Overall Pay Scale

• As of May 2008, the lowest-paid 10 percent of land surveyors earned $29,600 or less, while the highest-paid 10 percent averaged $85,620 or more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
  
  

Work Experience

• Average salaries of land surveyors with one to four years of experience ranged from $28,486 to $49,352, according to January 2010 reporting by PayScale. Surveyors with 10 to 19 years of experience or more averaged $51,275 to $73,462.
  
  

Employer Type

• Self-employed land surveyors earned average salaries from $40,000 to $73,585, according to January 2010 reporting on PayScale. Those who worked for public companies earned an average of $41,286 to $69,604, while those employed by private firms earned $41,362 to $67,040.
  
  

Industry

• The highest-paying industries for land surveyors as of May 2008 were the federal government, foundation and exterior contractors and scientific consulting services, where average salaries ranged from $66,840 to $78,710, according to the BLS.
  
  

Geography

• The highest-paying states for land surveyors to work in as of May 2008 were Oregon, New Jersey, Washington, California and Alaska, with average salaries of $65,980 to $78,370, reports the BLS.