The average surveyor salary in Canada is $65,000-$95,000 per year. This guide breaks down land surveyor pay by province, specialization, and licensure level.
Table of Contents
Surveyor Salary by Province
Province
Technician
Licensed
Practice Owner
Alberta
$70,000
$105,000
$160,000
Ontario
$65,000
$100,000
$150,000
British Columbia
$68,000
$102,000
$155,000
Saskatchewan
$68,000
$98,000
$145,000
Manitoba
$62,000
$92,000
$140,000
Quebec
$58,000
$88,000
$135,000
Nova Scotia
$55,000
$82,000
$125,000
New Brunswick
$52,000
$80,000
$120,000
Newfoundland
$60,000
$90,000
$135,000
PEI
$50,000
$75,000
$115,000
Territories
$85,000+
$120,000
$180,000
Salary by Certification Level
Level
Salary Range
Survey Assistant/Rodman
$40,000-$55,000
Survey Technician
$55,000-$72,000
Party Chief
$68,000-$85,000
Survey Technologist
$72,000-$90,000
CLS (Canada Lands Surveyor)
$90,000-$130,000
Provincial Land Surveyor
$85,000-$125,000
Practice Owner
$120,000-$200,000+
Salary by Specialization
Specialization
Salary Range
Boundary/Cadastral
$75,000-$110,000
Construction/Engineering
$70,000-$95,000
Mining
$85,000-$120,000
Hydrographic
$80,000-$110,000
Geodetic
$80,000-$115,000
GIS/Mapping
$65,000-$90,000
Photogrammetry
$70,000-$95,000
UAV/Drone
$65,000-$90,000
Salary by Industry
Industry
Salary Range
Survey Firm
$65,000-$100,000
Engineering Firm
$70,000-$95,000
Government
$70,000-$100,000
Mining Company
$85,000-$130,000
Oil & Gas
$90,000-$140,000
Construction
$70,000-$95,000
Utility Company
$72,000-$98,000
Take-Home Pay (Ontario Example)
Gross Salary
Annual Take-Home
Monthly Net
$75,000
$56,500
$4,710
$95,000
$69,500
$5,790
$120,000
$84,500
$7,040
Path to CLS/PLS Licensure
Stage
Duration
Typical Pay
Diploma/Degree
2-4 years
Student
Articling (work experience)
2-3 years
$55,000-$75,000
Commission Exams
During articles
—
Licensed Surveyor
Post-exam
$90,000-$130,000
Practice Ownership
Metric
Typical Range
Firm Revenue
$500,000-$2,000,000
Owner Compensation
20-30% of revenue
Owner Take-Home
$120,000-$400,000
Firm Value
40-70% annual revenue
Succession
Selling to staff common
Benefits & Work Conditions
Factor
Details
Field Work
60-80% of time outdoors
Travel
Often required
Remote Work
Common in resource sectors
Camp Work
Premium pay, rotations
Physical Demands
Moderate (hiking, carrying equipment)
Is Surveying a Good Career in Canada?
Pros:
Severe shortage (retiring workforce)
Outdoor work
Business ownership potential
Project variety
Technology (drones, GPS, 3D scanning)
Good income for education level
Cons:
Weather exposure
Remote/travel work
Long path to licensure
Physical demands
Seasonal feast/famine in some areas