Land Surveyor (Licensed)

NOC #21203

  • Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
  • Education Post-secondary degree
  • Average salary $66,000 to $102,000

Career profile

Land surveyors in the energy industry plan, direct and conduct legal surveys to determine and interpret the location of boundaries, buildings, and other structures and features. Licensed land surveyors prepare and maintain cross-sectional drawings, plans, records and documents pertaining to these surveys. They use data generated from these surveys to calculate precise measurements of the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation or dimension of land or land features of the ground for engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, construction and other purposes.

Land surveyors interact with engineers and architectural personnel and other land-related professionals. They must be proficient in the use of field equipment such as total survey station, GPS/GNSS systems, robotic optical survey instruments or conventional theodolite instruments and other specialized systems such as aerial and satellite imagery collection and laser scanning. They are also required to use powerful specialized software for coordinate geometry and map creation, computer-assisted design (CAD) systems, graphics and photo-imaging software.

Oil and gas services, Pipelines, Engineering, design and procurement

In this occupation activities may include:

  • Preparing and maintaining sketches, maps, reports and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify and assume liability for work performed.
  • Researching legal records, survey records and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed
  • Directing or conducting surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles
  • Advising, providing consultation and testifying as an expert witness on matters related to legal surveys

Education

  • Land Surveyors must have a degree in geomatics engineering or survey engineering. A college diploma in survey science or geomatics technology along with additional academic credits may be acceptable.

Certifications

  • Standard and emergency first aid
  • Construction Safety Training System (CSTS)
  • Valid Driver’s license
  • H2S Alive®
  • Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
  • Fall protection
  • Confined space entry
  • Quad safety
  • Pipeline Construction Safety Training (PCST)

Licensing

  • A federal or provincial land surveyor’s license is required.
  • Successful completion of licensing exams and a 1-to 3-year articling period are required to attain a professional surveyor’s license.
  • Note: Federal statutes require a separate license from the Association of Canada Land Surveyors to survey areas such as national parks, Indigenous lands, offshore areas and northern territories.

Additional Requirements

  • Experience in project management, client management and team leadership is an asset.

  • Travel likely required
  • Physical work
  • Work away from home/in camps

You have strong math skills and an ability to precisely measure and record data. You are a skilled user of new technologies and software.

  • Mathematics
  • Computer use
  • Attention to detail
  • Geography
  • Judgment and decision making
  • Customer and personal service
  • Planning and organizing
  • Public safety and security
  • Management of personnel resources
  • Design