising another surveyor and ensuring the job is done efficiently.

What should you look for in a surveyor’s resume?

When looking at a resume for a surveyor, you want to see how much experience they have. Good experience indicates that they can be incredibly accurate with their measurements. You also want to see what type of company they have worked for, as this will indicate the type of surveying they most likely did.

What makes a good surveyor job description?

A good surveyor job description should describe the type of jobs your company works on so that the candidates know exactly what would be expected of them before applying for the job. It should also explain a bit about the company and the people that work there. Since surveyors usually work on a team, the applicants need to know about the work culture of the company so that they can decide if the organization suits their own personality and working style.