Each piece of property has boundaries. And when you want to know where those boundaries are so you can put up a fence to block out that annoying neighbor, you'll want to call a surveyor.

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According to Edward Nicoletta, a licensed surveyor in Rochester, land surveyors take measurements and locate boundaries of property lines. They also write descriptions of properties for various legal documents, such as deeds and leases, and provide data about the land's features such as its elevation and shape.

Land surveyors also manage survey parties which include a party chief, survey technicians and other assistants. These parties measure distances, directions and angles between points and elevations of points, lines and countours on the earth's surface.

The surveyor compiles the information collected by the survey party, interprets it and produces maps, charts or tables and other reports from it. The data collected by surveyors is put to use by engineers and mapmakers, and used in property evaluation and construction as well.

Others work as geodetic surveyors, who measure larger areas of the earth's surface using tools such as the Global Positioning System. Marine surveyors survey rivers, bays, and other bodies of water to determine water depth, the topography at the bottom of these bodies of water and where ships and other watercraft can navigate.

Despite many changes in technology, "the method of surveying is basically the same," says Nicoletta, "except that a lot of the equipment is electronic now." For larger surveying jobs, firms use GPS, which locates points on the earth using radio signals transmitted by satellites.

He says the electronic equipment allows for more precise, accurate measurements.

Surveyors must be licensed in the state where they work but there's no quick route to becoming a licensed surveyor. Nicoletta says a person can start right out of high school but must have a minimum of eight years experience to apply for the licensure exam in New York. A college graduate with bachelor's degree needs four years experience before being eligible.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 80 percent of surveyors work for engineering firms and government agencies. Starting salaries for entry-level land surveyors in the federal government last year were between $19,500 and $29,500 depending upon qualifications.