To become a surveyor, you generally need to have a bachelor’s degree in Surveying. In
some cases, people can get surveying jobs with a bachelor’s degree in a related topic, such as
natural resources or engineering. Some entry-level job postings found online only require an
associate’s degree. The listed requirements and preferred skills vary slightly from company to
company, but many of them do mention having knowledge of CAD software and the ability to
carry heavy equipment. Surveyors work outside often, so they have to be able to work in a
variety of weather conditions on a variety of terrains.
Requirements to get a professional surveyor license are different in different states. They
all require the surveyor to pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam and the Principles and
Practice of Surveying (PS) exam, and they all require some relevant work experience. In New
Jersey, you must have graduated from a surveying curriculum of at least four years and must
have at least three years of experience in surveying. In addition to the two universal exams, you
have to pass a New Jersey State Specific exam, for a total of 16 hours of written exams. Some of
the reasons that people choose to become professional surveyors are because it offers lots of
variety, provides an opportunity to work outside, and in many cases, they get to work with
cutting-edge technology. Surveying jobs are important to the community and are in relatively
high demand as well.
The process to become a professional engineer, you must first get a four-year degree in
engineering from an accredited program. Then you will need to pass the Fundamentals of
Engineering (FE) exam, then complete four years of progressive engineering work experience.
Finally, you have to pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. This process is
very similar to the one for becoming a licensed professional surveyor in that it requires a degree,
experience, and two exams. In both fields, a license serves to let both employers and clients
