Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Albuquerque, NM is $79,920/year ($38.43/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $83,642 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,464/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Albuquerque?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albuquerque’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About surveyors
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What this looks like in Albuquerque
Surveyors pay in Albuquerque tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,464/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Albuquerque, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $63K | $64K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $66K | $64K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $80K | $77K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $81K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albuquerque, NM
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Surveyors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surveyors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $100K | +32% | 250 |
| Oregon | $97K | +29% | 530 |
| Massachusetts | $95K | +25% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $86K | +13% | 780 |
| Montana | $85K | +12% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 980 |
| Maine | $83K | +10% | 270 |
| Delaware | $83K | +10% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +9% | 490 |
| Hawaii | $82K | +9% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +8% | 240 |
| Indiana | $81K | +7% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +6% | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 250 |
| Colorado | $79K | +5% | 1,620 |
| New York | $79K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $77K | +3% | 1,360 |
| South Dakota | $77K | +2% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +2% | 900 |
| Iowa | $77K | +2% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +2% | 430 |
| Vermont | $76K | +1% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $76K | +1% | 920 |
| North Carolina | $76K | +1% | 1,530 |
| Illinois | $76K | +1% | 1,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Kansas | $76K | +1% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -2% | 290 |
| Idaho | $74K | -2% | 250 |
| Utah | $73K | -3% | 650 |
| Michigan | $72K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -5% | 670 |
| Virginia | $71K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Ohio | $71K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -10% | 430 |
| Alabama | $67K | -11% | 910 |
| Florida | $65K | -13% | 4,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -14% | 280 |
| Maryland | $65K | -14% | 950 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -16% | 1,460 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -17% | 150 |
| Missouri | $62K | -18% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -18% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -19% | 960 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 6,410 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -22% | 570 |
| Georgia | $58K | -23% | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -31% | 550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surveyors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albuquerque numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albuquerque?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 28.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,464/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Albuquerque?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,573/month. At HUD’s $1,464/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surveyor a high-paying job in Albuquerque?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Albuquerque compare to the national average for surveyors?
Albuquerque pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Albuquerque, NM?
The median is $79,920 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,890, and experienced surveyors can clear $104,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Albuquerque?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,141/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,464/month, which eats 28.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surveyors salary go in Albuquerque?
Albuquerque has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surveyors salary is worth about $83,642 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveyors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.