10 Most Popular Surveying Careers (with Salary Info and Duties)

Surveyors are the people who examine and analyze the sites and procedures for construction and development. They can work as government employees as well as under private firms. But they should have a license to do their job legally. A client will rely on your skills only if you have a licence.  All the necessary information that you need to know about the career of a surveyor is provided in this article so that you can make an informed decision if you are considering being a surveyor as one of your possible careers. This will help you understand the differences in the skillset needed, qualifications, salaries and job profiles of different kinds of surveyors.

Types of Surveyors

Various subdisciplines come under the category of surveying. Various kinds of surveyors are listed below.

Archaeological Surveyors

These are the surveyors who make reports to the archaeological authorities or websites about the findings of their survey. They must create an understanding of the relationship between an archaeological site and its landscape.

Land Surveyor

A land surveyor must measure, plot, and record the exact legal boundaries of the land. They should also create correct maps of construction sites.

Mining Surveyor

A Mining Surveyor’s job is to explore the assigned mines and determine whether the extraction of mineral content in there is economically feasible for their firm. They explore the features of the mines and hence estimate the amount of minerals present there.

Property Surveyor

They are the surveyors who examine the condition of buildings and any other kind of infrastructure. A property surveyor is the person who informs the client of the alterations and repairs that are needed in a building.

Hydrographic surveyors

They determine the geography of a waterbody with the help of specialised instruments. These features include shoreline obstacles, depth and tide measurements.

Aerial surveyors

They collect the information using areal methods like helicopters, drone cameras, aeroplanes etc.

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Equipment Knowledge Needed to Become a Surveyor

To be a successful surveyor you need to know the uses and maintenance of the below listed equipment.

• GPS equipment
• Surveying magnetic locator
• Theodolites
• Brush axes
• Abney levels
• Distance measuring wheel
• Scanner targets and related areas
• Surveyors measuring rope

Pros and Cons of Career as a Surveyor

Like any other job, the career of a surveyor also has advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Some of them are given in the table below.

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10 Most Popular Surveying Careers (With Salary Info and Duties)

It is already said that a person having studies to become a surveyor has a variety of jobs to choose from.

Crew Supervisor

The average monthly salary of a Crew supervisor in India is around ₹32,932.  A crew supervisor is responsible for overseeing the construction project as well as monitoring the activities taking place on the project site. They have to ensure that the staff in the project follows the required safety regulations and each activity in the project is completed within the stipulated time frame. Besides these, they have to participate in the creation of contracts and be in charge of communication with suppliers and sub-contractors. They have to conduct various administrative duties too.

A crew supervisor also monitors the general building processes, ensures the quality of the raw materials, orders the required items to the site manages and coordinates the workforce present on the site and reports the progress to the clients.

GIS Analyst

The average monthly salary of a GIS analyst is ₹23,325 in India. Duties of a Geographic information system analyst include utilizing the mapping software to conduct special data analysis and to create digital maps that also show geographical data. The strong skills that a GIs analyst should possess are computer programming, data analysis and map-making skills. They utilise the complex data to study and make reports about effective land usage. GIS analysts should understand how to use GPS devices and map-making tools to construct databases.

Facilities Manager

A Facilities manager is paid around Rs 559573 annually in India. The job of a facilities manager is to ensure that an establishment or building meets the demands of the residing professionals. So, they oversee the management and service provisions there. Their duties are listed below.

• Inspection of electrical and plumbing appliances
• leading teams of caterers and janitors
• budgeting the cost of building maintenance and overseeing it
• scheduling the repair and maintenance of amenities, equipment and units in the building

Land Surveyor

The average salary of a land surveyor at the national level is around ₹19,182 here. Duties of the land surveyor are listed below.

• Determination of the legal boundaries of the plots of land and properties
• Study the history of the area they are surveying
• Visit and examine the site to learn more about the previous occupants of that land and what activities could have happened there.
• They have to perform legal functions like the revision of the legal boundaries of the land as well as the preparation of the building sites according to the already existing land records.
• In most cases the firms consider the designs and maps given by a land surveyor to be legally binding.

Quantity Surveyor

The Quantity Surveyors in our country are paid around Rs. 394145 annually. Responsibilities of a quantity surveyor are as provided below.

• Ensure that the projects are completed in stipulated time all the while staying within the planned budget.
• preparing cost estimates by analysing the amount of material and labour needed
• conducting cost analysis accurately and making adjustments in necessary areas
• creating project budgets
• negotiate with the suppliers, vendors and contractors to ensure the best price for the project
• they have to manage contracts, prepare project reports, make risk assessments, and prepare the analytic document that helps you to keep track of project progress.
• Quantity surveyors have to do basic-level project management
• Suggest to the client alternative strategies or improvements to already existing ones with help the data collected

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Drafter

The average monthly salary of a drafter in India is about ₹18,648. Duties of a drafter are discussed below.

• Create the maps and drawings required for civil engineering projects
• Usually works from office. Here they develop maps using the software suggested by the company and also prepare reports
• Construction site visitation to observe the land and space available
• Have to collaborate with other professionals like engineers, architects, construction workers etc., who are also heavily involved in the design phase of a project.
• All works done by a drafter should be precise and have great attention to details

Surveyor

The average annual salary of a Surveyor in India is around Rs. 420000. Their job profile includes the duties listed below.

• Asses the assigned properties
• Measure the lines of the property and determine the boundaries correctly and hence ensure that already existing property records contain correct information
• Report to higher authorities if any irregularities are found
• Collect as much information about the land such as the land titles and former records of survey
• Use the information gathered while measuring the land to create maps for public and private use
• Collaborate with government agencies, project managers and other professionals that may belong to a construction crew

Cartographer

A cartographer in India earns on average ₹50,636 every month. They must create maps. The detailed job profile of cartographers is listed below.

• Creation of maps that express and are spatially
• Use science, art and technology to make special geography maps
• The services are essential for government agencies in weather monitoring and city planning.
• Provide information about the population density and demographics residing in a location on the map
• Use visual aids to provide additional information about a location on the map

Construction Project Manager

A Construction Project Manager earns almost Rs. 1185059 annually in India. Their duties include:

• Collaborating with other construction professionals such as engineers, architects and contractors to create budgets and plans for the project and also to estimate the deadline for project completion.
• Decide which workers are suitable for an activity. Hire new workers and allow the work to already hired people accordingly
• reprimanding or even firing the project members in necessary situations. Finding their replacement and hiring them also comes under the duties of a construction project manager.
• Ensure the workforce has enough people at all times
• Work with suppliers to schedule the delivery of materials at the right time without any delay
• Do the risk management and find solutions in such a way that they stay within budget and will be finished in time

GIS Manager

The average salary of a GIS manager is around Rs1450000.  They are the specialists in the field of geographical science. Their duties and responsibilities are listed below.

• Lead other professionals working in the geographical sector such as GIS analysts.
• Organised their team and led them in the innovation and exploration of GIS software, digital maps and geographical resources.
• Handle responsibilities like budgeting, estimation and business development
• Management of the GIS portfolio
• Project activities scheduling
• Planning the technical approaches for project procedures
• Training the team members and providing them with skill development programs

10 Most Popular Surveying Careers (With Salary Info and Duties) FAQs

1. What is the job profile of an Estimator?

The estimator earns about ₹589,581 annually in India.  Their job profile includes duties such as:

• Collecting information from the clients, company professionals and other sources to predict the cost of the project with the greatest possible precision.
• gather the data on the prices of raw materials and services from different vendors, suppliers, contractors and professionals and make sure that there is cost efficiency in the project while not compromising on standards and qualities
• Prepare the client estimate reports
• Conduct comprehensive risk assessments
• Examine at various stages of the project that the costs are on par with the amounts planned for them in the budget

2.Who is an Urban Planner?

An urban planner earns on average ₹39,724 in a month. Their duties are:

• Optimize the utilization of land in metropolitan areas and cities
• Asses the communities to develop the long-term goals and short-term goals for the growth, development and revitalising of the urban locations.
• Help the local community in finding solutions for economic, environmental and social challenges they may face when their place changes.

3. What are the responsibilities and salary of a Geographer?

The average monthly salary of a geographer in India is about ₹32,808. They have a job profile that includes the following responsibilities.

• Conduct the studies on physical and cultural geography of a place
• Document the natural features of the places they study
• Use GIS data to learn about international trends
• Prepare the data collected into maps, charts and reports
• Make suggestions to governments, companies and the public about subjects such as waste management, housing, disaster preparedness, road building etc