Since people have owned land, surveying has been an essential profession. The earliest evidence of surveying, potentially going back to 11,000 years ago, is found at the Nabta Playa site in southern Egypt, related to the construction of large megalithic structures.

All of the presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore were surveyors or map-makers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

The Egyptians, Babylonians, Romans, Incas, Chinese and other ancient civilizations all developed methods for surveying the earth.

Surveying is essential for nation-building – the United States even has a monument to four great surveyors on Mount Rushmore.

Land surveying is just the beginning

Today, the profession of surveying remains a vital component of economic growth and has moved far beyond mapping out boundaries to include new skills and technologies:

Types of Surveying

(paraphrased from Red Hawk Surveying)

1. Land surveying. Land surveyors establish boundaries or ensure property boundaries are correct:

To Resolve Disputes: Surveyors provide precise measurements and legal documentation, to help resolve boundary-related conflicts efficiently.
Real Estate: Surveying ensures that buyers receive exactly what they purchased.
Urban Planning: Property boundary surveys are key to designing and organizing urban spaces effectively, allowing for the efficient allocation of resources and insightful infrastructure development, all within zoning regulations.

2. Surveying is indispensable in engineering and construction of bridges, roads, and buildings.

Precise measurements of terrain, existing structures, and environmental conditions to help ensure safe and sustainable projects.
Guiding Construction: Surveyors ensure that buildings and infrastructure are constructed in the right location and that the construction is sound and meets design and local regulations. Today, many companies are incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) to create a digital twin of the structure before construction. Surveyors are key to ensuring that the construction adheres to the BIM design.

3. Environmental Management. Surveying is key to conservation and risk assessment.

Mapping Flood Risks: Intense precipitation events have highlighted the need for accurate topographical surveys of flood-prone areas. This information is essential for helping cities to develop effective flood mitigation strategies.
Wildlife Conservation: Surveying provides data on habitat boundaries, population density, and migration patterns. Survey data also informs land-use planning to balance human development with environmental preservation.

4. Archaeology – Surveying is key to the discovery, documentation, and preservation of historical sites.

Surveyors are using Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to transform the field of archeology. Additionally, surveying techniques are instrumental in accurately mapping archaeological sites to ensure meticulous documentation of artifacts.

5. Agriculture - Surveying contributes to efficient land management in agriculture:

Parcel Identification: makes sure the boundaries are correct
Topographic Mapping: Gives detailed information about the terrain, including elevation, slopes, and drainage patterns. Farmers use this data to plan crop planting, irrigation, and drainage systems.
Soil Analysis: Surveying assists in soil sampling and analysis.
Irrigation Planning: surveyors help identify the right areas to irrigate based on terrain and water availability. Surveyors also lay out canals and irrigation systems.

6. Mining – with growing the worldwide demand for lithium surveyors are key to estimating the volume, quality, and value of mineral deposits. Additionally, surveyors are key to:

Ensuring shaft and tunnel designs are safe and effective
Geotechnical Monitoring: Continuous surveying is essential to monitor ground stability, detect potential hazards like subsidence, and implement safety measures accordingly.
Equipment Guidance: Survey data is used for equipment guidance, ensuring accurate drilling, blasting, and ore extraction.

7. Transportation – surveyors are essential to planning and laying out roads, bridges, railroads and subways.

Route Planning: Surveyors provide accurate data on the terrain, obstacles, and other relevant factors affecting a planned thoroughfare.
Infrastructure Maintenance: Surveying aids in the regular assessment of the condition of roads, bridges, railways, and other infrastructure components. By detecting signs of wear and tear, damage, or structural issues, surveyors help ensure the safety and functionality of transportation networks.

8. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) rely heavily on accurate spatial data provided by surveyors.

*Surveying in a residential area for urban planning*

Data Collection: Surveyors gather precise geographic data, such as coordinates, elevation, and land features, which forms the foundation of GIS databases.
Mapping Applications: GIS applications are diverse and span multiple industries, including agriculture, forestry, and urban planning. Surveying data serves as the backbone for these mapping applications, enabling users to visualize and analyze spatial information effectively.

9. Disaster Management – accurate and timely information is key to dealing with any type of disaster.

Hazard Mapping: Surveyors help identify areas prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. Surveyor data on topography, soil composition, and historical disaster patterns, help create hazard maps that are used to inform authorities, communities, and emergency responders about high-risk areas.
Recovery Planning: After a disaster strikes, surveyors help assess damage and determine the extent of the disaster’s impact to help recovery efforts and reconstruction.

10. Urban and Regional Planning – Surveying data is key to informed decision-making for states, counties and municipalities.

*View GIS files of land use surveys in California*

Land Use Planning: Surveyors provide valuable data that aid urban planners in zoning, determining suitable land use, and optimizing the allocation of resources. It ensures that cities and regions are developed in a way that promotes efficient land utilization and minimizes conflicts over land rights.
Infrastructure Development: Surveying data identifies suitable locations for roads, utilities, and public facilities.

Surveying is an interesting and well-paid career

Surveying offers:

*Section of a “Get Kids into Survey” poster*

amazing new technology
the opportunity to work outdoors (or not)
the ability to have your own business or work in a larger practice
great pay (median pay is $68,540 per year)
meaningful and interesting work

A career with so many benefits is a career that more people should know about. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2023, there were approximately 52,600 surveyors, and at least 4,000 new surveyors will be needed every year in the next decade.

Berntsen supports the profession of surveying with NSPS Scholarships and the Final Point Program (as well providing as high-quality surveying products). The National Society of Professional Surveyors has all kinds of materials that can help surveyors promote the profession to young people here.

Surveying is also extremely appealing to people who want to make a career switch – especially those who want to do something that matters. Surveying is essential for economic growth and surveyors rightly take pride in their profession and its contribution to a thriving economy. Thank you, surveyors!

Happy Surveyor’s Week!

Land surveying is just the beginning

Types of Surveying

Surveying is an interesting and well-paid career

Time for pi