Surveying Articles

A Profession at a Crossroads — Too Few Recruits, Too Many Barriers

There’s a storm quietly brewing in land surveying—and it has nothing to do with weather. It’s the profession’s slow-burning crisis: a pipeline that’s running dry. Across the country, surveying firms are struggling to find new talent. Technical schools are reporting low enrollment in geomatics programs. Licensure numbers are stagnating—or declining. And the hard truth is this: if we don’t lower the drawbridge, the next generation simply won’t cross into the field.

The demand for surveyors is real and rising. Infrastructure is aging. Boundaries are being challenged in growing numbers. Land development is accelerating. Municipalities are digitizing records and modernizing mapping systems. The opportunities are there—but the workforce isn’t. And it’s not because young people don’t want to work. It’s because surveying has quietly become one of the most expensive and convoluted professions to break into—without the financial upside that justifies the cost.

Let’s start with the basics. The path to becoming a licensed land surveyor is long, costly, and, in many states, inflexible. You’ll need a degree—often a four-year one—followed by years of documented experience, multiple exams, and thousands in fees before you’re allowed to stamp your first plat. Add to that the cost of specialized software, field gear, and continuing education, and you’re looking at a career that asks for a heavy upfront investment. And what’s the starting pay in many regions? Just barely higher than entry-level construction or utility work—despite the responsibility and liability that comes with the job.

Meanwhile, the world has changed. Young professionals today are weighing career paths not just by prestige, but by accessibility, salary trajectory, and flexibility. They see that tech and engineering jobs offer faster entry, better pay, and fewer licensing barriers. So they follow the incentives—and surveying gets left behind.

There’s also a visibility problem. Ask the average high school student what a surveyor does, and you’re likely to get a blank stare—or a vague mention of construction. Surveying hasn’t told its story well. It hasn’t marketed itself as the high-tech, high-impact, future-facing profession that it actually is. And as a result, it’s getting edged out in the talent war by flashier, better-funded industries.

But here’s the kicker: the surveying profession didn’t mean to build these barriers. They were erected over time—piece by piece, in the name of quality, safety, and professional rigor. And in many cases, those standards are essential. We can’t afford to lose accuracy, ethics, or expertise. But we can afford to rethink the journey it takes to get there.

That’s where efforts like the LEARN platform come in—a system built specifically to lower the cost of entry, open up flexible learning paths, and connect aspiring surveyors with mentors who can guide them through the maze. LEARN isn’t just an education platform—it’s a strategy for rebuilding the pipeline.

Surveying is at a crossroads. Either we make the profession more accessible—or we watch it age out of existence. The next generation isn’t the problem. The barriers are. And now is the time to start tearing them down.

Sticker Shock — The Financial Burden of Becoming a Surveyor

Ask any young person considering a career in land surveying what’s stopping them, and sooner or later the same issue comes up: cost. Not just tuition. Not just fees. The total price of admission—education, equipment, software, licensing, certifications, and staying current—adds up quickly. And when the return on investment doesn’t compare to what other fields offer? That’s a deal-breaker.

Let’s break it down.

First, there’s education. In many states, becoming a licensed surveyor requires a four-year degree in geomatics or a related field. In others, it’s a two-year degree paired with several years of field experience. Either way, college costs money—a lot of it. With tuition, books, and living expenses, students can walk away with tens of thousands of dollars in debt before they’ve earned a dime. And unlike other professions with clearer pipelines to six-figure salaries, surveying rarely offers that kind of financial rebound—especially early on.

Then come the licensing costs. The FS (Fundamentals of Surveying) exam. Application fees. State board registrations. The PS exam. Study materials. In total, these can run well over $2,000, depending on the state. And that doesn’t include travel, time off work to study, or the possibility of needing to retake an exam. That’s a heavy lift for someone working entry-level wages just to stay afloat.

But the spending doesn’t stop once you’ve passed the test. Surveyors are expected to maintain continuing education, pay for software licenses (which can run into the thousands annually), keep up with hardware upgrades, and—if you’re independent or running your own crew—cover costs for liability insurance, vehicle maintenance, field gear, and data storage.

And let’s not forget that many new surveyors are also required to purchase or at least become proficient with high-end software like AutoCAD Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center, or ESRI’s ArcGIS—tools that often come with a learning curve and a hefty price tag.

Compare that to a young coder or GIS analyst who can learn tools online for free, get certified in months, and land a job paying $65K with zero licensure barriers—and you start to see why we’re losing the recruitment battle.

Here’s the painful irony: many of the most promising potential surveyors aren’t walking away because the work is unappealing. They’re walking away because the math doesn’t work. The cost of getting into the profession outweighs the benefits—at least in the short term.

That’s where initiatives like the LEARN platform come into play. By offering affordable, modular courses, PDH-certified content, and eventually free or discounted access to tools and simulators, LEARN is lowering the barrier to skill-building without saddling newcomers with unmanageable debt. Combined with mentorship opportunities and career path guidance, it provides an alternative route—one that’s flexible, practical, and financially realistic.

If we want the next generation to join us, we have to make the numbers work. Because right now, surveying looks like an expensive uphill climb next to a dozen easier roads. And if we’re honest, that’s a problem we built—and one we can fix.

Outpaced by Tech Fields — Why Young Professionals Are Choosing Other Paths

If you were a 22-year-old with a knack for spatial thinking, a love for maps, and a desire to build the world around you—where would you go? Surveying might sound like a good fit. But when you weigh it against careers in software, GIS, or civil engineering, the decision becomes obvious to many: choose the path with higher pay, faster advancement, and fewer regulatory headaches.

In short, surveying is getting outcompeted.

The competition isn’t coming from where it used to—architecture, construction, or drafting. It’s coming from the exploding world of tech. Careers in GIS, remote sensing, UX design, and data visualization all appeal to the same skill sets as surveying—but with better pay, faster growth, and modern workplace culture.

A GIS analyst can land a job after a 12-week bootcamp or a certificate from Coursera. A junior developer can learn Python and land a remote job with a flexible schedule and stock options. Civil engineers start with higher salaries and have a streamlined licensing path with stronger employer support. Surveying? It still tells young professionals to “pay your dues,” “work your way up,” and wait five to seven years before they’re allowed to make real decisions.

That doesn’t fly anymore.

The modern workforce is motivated by autonomy, mentorship, and momentum. They want a career where they can grow, make an impact, and feel respected from day one. Surveying, for all its technical brilliance and importance, often fails to project that image. Instead, it’s seen as slow to evolve, overly bureaucratic, and—let’s be honest—underpaid.

This isn’t just perception. The data backs it up. Entry-level wages for survey techs often lag behind comparable tech jobs by $10K–$20K annually. Licensing adds years to the timeline before one can fully practice, with little pay increase to show for it. And while modern surveyors do use cutting-edge tools—GNSS, drones, LiDAR, 3D modeling—outsiders rarely know that. Surveying’s image remains stuck in the 1980s.

And let’s not forget diversity. Surveying has struggled to attract women, people of color, and first-generation professionals, in part because the profession hasn’t invested in outreach or partnerships that reflect the changing face of the workforce. Meanwhile, tech fields are actively recruiting diverse candidates—and offering better pathways for them to thrive.

So how do we shift the momentum?

First, we need to tell a better story. Surveying is high-tech, impactful, and essential to everything from infrastructure to environmental protection. It’s a career that blends problem-solving with the outdoors, precision with purpose. But that message isn’t reaching classrooms, guidance counselors, or career changers.

Second, we need platforms that modernize access—like LEARN. Through immersive, flexible, low-cost training, LEARN is helping new professionals experience the high-tech side of surveying early on. With AI-integrated simulators and tools designed to mimic real workflows, it brings surveying into the digital age without the red tape.

The next generation isn’t avoiding surveying because it’s boring.

They’re avoiding it because we’ve made it harder to access, harder to grow in, and harder to justify. If we want to change that, we need to act like the profession we really are—not the one the world thinks we still are.

Licensing Limbo — When the Rules Push People Out

If you asked a room full of aspiring surveyors what part of the profession confuses or frustrates them the most, you’d hear the same word over and over again: licensure. Not because they don’t believe in the need for professional standards—most understand and respect that. The frustration comes from the fact that the system is inconsistent, unclear, and, in many cases, outdated. What should be a clear pathway to becoming a licensed professional is more like an obstacle course full of gatekeeping, conflicting state requirements, and bureaucratic traps.

Let’s start with the basics. In some states, you need a four-year degree in surveying or geomatics. In others, you can substitute a combination of experience and education. Some states require additional coursework in law or business. Others accept apprenticeships. Reciprocity between states? Spotty at best. And none of this includes the actual exams, which often vary in format, frequency, and focus depending on where you live.

What’s worse is the sheer amount of time it takes. Many licensing paths require years—years—of supervised experience before you’re even allowed to sit for the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. That means highly motivated professionals are left in limbo: skilled, working, and committed—but not officially licensed. They’re stuck in a holding pattern, often underpaid and undervalued, simply waiting to jump through one more hoop.

This extended timeline has consequences. Some drop out of the profession entirely, frustrated by the lack of upward mobility. Others pivot to adjacent fields—GIS, civil engineering, or even real estate—where they can advance faster and earn more without the red tape. And while we lose them, the profession loses diversity, youth, and the momentum it needs to thrive in the next decade.

It’s not about lowering the bar. It’s about making the process transparent, fair, and efficient. Licensure should reflect competency, not just time served. There should be multiple pathways for people with different backgrounds—veterans, tradespeople, autodidacts—to gain licensure through demonstrated skill and verified training. And states need to do a better job aligning their requirements so that professionals aren’t penalized for mobility.

This is where the LEARN platform offers a crucial solution. Rather than forcing aspiring professionals to wait years for institutional recognition, LEARN creates micro-credentials, field simulators, and guided learning tracks that provide practical training and validation of skills in real time. It’s not a replacement for licensure—but it fills the massive void between interest and authorization. It empowers learners, connects them with mentors, and builds a portfolio of real-world competencies that employers and boards can recognize and respect.

LEARN also functions as a kind of “pre-licensure accelerator”—helping candidates prepare for exams, understand the legal landscape, and navigate the idiosyncrasies of state requirements. It provides continuity in a process that too often breaks down.

Licensure is supposed to protect the public. But when the system becomes so convoluted that it pushes good people away, it’s not protecting anyone.

It’s time we admit that the path to becoming a licensed surveyor is unnecessarily complex—and start building bridges instead of barriers.

The Experience Trap — “No Field Time, No Job” vs. “No Job, No Field Time”

It’s one of the most common and demoralizing roadblocks for early-career surveyors: you need experience to get hired, but you need to get hired to gain experience. Welcome to the experience trap—the paradox that keeps passionate, capable newcomers from ever gaining traction in the profession. And it’s costing surveying more talent than we realize.

The message young professionals often hear goes something like this:
“You’re not ready for fieldwork until you’ve spent time in the field.”
Read that again.

It sounds absurd because it is. But it’s baked into the hiring culture of many firms. Managers want party chiefs who already know how to navigate terrain, operate total stations, troubleshoot GNSS hiccups, and manage field logistics. Understandable. But they’re unwilling—or unequipped—to train the people who could become those experts in the first place. And so the cycle repeats: firms only hire experienced workers, and new professionals are forced to look elsewhere.

Meanwhile, field experience remains one of the most critical components of becoming a competent surveyor. No amount of coursework or software training can replace the lessons learned while setting up in the mud, chasing line-of-sight through the brush, or adjusting to shifting environmental conditions. These aren’t just skills—they’re instincts. And they can’t be gained in a classroom or a YouTube tutorial alone.

So where does that leave new entrants? Often frustrated. They’re left with unpaid internships, occasional ride-alongs, or entry-level positions that offer no path to meaningful field time. Worse, some are told to “go get experience” before applying—without being told how or where to do that affordably. It’s no wonder many drift away from the profession entirely.

This is a failure of imagination, not capability. The profession needs to create structured, accessible, and intentional training opportunities for those who want to get their boots dirty—but don’t know where to start.

That’s why the LEARN platform is placing such a strong emphasis on field simulators and interactive fieldwork modules. These tools allow learners to practice everything from leveling routines to boundary line recon—without needing access to expensive equipment or job site liability waivers. It’s not just theory—it’s guided, replicable practice that prepares them for real-world conditions.

LEARN also connects learners with seasoned mentors and working surveyors who can provide opportunities to shadow, ask questions, and learn the ropes in a structured way. These micro-apprenticeships help fill the void where formal internships or training programs don’t exist. It turns passive learners into active apprentices—even if they’re 1,000 miles from the nearest surveying school.

But the industry needs to do its part, too. Firms must recognize the long-term value of investing in green workers. That means creating entry-level roles that include deliberate field exposure—not just grunt work. It means rewarding those who teach, not just those who produce.

Surveying is a learn-by-doing profession. But when we block access to “doing,” we choke off the next generation before they even get started.

The talent is out there. What’s missing is the pathway.

Fixing the Pipeline — What the Profession Must Do Differently

Let’s stop pretending the next generation is the problem. The interest is there. The capability is there. What’s missing is a profession-wide commitment to meeting them where they are, and then building a bridge to where we want them to go. If we’re serious about saving surveying from a slow fade into obscurity, we need to fix the pipeline—intentionally, urgently, and with long-term vision.

So what does that actually look like?

1. Start Early and Often

If kids don’t hear the word “surveying” until they’re 20, we’ve already lost them. Outreach needs to begin in middle and high schools, using modern language and technology to show students that this isn’t some dusty legacy career—it’s a cutting-edge blend of engineering, data science, outdoor adventure, and legal detective work. Programs like LEARN can partner with educators to offer virtual workshops, gamified field modules, and youth-oriented “day in the life” content to demystify the field and spark curiosity early.

2. Break Down Financial Barriers

We’ve covered the cost problem—and now we need to solve it. That means more scholarships, more firm-sponsored stipends, and partnerships with state boards to subsidize licensing fees for those in their first five years. Companies should also offer loan repayment assistance or paid study time as incentives to keep talent in-house. Meanwhile, platforms like LEARN offer affordable alternatives to traditional coursework, slashing the financial burden of continuing education and professional development.

3. Create Clear, Flexible Career Paths

Not everyone enters the profession through the same door—and that’s okay. The field needs multiple on-ramps: technical certifications, apprenticeships, degree-based programs, and military-to-career pathways. LEARN’s modular credentialing allows newcomers to stack real skills and knowledge while still exploring where they fit within the profession. That flexibility is critical for attracting career changers, veterans, and those without access to four-year programs.

4. Invest in Mentorship, Not Just Manpower

The most powerful recruitment tool we have isn’t a job board—it’s a mentor. Experienced surveyors need to be empowered and incentivized to teach, train, and invest in the next wave. Firms should bake mentorship into performance reviews, bonuses, and culture. Platforms like LEARN can serve as a digital bridge—pairing mentors with learners across regions and time zones, removing the limitations of geography from professional growth.

5. Redefine What Entry-Level Looks Like

Entry-level doesn’t mean expendable. It doesn’t mean “go hold the rod for two years and maybe we’ll teach you something.” Entry-level means investment, direction, and challenge. If new hires feel like they’re learning, growing, and contributing—they’ll stay. If not, they’ll find a faster-moving profession that values their time and energy.

6. Tell the Real Story of Surveying

Surveyors shape the built world. We define borders, keep construction honest, and protect property rights. That’s noble, essential work—and we need to say so. The profession must rebrand, not just for clients, but for future recruits. That means smarter marketing, public education, and a collective effort to broadcast our value.

This pipeline problem is solvable. But only if we stop hoping young people find us by accident—and start making sure they see surveying as a calling worth answering.

Make Surveying Make Sense — Rebuilding the Case for the Next Generation

If we want the next generation to choose surveying, we have to make it make sense—not just logically, but emotionally, financially, and professionally. We need to tell a better story and back it up with real changes. Because here’s the reality: most of the barriers standing in the way of new surveyors weren’t put there maliciously. They were built slowly, unintentionally, by a profession that didn’t adapt as the world changed.

Now, we have the chance to change that. But it starts by looking at the profession through the eyes of someone just starting out.

Imagine being 19 or 22, passionate about maps and technology, hungry for purpose. You want a job that matters. You want to work outside, solve problems, and build things. You want flexibility and growth. You want to belong to something that has history and future at the same time. Surveying has all of that—but it doesn’t look like it from the outside.

From the outside, surveying looks complicated, expensive, and slow to reward. It looks like gatekeeping and outdated systems. It looks like a career stuck between eras. And until we change that perception—and the reality behind it—we’ll keep losing talent to industries that simply do a better job selling themselves.

So how do we rebuild the case?

We start by emphasizing purpose. Surveying isn’t just a job—it’s a mission. You are the person who ensures a building sits where it’s supposed to. You define legal reality. You protect property rights and public safety. In an age of digital abstraction, surveyors still deal in ground truth. That’s powerful. That matters.

Next, we must highlight the technology. The equipment we use is bleeding-edge—drones, GNSS, laser scanning, 3D modeling, AI-powered workflows. Surveyors work at the intersection of engineering, geography, and data science. That’s not legacy work—it’s future work.

And most critically, we must offer a clear path forward. That’s what the LEARN platform was built to do:

• Make entry affordable.
  
  
• Make learning modular and practical.
  
  
• Make mentorship accessible.
  
  
• Make it possible for someone with no connections, no equipment, and no traditional degree to still become a surveyor.
  
  
• Make this profession something that welcomes new blood instead of waiting for it to arrive by accident.
  
  

We don’t need to lower standards—we need to raise our support systems. We need to show new professionals that surveying isn’t just a fallback career or an overlooked trade—it’s a dynamic, high-impact field that desperately needs smart, driven people.

And that can’t just be a pitch. It has to be the truth they experience from the moment they first show interest—through onboarding, training, career growth, and community. Surveying has too much at stake to leave the future up to chance.

So let’s give the next generation a reason to believe in this profession.

Let’s make surveying make sense—again.