Career comparison
Civil Engineer vs. Surveyor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Civil engineers earn more at the median ($100,840 vs. $75,440), while civil engineers usually get to work faster (4 years + PE path of training). Civil engineers design and build roads, bridges, water systems and the infrastructure we rely on. Surveyors measure land and set official property boundaries.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Civil Engineer | Surveyor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $100,840 ($48.48/hr) | $75,440 ($36.27/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $68,240 – $163,220 | $46,880 – $125,590 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +6.4% (faster than average) | +5.8% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 22,700 | 3,100 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years + PE path | 4 years + experience |
| Key credential | Engineer in Training (EIT) | Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) |
| Work setting | Civil engineers work in offices and at construction sites.. | Surveyors split time between field work in all terrain and weather and office work.. |
What each job does
Civil Engineer
- Design infrastructure projects
- Analyze loads, soils and water flow
- Prepare plans and specifications
- Estimate costs
- Manage construction
Surveyor
- Research deeds and records
- Measure land with GPS and total stations
- Set boundary markers
- Prepare plats and legal descriptions
- Stake out construction
How they’re similar
Both careers involve high-pay, high responsibility, indoor work, and working outdoors. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose civil engineer if…
- I love math and physics
- I want to build infrastructure
- I like solving complex problems
Choose surveyor if…
- I like working outdoors
- I’m precise
- I enjoy math
Still torn? Take the Civil Engineer fit quiz and the Surveyor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, civil engineer or surveyor?
Civil Engineers earn more at the median: $100,840 versus $75,440 for surveyors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Civil Engineers typically train faster (4 years + PE path) than surveyors (4 years + experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects civil engineers to grow +6.4% from 2025–35, compared with +5.8% for surveyors.