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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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21203.00 – Land surveyors

Land surveyors plan, direct and conduct legal surveys to establish the location of real property boundaries, contours and other natural or human-made features, and prepare and maintain cross-sectional drawings, official plans, records and documents pertaining to these surveys.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Cadastral surveyor
  • Canada lands surveyor
  • City surveyor
  • Land surveyor
  • Property surveyor

Core competencies

  • Evaluation to review and provide consultation on matters related to legal surveys
  • Problem Solving to revise maps and to determine precise locations using electronic distance measuring equipment and global positioning systems (GPS)
  • Far Vision to obtain readings from surveying instruments from a distance
  • Spatial Orientation to survey and lay out subdivisions for rural and urban development to plot maps or field sheets
  • Attention to Detail to record precise measurements and other information to prepare survey data, plans, charts, records and documents
  • Knowledge in Mathematics to understand complex mathematical terms and operations to conduct research on land surveying and mapping to advance understanding in the field

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Develop survey plans, methods and procedures for conducting legal surveys
  • Plan, direct and supervise or conduct surveys to establish and mark legal boundaries of properties, parcels of lands, provincial and Canada Lands, Aboriginal land claims, wellsites, mining claims, utility rights-of-way, roadways and highways
  • Survey and lay out subdivisions for rural and urban development
  • Determine precise locations using electronic distance measuring equipment, global positioning systems (GPS), and unmanned aerial vehicules (UAV)/drones
  • Analyze, manage and display data using geographic information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design and drafting (CAD)
  • Record all measurements and other information obtained during survey activities
  • Prepare or supervise the preparation and compilation of all data, plans, charts, records and documents related to surveys of real property boundaries
  • Certify and assume liability for surveys made to establish real property boundaries
  • Advise, provide consultation and testify as an expert witness on matters related to legal surveys
  • May supervise other land surveyors, and land survey technologists and technicians.

Additional information

  • Federal statutes require a separate licence from the Association of Canada Land Surveyors to survey areas such as national parks, Aboriginal lands, offshore areas and northern territories.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Civil engineering technologists and technicians (22300)
  • Civil engineers (21300)
  • Engineering managers (20010)
  • Geoscientists and oceanographers (21102)
  • Land survey technologists and technicians (22213)
  • Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology (22214)
  • Urban and land use planners (21202)
  • Geomatics engineer; Survey engineer (in 21300.00 Civil engineers)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

2 – Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

Sub-major group

212 – Professional occupations in applied sciences (except engineering)

Minor group

2120 – Architects, urban planners and land surveyors

Unit group

21203 – Land surveyors

Occupational profile

21203.00 – Land surveyors

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.