Survey specialists in the US number about 60,000. Workers generally expect a very low unemployment rate. There were about 2% of employees without jobs in 2008.
Area Job Conditions
Where are jobs most numerous? Yuba City (California), Gulfport (Mississippi), and Anchorage (Alaska). Least common? Grand Rapids (Michigan), New York (New York), and Greensboro (North Carolina).
Salaries vary across the country, from highest in Santa Barbara (California), Yuba City (California), and Anchorage (Alaska) to lowest in Nashville (Tennessee), Shreveport (Louisiana), and Florence (South Carolina).
Training and Education
Obtaining a bachelor's degree will help job seekers. Survey specialists with four or more years of college are 82% of the total. An estimated 18% of workers attended college at some level but did not pursue a 4-year degree. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
Whether by choice or necessity, 5% of survey specialists work part-time. About 4% of workers do not work for a company or organization.
Career Video for Survey Specialists
Survey Specialists by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Alabama
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Birmingham
$51,000
160
+8%
Huntsville
$50,000
100
+64%
Mobile
$48,000
100
+95%
Montgomery
$52,000
50
+6%
Tuscaloosa
$54,000
80
+218%
Alaska
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Anchorage
$74,000
330
+580%
Arizona
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Phoenix
$53,000
860
+61%
Tucson
$46,000
120
+18%
Arkansas
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Fayetteville
$47,000
80
+34%
Little Rock
$50,000
200
+94%
California
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Bakersfield
$62,000
90
+17%
Fresno
$81,000
90
-5%
Los Angeles
$81,000
680
-45%
Napa
$72,000
50
+195%
Oakland
$91,000
340
+12%
Oxnard
$76,000
120
+36%
Redding
$71,000
90
+458%
Riverside
$81,000
430
+18%
Sacramento
$82,000
440
+68%
Salinas
$67,000
40
-14%
San Diego
$80,000
440
+11%
San Francisco
$72,000
190
-37%
San Jose
$78,000
410
+51%
San Luis Obispo
$71,000
90
+248%
Santa Ana
$79,000
730
+65%
Santa Barbara
$82,000
80
+64%
Santa Cruz
$75,000
30
+24%
Santa Rosa
$77,000
70
+39%
Stockton
$87,000
80
+30%
Vallejo
$81,000
30
-12%
Yuba City
$90,000
80
+714%
Colorado
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Boulder
$53,000
70
+58%
Colorado Springs
$55,000
100
+34%
Denver
$58,000
620
+64%
Grand Junction
$45,000
60
+294%
Greeley
$54,000
50
+152%
Connecticut
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Bridgeport
$65,000
120
-6%
Danbury
$74,000
30
+62%
Hartford
$53,000
280
+62%
New Haven
$57,000
100
+24%
Norwich
$71,000
50
+43%
Delaware
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Wilmington
$79,000
90
-7%
District of Columbia
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Washington
$62,000
1,260
+70%
Florida
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Cape Coral
$61,000
90
+59%
Deltona
$54,000
60
+35%
Fort Lauderdale
$57,000
220
+4%
Jacksonville
$62,000
180
-1%
Lakeland
$55,000
60
+9%
Miami
$57,000
170
-43%
Ocala
$55,000
30
+23%
Orlando
$61,000
240
-22%
Palm Bay
$48,000
80
+39%
Panama City
$60,000
30
+60%
Pensacola
$53,000
60
+40%
Port St Lucie
$59,000
40
+18%
Sarasota
$61,000
50
-31%
Tallahassee
$49,000
100
+114%
Tampa
$67,000
280
-19%
West Palm Beach
$62,000
150
-4%
Georgia
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Atlanta
$50,000
650
-7%
Augusta
$47,000
70
+16%
Columbus
$45,000
50
+60%
Gainesville
$50,000
30
+58%
Macon
$50,000
40
+58%
Savannah
$48,000
70
+63%
Warner Robins
$46,000
30
+110%
Hawaii
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Honolulu
$49,000
230
+74%
Illinois
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Chicago
$68,000
610
-47%
Peoria
$56,000
50
+1%
Springfield
$61,000
60
+97%
Indiana
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Bloomington
$41,000
40
+110%
Evansville
$48,000
90
+81%
Fort Wayne
$48,000
50
-16%
Gary
$62,000
120
+50%
Indianapolis
$48,000
200
-26%
Michigan City
$38,000
30
+182%
Iowa
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Davenport
$50,000
50
-8%
Des Moines
$51,000
50
-49%
Kansas
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Topeka
$51,000
60
+92%
Wichita
$36,000
80
-6%
Kentucky
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Lexington
$52,000
70
-1%
Louisville
$59,000
160
-13%
Owensboro
$40,000
30
+141%
Louisiana
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Baton Rouge
$57,000
170
+53%
Houma
$49,000
70
+163%
Lafayette
$51,000
270
+556%
Lake Charles
$45,000
40
+63%
Monroe
$49,000
40
+90%
New Orleans
$62,000
250
+57%
Shreveport
$35,000
110
+110%
Maine
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Portland
$62,000
100
+70%
Maryland
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Baltimore
$56,000
470
+18%
Bethesda
$75,000
240
+38%
Massachusetts
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Barnstable Town
$53,000
80
+186%
Boston
$79,000
430
-19%
Brockton
$61,000
30
+19%
Framingham
$74,000
40
-16%
Haverhill
$58,000
40
+76%
Lowell
70
+104%
New Bedford
$53,000
30
+71%
Peabody
$64,000
40
+39%
Springfield
$58,000
70
-21%
Worcester
$68,000
110
+48%
Michigan
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Ann Arbor
$69,000
60
+23%
Detroit
$47,000
190
-6%
Flint
$52,000
50
+34%
Grand Rapids
$56,000
80
-29%
Holland
$44,000
50
+85%
Lansing
$69,000
50
-14%
Warren
$57,000
240
-27%
Minnesota
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Duluth
$50,000
30
-19%
Minneapolis
$66,000
450
-17%
Mississippi
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Gulfport
$41,000
160
+426%
Hattiesburg
$46,000
30
+95%
Jackson
$45,000
160
+113%
Pascagoula
$37,000
80
+558%
Missouri
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Columbia
$54,000
40
+81%
Kansas City
$46,000
310
+1%
Springfield
$50,000
60
+7%
St Louis
$56,000
350
-14%
Montana
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Billings
$52,000
80
+243%
Missoula
$48,000
50
+259%
Nebraska
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Lincoln
$52,000
50
+8%
Omaha
$47,000
160
+13%
Nevada
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Las Vegas
$70,000
330
+28%
Reno
$83,000
130
+133%
New Hampshire
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Manchester
$60,000
60
+105%
New Jersey
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Camden
$57,000
130
-18%
Edison
$70,000
350
+12%
Newark
$64,000
290
-4%
Trenton
$54,000
70
+5%
New Mexico
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Albuquerque
$61,000
110
-5%
Farmington
$52,000
50
+282%
Santa Fe
$64,000
40
+138%
New York
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Albany
$65,000
80
-41%
Buffalo
$51,000
120
-28%
Nassau
$70,000
320
-17%
New York
$64,000
680
-57%
Poughkeepsie
$48,000
90
+23%
Rochester
$51,000
140
-8%
Syracuse
$53,000
90
-4%
North Carolina
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Asheville
$55,000
60
+16%
Charlotte
$51,000
260
+0%
Durham
$73,000
30
-63%
Greensboro
$57,000
70
-34%
Raleigh
$57,000
110
-29%
Wilmington
$65,000
30
-24%
Ohio
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Akron
$55,000
90
-6%
Cincinnati
$52,000
220
-29%
Cleveland
$78,000
130
-58%
Columbus
$59,000
250
-10%
Dayton
$64,000
110
-4%
Toledo
$63,000
70
-20%
Oklahoma
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Oklahoma City
$49,000
230
+32%
Tulsa
$51,000
150
+16%
Oregon
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Bend
$69,000
30
+75%
Corvallis
$60,000
40
+498%
Eugene
$62,000
50
+23%
Portland
$68,000
320
+3%
Salem
$73,000
60
+39%
Pennsylvania
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Allentown
$50,000
120
+16%
Harrisburg
$52,000
90
-6%
Lancaster
$53,000
80
+15%
Philadelphia
$61,000
370
-36%
Pittsburgh
$47,000
400
+15%
Reading
$56,000
50
+3%
Scranton
$53,000
30
-61%
State College
$47,000
30
+76%
York
$52,000
50
-3%
Rhode Island
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Providence
$65,000
120
-29%
South Carolina
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Charleston
$51,000
270
+216%
Columbia
$48,000
210
+100%
Greenville
$46,000
80
-10%
Spartanburg
$51,000
60
+83%
South Dakota
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Sioux Falls
$53,000
50
+25%
Tennessee
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Chattanooga
$33,000
100
+49%
Kingsport
$50,000
60
+73%
Knoxville
$50,000
70
-30%
Memphis
$58,000
80
-57%
Nashville
$33,000
300
+34%
Texas
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Austin
$50,000
400
+68%
Beaumont
$50,000
170
+264%
Brownsville
$39,000
40
+7%
Dallas
$58,000
450
-30%
El Paso
$46,000
50
-38%
Fort Worth
$50,000
360
+37%
Houston
$56,000
1,280
+60%
Killeen
$42,000
90
+144%
Laredo
$46,000
40
+84%
Longview
$37,000
60
+124%
Mcallen
$55,000
30
-56%
Midland
$62,000
60
+252%
San Antonio
$51,000
240
-9%
Tyler
$64,000
60
+138%
Utah
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Ogden
60
+3%
Salt Lake City
$66,000
460
+150%
Vermont
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Burlington
$46,000
110
+247%
Virginia
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Blacksburg
$45,000
30
+83%
Charlottesville
$54,000
60
+149%
Lynchburg
$41,000
70
+152%
Richmond
$50,000
270
+45%
Roanoke
$52,000
60
+33%
Virginia Beach
$72,000
200
-13%
Winchester
$56,000
30
+128%
Washington
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Bremerton
$73,000
30
+30%
Kennewick
$75,000
30
+6%
Olympia
$64,000
40
+44%
Seattle
$78,000
380
-11%
Spokane
$73,000
50
-17%
Tacoma
$69,000
70
-11%
West Virginia
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Charleston
$41,000
210
+400%
Huntington
$49,000
30
-7%
Morgantown
$39,000
40
+182%
Wisconsin
City and Area
Median Salary
Employees
Job Density
Green Bay
$46,000
40
-18%
Madison
$50,000
190
+88%
Milwaukee
$62,000
290
+15%
Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this survey specialist schools and jobs info.
