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Surveyor (m/f/d)
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Surveyors: gathering the spatial data of the earth
Surveyors or geodesists, to use the Greek technical terminology, map the world down to the smallest corner: they record the spatial data of the earth, measure areas, mountains, waters or buildings and map the collected facts. The results are important for areas such as construction planning, border demarcation or climate research.
Which opportunities do surveyors have on the labour market?
According to DVW (German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management), about half of the surveyors in Germany are employed at land registry and surveying offices. The other half work for engineering, architectural and planning offices, manufacturers of measuring and navigation systems or in the research area. The career prospects for surveyors are promising, as there are more job offers than qualified applicants. Furthermore, modern technology brings about the development of new professions outside the classical surveying area. Here, young professionals are highly sought-after as well.
What are the tasks and responsibilities of surveyors?
Surveyors commute between their workplace outdoors and their office. They have to be on-site to ensure that the surveying is carried out correctly. In the office, they deal with the planning and evaluation of the measurement series.
The daily tasks include:
- Surveying of land, buildings or landscapes, ranging from summits to the ocean floor
- Use of technical devices such as total stations, GPS receivers or 3D scanners
- Evaluation of recorded data
- Planning, preparation and visualisation of the measurement results
- Creation and maintenance of databases
Which hard skills and soft skills should surveyors have?
Surveyors must have a great variety of skills. A degree in surveying and geodesy or geoinformatics is usually required to work in this profession. They need to have expert knowledge in surveying and must work absolutely reliably when it comes to recording, evaluation and documentation of data, as measurement and calculating errors would have fatal consequences.
Surveyors must be well-versed in the following areas:
- Geoscience
- Management of geographical data
- Technologies in the field of geoinformation
- Cartography
- Surveying and geodetic measuring techniques
- Statistics and mathematical geodesy
- IT applications such as tools for image processing, programming of geographical data, CAD for construction, architecture and surveying
- Navigation
- Legal and administrative regulations
Certain soft skills are required as well:
- A sense of responsibility
- A precise way of working
- The ability to think visually
- A quick perception
- The ability to work in all weather conditions
- Leadership qualities for project management
- An interdisciplinary way of thinking
What is the average salary of surveyors?
While junior surveyors earn between EUR 2,300 and EUR 3,200 gross per month, the average monthly salary of experienced surveyors is about EUR 3,340. Top earners may even receive a salary of up to EUR 5,500 gross per month, depending on employer, field of work and experience.
The remuneration of apprentices training to become surveying technicians in public service depends on the year of their apprenticeship, ranging between EUR 670 (year 1), EUR 840 (year 2) and EUR 940 (year 3). When their training is completed, surveying technicians earn approximately EUR 2,750 gross per month on average.
Finding your ideal job as a surveyor – with Hays
As a surveyor, you will likely have a great variety of jobs to choose from. We will be happy to support you in finding a promising position that matches your qualifications. Learn more about the benefits of finding a job with Hays!
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