Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Odessa, TX is $59,660/year ($28.69/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.9), which stretches that salary to about $63,536 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,595/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Odessa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Odessa’s Regional Price Parity (93.9). 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 Odessa
Pay for surveyors in Odessa runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,595/month, which is 38.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for surveyorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Odessa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $63K | $64K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $66K | $64K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $58K | $59K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $59K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Odessa, TX
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $71K 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 Odessa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Odessa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 38.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,595/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Odessa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,313/month. At HUD’s $1,595/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Odessa?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $60K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Odessa compare to the national average for surveyors?
Odessa pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Odessa, TX?
The median is $59,660 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,550, and experienced surveyors can clear $109,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Odessa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,165/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,595/month, which eats 38.3% 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 Odessa?
Odessa has a Regional Price Parity of 93.9 (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 $63,536 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.