Surveyors pay range in Modesto
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $152,110 or more. The middle half of surveyors in Modesto earn between $74,900 and $129,350.
- $62K10th
- $75K25th
- $99KMedian
- $129K75th
- $152K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $104,370 | $8,698 | $50.18 |
| Median | $99,270 | $8,272 | $47.73 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $74,900 | $6,242 | $36.01 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $129,350 | $10,779 | $62.19 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Surveyors salary after taxes in Modesto
On the average salary of $104,370, a single filer in Modesto takes home about $76,640 a year, or $6,387 a month and $2,948 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Modesto a good place for surveyors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Modesto area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.1), so the average $104,370 buys what about $100,252 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Modesto ($50,610). A typical home costs $468,302, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Surveyors salary in other California cities
Modesto ranks 16th of 18 California metro areas for this job; Yuba City pays the most ($127,690).
- Yuba City$127,690
- San Francisco$126,380
- Redding$124,490
- Sacramento$120,210
- Stockton$118,870
- Vallejo$117,030
- San Jose$116,770
- San Luis Obispo$111,600
- Fresno$110,060
- Modesto$104,370
Highest-paying cities for surveyors
Yuba City, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($127,690).
- Yuba City, CA$127,690
- San Francisco, CA$126,380
- Redding, CA$124,490
- Sacramento, CA$120,210
- Stockton, CA$118,870
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Surveyors salary in Modesto: questions
How much do surveyors make an hour in Modesto?
$50.18 an hour on average, and $47.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level surveyors salary in Modesto?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $74,900, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the surveyors take-home pay in Modesto?
About $76,640 a year ($6,387 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $104,370. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do surveyors earn more in Modesto than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($82,291).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-1022; area Modesto, CA (33700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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