Quantity Surveyor

Quantity surveyors work within the land management, property, and construction industries. They are the people responsible for calculating and managing the costs relating to construction projects, from helping create initial estimates to finalising the complete budget requirements.

Quantity surveyors are involved at the start of a project, looking at the feasibility of planned construction or repair works. They then continue to monitor the progress of the project through to the completion of construction. They keep a constant eye on the forecasted and actual costs, as well as being required to react quickly to problems and changes in specifications with updated costings and feasibility reviews. They are involved in building anything from an office block to a bridge or a football stadium.

The job is varied – on one day you may find yourself in the office, and the next you may be out on a construction site meeting with clients or consulting with construction personnel. No two projects are ever the same and there is a great deal of variety, which can be very interesting.

New starters usually earn between £18,000 and £28,000 per year. Experienced quantity surveyors will typically earn between £40,000 and £65,000, and highly experienced ones can earn upwards of £80,000.

Useful subjects include English, maths, geography, science, information technology, or design & technology.

Many quantity surveyors are university educated, and there are specific degrees in the subject which are accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). You can also choose to do a degree in a different subject and then undertake a RICS accredited postgraduate conversion course. Even though your degree can be in any subject, it’s those that are linked to the construction industry that are preferable e.g. civil engineering, mathematics, and geography.

You don’t need to have a degree to get into the industry, a surveying technician advanced apprenticeship would start you on your career path as a quantity surveyor. To progress to the role of quantity surveyor a degree is needed, but it may be possible to study part-time while you work or may even be funded by your employer. 

Regardless of which route you take you’ll need to undertake further study and exams if you want to gain chartered status. Once you’re chartered you can continue working across a broad range of subjects, or you can specialise in different areas of interest such as project management, tax advice, property taxation or supply chain procurement.

To research local education and training opportunities that could lead to a career as a quantity surveyor, visit our partner website >log on | move on>.

Details of relevant degree courses can be found on the UCAS website.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) - Your guide to becoming a quantity surveyor

Go Construct - Quantity Surveyor

Prospects - Quantity Surveyor

National Careers Service - Quantity Surveyor

Want to know what it's like to work as a quantity surveyor? Watch the video in How Did You Get That Job?