diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 366ee29957..00a862dd23 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -2851,13 +2851,8 @@ class JobTemplateSurveySpec(GenericAPIView):
         if not feature_enabled('surveys'):
             raise LicenseForbids(_('Your license does not allow '
                                    'adding surveys.'))
-        survey_spec = obj.survey_spec
-        for pos, field in enumerate(survey_spec.get('spec', [])):
-            if field.get('type') == 'password':
-                if 'default' in field and field['default']:
-                    field['default'] = '$encrypted$'
 
-        return Response(survey_spec)
+        return Response(obj.display_survey_spec())
 
     def post(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         obj = self.get_object()
diff --git a/awx/main/models/mixins.py b/awx/main/models/mixins.py
index 9bdf7194d7..1186797b09 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/mixins.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/mixins.py
@@ -240,6 +240,17 @@ class SurveyJobTemplateMixin(models.Model):
             errors += self._survey_element_validation(survey_element, data)
         return errors
 
+    def display_survey_spec(self):
+        '''
+        Hide encrypted default passwords in survey specs
+        '''
+        survey_spec = self.survey_spec.copy() if self.survey_spec else {}
+        for field in survey_spec.get('spec', []):
+            if field.get('type') == 'password':
+                if 'default' in field and field['default']:
+                    field['default'] = '$encrypted$'
+        return survey_spec
+
 
 class SurveyJobMixin(models.Model):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
index a2532a75d7..68ba754d48 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_views.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ from collections import namedtuple
 from awx.api.views import (
     ApiVersionRootView,
     JobTemplateLabelList,
-    JobTemplateSurveySpec,
     InventoryInventorySourcesUpdate,
     InventoryHostsList,
     HostInsights,
@@ -80,19 +79,6 @@ class TestJobTemplateLabelList:
             assert mixin_unattach.called_with(mock_request, None, None)
 
 
-class TestJobTemplateSurveySpec(object):
-    @mock.patch('awx.api.views.feature_enabled', lambda feature: True)
-    def test_get_password_type(self, mocker, mock_response_new):
-        JobTemplate = namedtuple('JobTemplate', 'survey_spec')
-        obj = JobTemplate(survey_spec={'spec':[{'type': 'password', 'default': 'my_default'}]})
-        with mocker.patch.object(JobTemplateSurveySpec, 'get_object', return_value=obj):
-            view = JobTemplateSurveySpec()
-            response = view.get(mocker.MagicMock())
-            assert response == mock_response_new
-            # which there was a better way to do this!
-            assert response.call_args[0][1]['spec'][0]['default'] == '$encrypted$'
-
-
 class TestInventoryInventorySourcesUpdate:
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("can_update, can_access, is_source, is_up_on_proj, expected", [
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_survey_models.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_survey_models.py
index d40d6f4800..d283c57081 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_survey_models.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/models/test_survey_models.py
@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ def test_update_kwargs_survey_invalid_default(survey_spec_factory):
     assert json.loads(defaulted_extra_vars['extra_vars'])['var2'] == 2
 
 
+@pytest.mark.survey
+def test_display_survey_spec_encrypts_default(survey_spec_factory):
+    spec = survey_spec_factory('var2')
+    spec['spec'][0]['type'] = 'password'
+    spec['spec'][0]['default'] = 'some-default'
+    jt = JobTemplate(name="test-jt", survey_spec=spec, survey_enabled=True)
+    assert jt.display_survey_spec()['spec'][0]['default'] == '$encrypted$'
+
+
 @pytest.mark.survey
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("question_type,default,min,max,expect_use,expect_value", [
     ("text",           "",       0, 0,  True, ''),      # default used