Entry Level Surveyor

Build Your Career in Surveying. Grow with Our Texas Team.

Launch your surveying career with Prairie Engineers and gain the hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and technical knowledge needed to pursue Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) licensure in Texas.

Prairie Engineers, P.C., recognized as one of Zweig Group's Best Firms to Work For in each of the past five years, is seeking a motivated Entry-Level Surveyor for our expanding San Antonio-area team. You'll work with experienced surveyors, engineers, and geospatial professionals on challenging state and federal projects throughout Texas and across the country.

From boundary and topographic surveys to geodetic control, hydrography, LiDAR, and sUAS mapping, you'll gain exposure to diverse surveying disciplines and modern technologies. This full-time position combines extensive fieldwork and travel with office assignments involving survey calculations, data processing, and preparation of professional survey plats, plans, and legal descriptions under the guidance of licensed surveyors.

It's an opportunity for someone who enjoys fieldwork, is eager to learn, and wants to help build a growing Texas surveying practice while advancing toward professional licensure.

What You'll Do

Perform boundary, topographic, geodetic control, hydrographic, and other specialized surveys.

Learn to operate and become proficient with GNSS receivers, robotic total stations, and electronic field data collection equipment.

Collect field measurements and verify their accuracy and completeness while following safety and quality standards.

Perform calculations and process survey data in the office, checking and reducing field measurements.

Prepare plats, plans, legal descriptions, and other survey deliverables.

Support state and federal agency projects throughout Texas and elsewhere in the United States.

Collaborate with surveyors, engineers, and geospatial specialists while taking on greater responsibility as your skills grow.

What You'll Bring

Education & Licensure: Associate's or Bachelor's degree in surveying or a related field, or education and coursework supporting a recognized Texas licensure pathway. Demonstrated interest in pursuing professional land surveyor licensure is essential.

Travel & Fieldwork: Ready for overnight travel on approximately 80% of work assignments initially, generally in trips of 10 days or less; comfortable working outdoors in varied terrain and weather. Prairie provides lodging and per diem.

Driving Requirements: A valid driver's license and insurable driving record.

Aptitude & Dependability: Interest in mathematics, technology, spatial reasoning, and practical problem-solving; attention to detail, safety awareness, initiative, and professional communication.

How You Align

People-Focused: You value relationships and team growth and will help build a respectful team where everyone can contribute and develop.

Can-Do Attitude: You approach challenges positively and develop flexible, innovative solutions.

Responsive: You communicate openly, proactively, and promptly.

Compensation

Base salary: $55,000–$70,000 per year, plus premium overtime, based on education, experience, and job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Your Path Toward Professional Licensure

Build a long-term surveying career with a Texas RPLS based in San Antonio as your local mentor, two additional Texas RPLSs, and Prairie's companywide team of 12 licensed Professional Land Surveyors. With their guidance, you'll develop field and office skills and progress toward these professional milestones:

1. Build your foundation: Gain experience with boundary and control surveys, GNSS fieldwork, computations, data processing, plats, and legal descriptions under licensed supervision.

2. Work toward SIT certification: Prepare for the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, then apply for Texas Surveyor-in-Training (SIT) certification when you meet the Board's requirements.

3. Develop qualifying experience: Take on increasingly responsible boundary surveying work under RPLS supervision, including delegated responsible charge where appropriate, and document your experience.

4. Pursue RPLS licensure: Prepare for the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) and Texas Specific Surveying Examination (TSSE) and pursue Texas RPLS registration once you meet the Board's requirements.

Explore Texas and Beyond

Initially, the position involves overnight travel for approximately 80% of work assignments, with most trips lasting 10 days or less. Prairie provides lodging and per diem. As your skills and experience grow, travel may decrease as you take on additional office responsibilities. Initial assignments include long-term U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects across Texas, including South Texas and areas along the Texas–Mexico border, with additional state and federal assignments nationwide. Expect changing locations, long field days, and varied terrain and weather, balanced with office time to process data and prepare deliverables.

Why Build Your Career at Prairie Engineers?

Licensure support: Mentorship, eligible training and enrollment fees, related travel expenses, and paid time for professional classes and licensing exams.

Broad experience: Exposure to boundary and control surveys, hydrography, photogrammetry, LiDAR mapping, and complex federal projects.

A team to learn from: Guidance from experienced survey party chiefs, survey technicians, CADD technicians, hydrographers, sUAS pilots, engineers, photogrammetrists, and LiDAR experts.

Growth opportunity: Join our San Antonio-area team at an early stage and help build Prairie's Texas presence.

Competitive benefits: Fully employer-paid premiums for employee health coverage; employer-funded HRA; 401(k) with 3% employer contribution once eligible; paid holidays; four weeks (160 hours) of annual paid time off (PTO) for eligible employees; bonus opportunities, and premium overtime pay.

If you're excited about becoming a professional surveyor and ready to learn, travel, and take on challenging work, we'd love to hear from you! Submit your resume and a brief introductory letter describing your interest in surveying and your career goals on the Careers page of our website at www.prairieengineers.com.

All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information (including family medical history), or any other legally protected status. Candidates must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Pay: $55,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $55,000 - $70,000