Surveyor salary
From 37 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-1022: Surveyors
At a glance
- Median up 22% since FY2020. From $57,172 in FY2020 to $69,487 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Surveyor H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 37 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Surveyor jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-1022, Surveyors). The median base salary is $69,680, 43% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $59,000 and $79,000.
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Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Surveyor jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 44% of filings
Mid-level · 56% of filings
Senior · 0% of filings
Expert · 0% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $62,431 | 12 |
| Level II · Qualified | $68,640 | 15 |
| Level III · Experienced | – | 0 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
What a Surveyor does
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.
Typical tasks
- Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.
- 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.
- 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.
- Record the results of surveys, including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Surveyors (17-1022.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Surveyors), the median annual wage was $75,440 in May 2025, with 50,830 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $69,680, 8% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,428 | $46,880 |
| 25th percentile | $59,000 | $58,170 |
| Median | $69,680 | $75,440 |
| 75th percentile | $79,000 | $98,130 |
| 90th percentile | $96,352 | $125,590 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $50,428 |
| 25th | $59,000 |
| 50th (median) | $69,680 |
| 75th | $79,000 |
| 90th | $96,352 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $57,172 | $44,325 | $60,000 | 10 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2022 | $51,336 | $42,952 | $70,518 | 16 |
| FY2023 | $54,871 | $48,000 | $79,460 | 16 |
| FY2024 | $68,640 | $59,952 | $81,120 | 15 |
| FY2025 | $70,000 | $55,120 | $82,420 | 21 |
| FY2026 | $69,487 | $64,563 | $77,688 | 16 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Surveyor make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Surveyor jobs is $69,680 (37 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $59,000 and $79,000.
What does an entry-level Surveyor earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $62,431. Level I accounts for 44% of Surveyor filings.
Do H-1B Surveyors earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($69,680) is 8% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($75,440, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.