Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Erie, PA is $53,650/year ($25.79/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers.
So what does $54K get you in Erie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Erie’s Regional Price Parity (91). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Erie
Pay for surveyors in Erie runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,212/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Erie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $79K | , |
| Pittsburgh | $77K | , |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $75K | , |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $78K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Erie, PA
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $37K 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
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 Erie numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Erie?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 33.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Erie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,632/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Erie?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $54K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Erie compare to the national average for surveyors?
Erie pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Erie, PA?
The median is $53,650 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,870, and experienced surveyors can clear $80,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Erie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,625/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 33.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a surveyors salary go in Erie?
Erie has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surveyors salary is worth about $58,956 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.