Entry-Level Surveyor

Build Your Career in Surveying. Grow with Our Midwest and Mississippi River Region Team.

Launch your surveying career with Prairie Engineers and gain the hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and technical knowledge needed to pursue Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) licensure in the states where we work.

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 based in one of our offices in Hannibal, MO; Keokuk, IA; Columbia, IL; Springfield, IL; Hillsboro, IL; Vicksburg, MS; or Lenexa, KS. You'll work with experienced surveyors, engineers, and geospatial professionals on challenging state and federal projects throughout the Midwest, Mississippi River region, 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 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 the United States.
• Collaborate with surveyors, engineers, and geospatial specialists while taking on greater responsibility as your skills grow.

What You'll Bring:

• Education and Licensure: A bachelor's degree in surveying or a related field, including education and coursework supporting a recognized professional land surveying licensure pathway. A demonstrated interest in pursuing professional land surveyor licensure is essential.
• Travel and 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 and Dependability: Interest in mathematics, technology, spatial reasoning, and practical problemsolving; attention to detail, safety awareness, initiative, and professional communication.

How you Align:

• PeopleFocused: You value relationships and team growth and will help build a respectful team where everyone can contribute and develop.
• CanDo 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 location, education, experience, and job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Your Path Toward Professional Licensure:

Build a long-term surveying career with licensed Professional Land Surveyors as your mentors, both in your office and as part of Prairie's companywide team of 12 licensed Professional Land Surveyors. With their guidance, you'll develop field and office skills and progress toward these 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 Surveyor-in-Training (SIT) certification in the appropriate state when you meet the Board's requirements.

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

4. Pursue PLS licensure: Prepare for the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam and any state-specific examination and pursue Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) registration once you meet the applicable Board's requirements.

Explore the Region and Beyond:

Initially, the position involves overnight travel for the majority of work assignments with most trips lasting 10 days or less. Lodging and per diem for meals are provided. 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 throughout the Midwest and Mississippi River region (including Rock Island, St. Louis, and Vicksburg Districts), 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 a collaborative team that invests in you.
• Growth opportunity: Join one of our Midwest or Mississippi River region offices and help build Prairie's surveying presence.

Competitive benefits: Fully employer-paid premiums for employee health coverage; employer-funded HRA; 401k with 3% employer contribution once eligible; paid holidays; four weeks (160 hours) 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.

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.

About Prairie Engineers

Prairie Engineers is a full services engineering, geospatial, and environmental science firm with a goal of delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions and maintaining our natural and built environment. We are a woman-owned firm with offices in Columbia, Hillsboro, Washington, Champaign, and Springfield, Illinois; Keokuk, Iowa; Lenexa, Kansas; Hannibal and Hazelwood, Missouri; and Vicksburg, Mississippi. We provide services to federal, state, and local governments, utilities and industries with capabilities and experience with planning; program management; civil and structural engineering; water resources, transportation, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; topographic, hydrographic, and land surveying; natural resources management; and construction management. We are committed to providing interesting work opportunities to our team members, to offering flexible work arrangements, and to recognizing personal and professional accomplishments.