Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI is $91,750/year ($44.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.82), that's roughly $87,531 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,709/month, or 29.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $92K actually covers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington’s Regional Price Parity (104.82). 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington sits well above the national pay line for surveyors, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,709/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 104.82) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Duluth | $75K | $85K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $81K | $84K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $79K | $86K |
| Sioux Falls | $81K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $92K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $68K 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $92K, rent takes 30.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,961/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $92K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington compare to the national average for surveyors?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington pays $92K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
The median is $91,750 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,920, and experienced surveyors can clear $127,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $92K enough to live in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,677/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 30.1% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington has a Regional Price Parity of 104.82 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surveyors salary is worth about $87,531 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.