222 metro areas
Survey Technician Salary by City (2026)
Survey technicians earn the most in Los Angeles, CA, an average of $90,290 a year, against $58,000 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in San Luis Obispo, CA ($82,770 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $58,000BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $90,290Los Angeles, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $82,770San Luis Obispo, CA
- Metro areas
- 222With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for survey technicians
Top 10 metro areas
- Los Angeles, CA$90,290
- San Francisco, CA$90,040
- San Luis Obispo, CA$89,880
- Vallejo, CA$86,610
- San Jose, CA$83,990
- Sacramento, CA$83,950
- Visalia, CA$82,010
- Santa Rosa, CA$81,970
- San Diego, CA$80,480
- Anchorage, AK$78,640
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $90,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,040 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $89,880 |
| Vallejo, CA | $86,610 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $83,990 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $83,950 |
| Visalia, CA | $82,010 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $81,970 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $80,480 |
| Anchorage, AK | $78,640 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- San Luis Obispo, CA$89,880 nominal$82,770
- Visalia, CA$82,010 nominal$82,150
- Vallejo, CA$86,610 nominal$79,840
- Los Angeles, CA$90,290 nominal$79,500
- Sacramento, CA$83,950 nominal$78,700
- San Francisco, CA$90,040 nominal$77,880
- New Orleans, LA$70,930 nominal$76,600
- San Jose, CA$83,990 nominal$76,060
- Santa Rosa, CA$81,970 nominal$76,050
- Reno, NV$76,290 nominal$75,520
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $82,770 |
| Visalia, CA | $82,150 |
| Vallejo, CA | $79,840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,500 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,700 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,880 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $76,600 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $76,060 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $76,050 |
| Reno, NV | $75,520 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Survey Technician salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $90,290 | $62,710 | $103,880 | $79,500 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $90,040 | $59,950 | $104,850 | $77,880 |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $89,880 | $57,490 | $105,830 | $82,770 |
| 4 | Vallejo, CA | $86,610 | $56,600 | $101,400 | $79,840 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $83,990 | $60,420 | $95,600 | $76,060 |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $83,950 | $54,500 | $98,470 | $78,700 |
| 7 | Visalia, CA | $82,010 | $56,220 | $94,720 | $82,150 |
| 8 | Santa Rosa, CA | $81,970 | $54,870 | $95,330 | $76,050 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $80,480 | $53,040 | $93,970 | $71,930 |
| 10 | Anchorage, AK | $78,640 | $59,990 | $87,840 | $74,600 |
| 11 | Santa Maria, CA | $77,650 | $52,480 | $90,040 | $71,370 |
| 12 | Riverside, CA | $76,500 | $47,670 | $90,710 | $71,870 |
| 13 | Reno, NV | $76,290 | $49,820 | $89,340 | $75,520 |
| 14 | Stockton, CA | $73,880 | $52,060 | $84,610 | $70,300 |
| 15 | Oxnard, CA | $73,670 | $47,260 | $86,690 | $66,650 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $73,400 | $56,740 | $81,600 | $70,020 |
| 17 | Bremerton, WA | $71,530 | $52,980 | $80,660 | $67,730 |
| 18 | Hartford, CT | $71,220 | $51,130 | $81,100 | $69,320 |
| 19 | New Orleans, LA | $70,930 | $41,390 | $85,490 | $76,600 |
| 20 | Modesto, CA | $70,570 | $49,170 | $81,120 | $67,790 |
| 21 | Santa Fe, NM | $69,450 | $47,150 | $80,450 | $70,320 |
| 22 | Albany, NY | $68,140 | $47,030 | $78,560 | $68,440 |
| 23 | Seattle, WA | $68,020 | $51,790 | $76,000 | $61,210 |
| 24 | Providence, RI-MA | $67,870 | $47,150 | $78,080 | $66,690 |
| 25 | Kennewick, WA | $67,600 | $52,670 | $74,960 | $67,550 |
| 26 | Bakersfield, CA | $66,850 | $44,430 | $77,900 | $66,260 |
| 27 | Ann Arbor, MI | $66,750 | $49,380 | $75,320 | $66,170 |
| 28 | Fresno, CA | $66,660 | $50,860 | $74,440 | $65,250 |
| 29 | Boston, MA-NH | $66,520 | $50,520 | $74,380 | $61,440 |
| 30 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $66,520 | $46,320 | $76,460 | $61,090 |
| 31 | Bellingham, WA | $66,410 | $54,410 | $72,320 | $64,270 |
| 32 | Yuma, AZ | $66,370 | $40,830 | $78,960 | $71,590 |
| 33 | Duluth, MN-WI | $66,290 | $50,730 | $73,940 | $74,680 |
| 34 | Bend, OR | $66,210 | $50,810 | $73,800 | $63,900 |
| 35 | Baltimore, MD | $66,000 | $46,070 | $75,820 | $63,170 |
| 36 | Durham, NC | $65,870 | $48,570 | $74,420 | $67,510 |
| 37 | Toledo, OH | $64,460 | $46,970 | $73,070 | $70,480 |
| 38 | Ogden, UT | $64,310 | $45,660 | $73,510 | $64,090 |
| 39 | Salem, OR | $64,310 | $46,590 | $73,030 | $62,050 |
| 40 | Trenton, NJ | $64,250 | $44,550 | $73,940 | $62,270 |
| 41 | Bozeman, MT | $64,170 | $48,690 | $71,780 | $62,600 |
| 42 | Olympia, WA | $64,110 | $49,440 | $71,320 | $61,840 |
| 43 | Salt Lake City, UT | $63,440 | $43,600 | $73,200 | $62,890 |
| 44 | Dayton, OH | $63,360 | $45,200 | $72,300 | $68,350 |
| 45 | Madison, WI | $63,290 | $48,900 | $70,390 | $65,050 |
| 46 | Pueblo, CO | $63,150 | $44,200 | $72,490 | $68,820 |
| 47 | Bismarck, ND | $62,880 | $49,230 | $69,600 | $69,080 |
| 48 | New York, NY-NJ | $62,840 | $47,130 | $70,570 | $55,830 |
| 49 | Idaho Falls, ID | $62,550 | $41,500 | $72,920 | $66,250 |
| 50 | Las Vegas, NV | $62,550 | $45,340 | $71,010 | $62,420 |
| 51 | Milwaukee, WI | $62,550 | $50,400 | $68,540 | $64,530 |
| 52 | Monroe, LA | $62,520 | $37,730 | $74,730 | $74,790 |
| 53 | Des Moines, IA | $62,280 | $49,670 | $68,490 | $67,920 |
| 54 | Cleveland, OH | $62,170 | $45,470 | $70,410 | $66,190 |
| 55 | Portland, ME | $62,170 | $49,320 | $68,490 | $61,040 |
| 56 | Boulder, CO | $62,050 | $45,490 | $70,220 | $58,980 |
| 57 | New Haven, CT | $61,860 | $41,950 | $71,660 | $59,160 |
| 58 | Eugene, OR | $61,710 | $44,840 | $70,010 | $60,760 |
| 59 | Grand Junction, CO | $61,480 | $41,080 | $71,530 | $64,390 |
| 60 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,380 | $44,510 | $69,700 | $59,850 |
| 61 | Fort Collins, CO | $61,360 | $45,780 | $69,040 | $60,680 |
| 62 | York, PA | $61,320 | $48,650 | $67,560 | $63,880 |
| 63 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $61,280 | $49,070 | $67,290 | $68,880 |
| 64 | Colorado Springs, CO | $61,150 | $43,740 | $69,720 | $60,720 |
| 65 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $61,070 | $44,700 | $69,140 | $61,090 |
| 66 | Akron, OH | $60,960 | $44,550 | $69,060 | $65,290 |
| 67 | Columbus, OH | $60,920 | $46,010 | $68,270 | $63,810 |
| 68 | Houma, LA | $60,760 | $39,710 | $71,120 | $71,400 |
| 69 | Chicago, IL-IN | $60,320 | $44,470 | $68,120 | $58,230 |
| 70 | Richmond, VA | $60,300 | $42,270 | $69,200 | $61,620 |
| 71 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $60,220 | $44,280 | $68,080 | $63,140 |
| 72 | Portland, OR-WA | $60,170 | $46,740 | $66,790 | $57,080 |
| 73 | Baton Rouge, LA | $60,030 | $39,770 | $70,010 | $66,130 |
| 74 | Farmington, NM | $59,720 | $40,460 | $69,220 | $68,090 |
| 75 | Pittsburgh, PA | $59,680 | $41,310 | $68,720 | $63,040 |
| 76 | Bridgeport, CT | $59,530 | $43,890 | $67,230 | $55,710 |
| 77 | Denver, CO | $59,490 | $45,910 | $66,160 | $56,240 |
| 78 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $59,450 | $43,740 | $67,180 | $62,520 |
| 79 | Iowa City, IA | $59,430 | $44,760 | $66,640 | $64,940 |
| 80 | Spokane, WA | $59,340 | $44,820 | $66,480 | $59,140 |
| 81 | Green Bay, WI | $59,260 | $45,930 | $65,810 | $63,660 |
| 82 | Naples, FL | $59,180 | $43,370 | $66,980 | $57,340 |
| 83 | Manchester, NH | $59,050 | $44,300 | $66,330 | $55,890 |
| 84 | Savannah, GA | $59,010 | $40,750 | $68,020 | $61,980 |
| 85 | Waco, TX | $59,010 | $43,780 | $66,500 | $63,760 |
| 86 | Missoula, MT | $58,990 | $46,280 | $65,250 | $61,160 |
| 87 | Albuquerque, NM | $58,950 | $42,970 | $66,810 | $61,700 |
| 88 | Billings, MT | $58,760 | $46,360 | $64,880 | $62,830 |
| 89 | Phoenix, AZ | $58,720 | $43,160 | $66,390 | $56,840 |
| 90 | Staunton, VA | $58,640 | $40,370 | $67,640 | $64,350 |
| 91 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $58,590 | $42,160 | $66,680 | $59,820 |
| 92 | Lafayette, IN | $58,570 | $43,950 | $65,790 | $62,690 |
| 93 | Davenport, IA-IL | $58,470 | $46,680 | $64,270 | $65,640 |
| 94 | Detroit, MI | $58,410 | $43,200 | $65,890 | $58,240 |
| 95 | Norwich, CT | $58,260 | $44,800 | $64,900 | $58,000 |
| 96 | Indianapolis, IN | $58,240 | $42,290 | $66,080 | $60,860 |
| 97 | Dover, DE | $58,050 | $42,850 | $65,540 | $59,530 |
| 98 | Topeka, KS | $58,030 | $44,760 | $64,560 | $65,330 |
| 99 | Harrisburg, PA | $57,800 | $44,180 | $64,500 | $58,590 |
| 100 | Charlottesville, VA | $57,680 | $40,040 | $66,370 | $58,180 |
| 101 | Fort Wayne, IN | $57,410 | $40,520 | $65,730 | $62,020 |
| 102 | Buffalo, NY | $57,370 | $41,430 | $65,210 | $59,860 |
| 103 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $57,220 | $47,220 | $62,150 | $61,830 |
| 104 | Las Cruces, NM | $57,050 | $43,220 | $63,880 | $63,240 |
| 105 | Winchester, VA-WV | $56,950 | $38,540 | $66,020 | $59,050 |
| 106 | Greeley, CO | $56,850 | $42,640 | $63,860 | $56,750 |
| 107 | Greensboro, NC | $56,830 | $42,490 | $63,880 | $61,200 |
| 108 | Grand Rapids, MI | $56,780 | $44,760 | $62,690 | $59,430 |
| 109 | Wichita, KS | $56,760 | $40,500 | $64,770 | $63,810 |
| 110 | Fayetteville, NC | $56,720 | $38,690 | $65,600 | $61,670 |
| 111 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $56,700 | $39,400 | $65,210 | $57,680 |
| 112 | Bloomington, IN | $56,430 | $40,710 | $64,170 | $59,350 |
| 113 | Nashville, TN | $56,410 | $42,850 | $63,070 | $58,550 |
| 114 | Provo, UT | $56,410 | $38,730 | $65,120 | $57,430 |
| 115 | Auburn, AL | $56,370 | $32,910 | $67,930 | $64,110 |
| 116 | Birmingham, AL | $56,160 | $36,960 | $65,620 | $61,280 |
| 117 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $56,060 | $40,460 | $63,730 | $60,820 |
| 118 | Houston, TX | $55,950 | $38,560 | $64,500 | $56,730 |
| 119 | Syracuse, NY | $55,850 | $40,140 | $63,590 | $58,330 |
| 120 | Killeen, TX | $55,830 | $37,590 | $64,810 | $61,260 |
| 121 | Canton, OH | $55,790 | $41,970 | $62,610 | $62,400 |
| 122 | Knoxville, TN | $55,680 | $41,580 | $62,630 | $60,150 |
| 123 | South Bend, IN-MI | $55,680 | $41,080 | $62,860 | $59,960 |
| 124 | Hickory, NC | $55,560 | $41,450 | $62,500 | $62,790 |
| 125 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $55,520 | $41,870 | $62,210 | $57,030 |
| 126 | Scranton, PA | $55,450 | $42,930 | $61,610 | $59,270 |
| 127 | Wilmington, NC | $55,220 | $42,180 | $61,650 | $57,270 |
| 128 | Bangor, ME | $55,140 | $47,860 | $58,720 | $57,140 |
| 129 | Beaumont, TX | $55,040 | $37,750 | $63,540 | $61,120 |
| 130 | Worcester, MA | $54,910 | $38,500 | $63,000 | $53,560 |
| 131 | Austin, TX | $54,870 | $38,920 | $62,730 | $55,950 |
| 132 | Raleigh, NC | $54,660 | $41,430 | $61,170 | $55,690 |
| 133 | Atlanta, GA | $54,640 | $38,110 | $62,770 | $54,610 |
| 134 | Crestview, FL | $54,600 | $39,620 | $61,980 | $56,270 |
| 135 | Amarillo, TX | $54,580 | $36,130 | $63,670 | $59,440 |
| 136 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $54,500 | $45,860 | $58,760 | $49,120 |
| 137 | Boise City, ID | $54,350 | $40,870 | $60,960 | $55,240 |
| 138 | Lincoln, NE | $54,330 | $43,060 | $59,880 | $59,320 |
| 139 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $54,290 | $45,280 | $58,740 | $49,620 |
| 140 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $54,180 | $43,370 | $59,510 | $58,210 |
| 141 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $54,140 | $35,320 | $63,420 | $61,300 |
| 142 | Rochester, NY | $54,120 | $39,790 | $61,170 | $55,770 |
| 143 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $54,040 | $33,700 | $64,040 | $61,600 |
| 144 | Miami, FL | $54,020 | $39,480 | $61,170 | $47,320 |
| 145 | Fayetteville, AR | $53,750 | $40,210 | $60,400 | $58,840 |
| 146 | Cape Coral, FL | $53,580 | $39,540 | $60,510 | $52,350 |
| 147 | San Antonio, TX | $53,270 | $37,170 | $61,210 | $56,240 |
| 148 | Jacksonville, NC | $53,250 | $38,750 | $60,380 | $57,830 |
| 149 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $53,190 | $39,670 | $59,840 | $53,070 |
| 150 | Palm Bay, FL | $53,140 | $39,400 | $59,920 | $53,140 |
| 151 | Evansville, IN | $53,120 | $41,870 | $58,660 | $58,040 |
| 152 | Lakeland, FL | $53,060 | $38,290 | $60,340 | $54,620 |
| 153 | Asheville, NC | $52,980 | $40,000 | $59,360 | $54,900 |
| 154 | Corpus Christi, TX | $52,920 | $36,070 | $61,210 | $57,110 |
| 155 | Lexington, KY | $52,830 | $41,350 | $58,470 | $56,870 |
| 156 | Charleston, SC | $52,730 | $38,380 | $59,800 | $52,230 |
| 157 | Medford, OR | $52,690 | $42,390 | $57,760 | $51,950 |
| 158 | Gulfport, MS | $52,560 | $39,170 | $59,160 | $58,400 |
| 159 | Jackson, MS | $52,560 | $35,420 | $61,030 | $59,020 |
| 160 | Omaha, NE-IA | $52,560 | $41,970 | $57,780 | $57,190 |
| 161 | Hattiesburg, MS | $52,420 | $32,200 | $62,380 | $59,820 |
| 162 | Tucson, AZ | $52,420 | $43,040 | $57,010 | $54,100 |
| 163 | North Port, FL | $52,350 | $39,730 | $58,550 | $51,110 |
| 164 | Montgomery, AL | $52,330 | $33,070 | $61,820 | $58,350 |
| 165 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $52,290 | $37,020 | $59,800 | $60,490 |
| 166 | Gainesville, FL | $52,230 | $39,750 | $58,390 | $53,990 |
| 167 | Dallas, TX | $52,100 | $37,250 | $59,430 | $50,540 |
| 168 | Jacksonville, FL | $52,080 | $37,070 | $59,490 | $52,350 |
| 169 | Roanoke, VA | $52,080 | $38,040 | $58,990 | $55,630 |
| 170 | College Station, TX | $51,750 | $36,030 | $59,510 | $56,900 |
| 171 | Sherman, TX | $51,650 | $36,110 | $59,280 | $55,080 |
| 172 | Tulsa, OK | $51,630 | $37,170 | $58,760 | $57,870 |
| 173 | Lynchburg, VA | $51,600 | $34,440 | $60,050 | $57,740 |
| 174 | Midland, TX | $51,600 | $31,530 | $61,480 | $53,870 |
| 175 | Orlando, FL | $51,600 | $38,000 | $58,320 | $50,880 |
| 176 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $51,560 | $36,900 | $58,800 | $54,750 |
| 177 | Mobile, AL | $51,560 | $33,680 | $60,380 | $58,530 |
| 178 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $51,440 | $44,140 | $55,040 | $56,760 |
| 179 | Springfield, MO | $51,360 | $41,390 | $56,240 | $57,980 |
| 180 | Tallahassee, FL | $50,940 | $37,210 | $57,720 | $54,240 |
| 181 | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,840 | $36,480 | $57,930 | $56,230 |
| 182 | Lubbock, TX | $50,670 | $34,880 | $58,450 | $55,490 |
| 183 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $50,610 | $36,360 | $57,620 | $57,240 |
| 184 | Tampa, FL | $50,540 | $37,210 | $57,120 | $50,090 |
| 185 | Charleston, WV | $50,360 | $34,090 | $58,360 | $56,760 |
| 186 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $50,320 | $37,590 | $56,600 | $55,020 |
| 187 | Columbia, SC | $50,230 | $36,650 | $56,930 | $53,630 |
| 188 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $50,150 | $36,460 | $56,870 | $55,140 |
| 189 | Lafayette, LA | $50,000 | $34,360 | $57,700 | $57,330 |
| 190 | McAllen, TX | $49,940 | $32,390 | $58,590 | $58,140 |
| 191 | Shreveport, LA | $49,710 | $36,090 | $56,410 | $58,640 |
| 192 | Little Rock, AR | $49,420 | $38,400 | $54,850 | $55,300 |
| 193 | Pinehurst, NC | $49,380 | $36,030 | $55,950 | $55,900 |
| 194 | El Paso, TX | $49,360 | $32,720 | $57,550 | $54,900 |
| 195 | Deltona, FL | $49,230 | $36,880 | $55,330 | $49,540 |
| 196 | Longview, TX | $49,150 | $33,470 | $56,890 | $54,930 |
| 197 | Daphne, AL | $49,110 | $31,470 | $57,780 | $51,860 |
| 198 | Pensacola, FL | $49,090 | $38,230 | $54,450 | $50,240 |
| 199 | San Angelo, TX | $48,550 | $33,320 | $56,040 | $52,510 |
| 200 | Sebastian, FL | $48,530 | $37,810 | $53,810 | $49,370 |
| 201 | Panama City, FL | $48,420 | $36,110 | $54,480 | $49,770 |
| 202 | Wildwood, FL | $48,320 | $36,900 | $53,960 | $56,560 |
| 203 | Gainesville, GA | $48,110 | $35,050 | $54,560 | $49,720 |
| 204 | Bowling Green, KY | $48,090 | $38,880 | $52,640 | $53,330 |
| 205 | Greenville, SC | $48,090 | $38,150 | $52,980 | $51,570 |
| 206 | Augusta, GA-SC | $47,740 | $32,700 | $55,140 | $51,950 |
| 207 | Hilton Head Island, SC | $47,720 | $38,110 | $52,440 | $48,690 |
| 208 | Florence, AL | $47,530 | $30,100 | $56,120 | $56,040 |
| 209 | Ocala, FL | $47,010 | $35,050 | $52,920 | $49,360 |
| 210 | Huntsville, AL | $46,970 | $35,420 | $52,640 | $50,470 |
| 211 | Morgantown, WV | $46,590 | $31,890 | $53,830 | $49,920 |
| 212 | Goldsboro, NC | $46,510 | $34,610 | $52,370 | $52,580 |
| 213 | Brownsville, TX | $46,380 | $33,450 | $52,750 | $53,950 |
| 214 | Winston, NC | $46,180 | $25,230 | $56,490 | $50,170 |
| 215 | Tyler, TX | $46,160 | $32,340 | $52,960 | $50,090 |
| 216 | Spartanburg, SC | $45,450 | $35,170 | $50,520 | $49,920 |
| 217 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $44,530 | $33,950 | $49,750 | $47,550 |
| 218 | Dothan, AL | $44,160 | $31,780 | $50,250 | $52,680 |
| 219 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $44,030 | $37,520 | $47,260 | $52,410 |
| 220 | Laredo, TX | $43,950 | $30,970 | $50,360 | $50,540 |
| 221 | Florence, SC | $42,270 | $36,420 | $45,140 | $48,710 |
| 222 | San Juan, PR | $39,370 | $26,870 | $45,530 | N/A |
More
More on survey technicians
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Survey Technician salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays survey technicians the most?
Los Angeles, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $90,290 a year, followed by San Francisco, CA ($90,040), San Luis Obispo, CA ($89,880), Vallejo, CA ($86,610). The national mean is $58,000 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do survey technicians earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in San Luis Obispo, CA ($82,770 at national prices, $89,880 nominal), Visalia, CA ($82,150 at national prices, $82,010 nominal), Vallejo, CA ($79,840 at national prices, $86,610 nominal).
How much do survey technicians make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $62,840; Los Angeles, CA: $90,290; Chicago, IL-IN: $60,320; Dallas, TX: $52,100; Houston, TX: $55,950 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do survey technicians earn the least?
Of the 222 metro areas with their own estimate, San Juan, PR has the lowest mean wage, $39,370.