Job Check
Geodetic Surveyors
Measure large areas of the Earth's surface using satellite observations, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), or related sources.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Analyze control or survey data to ensure adherence to project specifications or land survey standards.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 02Conduct surveys to determine exact positions, measurement of points, elevations, lines, areas, volumes, contours, or other features of land surfaces.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 03Calculate the exact horizontal and vertical position of points on the Earth's surface.Mostly human for now
- 04Maintain databases of geodetic and related information, including coordinate, descriptive, or quality assurance data.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 05Verify the mathematical correctness of newly collected survey data.AI could speed this up a lot
- 06Compute horizontal and vertical coordinates of control networks, using direct leveling or other geodetic survey techniques, such as triangulation, trilateration, and traversing, to establish features of the Earth's surface.Mostly human for now
- 07Plan or direct the work of geodetic surveying staff, providing technical consultation as needed.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 08Assess the quality of control data to determine the need for additional survey data for engineering, construction, or other projects.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 09Distribute compiled geodetic data to government agencies or the general public.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 10Request additional survey data when field collection errors occur or engineering surveying specifications are not maintained.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job loss0%of this job’s work time goes to tasks that people already do with Claude at work, counting tasks where AI only helps as half (2026).Anthropic, 2026
53%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 50% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Your human edge
The main tasks with no real AI use seen and no big speed-up expected. This is where your skill counts most today.
- Calculate the exact horizontal and vertical position of points on the Earth's surface.
- Compute horizontal and vertical coordinates of control networks, using direct leveling or other geodetic survey techniques, such as triangulation, trilateration, and traversing, to establish features of the Earth's surface.