Quantity Surveying Jobs
Cost, commercial and contract roles for the built environment — from graduate QS to commercial manager.
Key Quantity Surveying Capabilities
The skills and strengths employers look for in this field.
Cost Estimating & Budgeting
Producing accurate cost plans, estimates and bills of quantities from drawings and specifications, and tracking budgets through the project lifecycle.
Measurement & Quantification
Taking off quantities and measuring works in line with standard methods such as NRM and SMM7, increasingly using digital and BIM-based tools.
Contract Administration
Working with standard forms of contract (JCT, NEC) to manage payments, variations, claims and contractual obligations.
Procurement & Subcontract Management
Selecting procurement routes, tendering packages, appointing and managing subcontractors and suppliers.
Valuations & Cost Reporting
Preparing interim valuations, applications for payment, cost-value reconciliations (CVRs) and final accounts.
Commercial & Risk Management
Identifying commercial risk, protecting margin, managing cash flow and advising on value engineering.
Software & Data
Using estimating and cost-management software (e.g. CostX, Bluebeam, Causeway) alongside strong Excel and increasingly data-analysis skills.
Negotiation & Stakeholder Management
Negotiating with clients, contractors and supply chain, and communicating commercial positions clearly to project teams.
Quantity Surveying Market Overview
Quantity surveyors (QSs), also known as cost managers or cost consultants, manage the financial and contractual side of construction and property development. They estimate and control project costs, prepare bills of quantities, value work in progress, manage variations and procure subcontractors — working either client-side (professional QS) or contractor-side (commercial QS).
Demand across the UK remains strong, driven by housebuilding targets, commercial fit-out, infrastructure programmes and ongoing maintenance and refurbishment work. The role is consistently cited as a skills-shortage occupation, which supports competitive pay and good mobility between consultancies, contractors, developers and public-sector bodies.
The benchmark professional qualification is RICS chartered status, achieved by completing an accredited degree (or conversion course) followed by the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), which typically takes around two years of structured experience. The CIOB and CICES offer alternative routes, and degree apprenticeships now allow trainees to qualify while working. Chartered status usually commands a clear salary premium over non-chartered surveyors.
Quantity Surveying Salary Guide
Indicative ranges — actual pay varies by location, experience and employer.
Indicative ranges for 2025. Pay varies significantly by region (London and the South East at the top end), sector (infrastructure and commercial generally pay more than residential), and chartered status. Contract day rates are typically outside-IR35 dependent and exclude employer on-costs.
Live market data (10 roles with salary on the board)
Quantity Surveying Job Roles
Common job titles and roles for Quantity Surveying professionals.
Professional Bodies & Qualifications
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
The leading professional body. Chartered status (MRICS) is achieved via an accredited qualification and the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), typically through the Quantity Surveying & Construction pathway.
Assessment of Professional Competence
RICS's structured route to chartership, usually requiring around two years of recorded professional experience followed by a final assessment.
CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building)
A recognised professional body for construction and commercial management, offering an alternative chartered route relevant to QS and commercial roles.
CICES (Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors)
Professional body for commercial management and quantity surveying in civil engineering and infrastructure.
RICS-accredited / Degree Apprenticeship
An accredited BSc/MSc in Quantity Surveying or a Chartered Surveyor Degree Apprenticeship provides the academic basis for chartership, the latter allowing trainees to earn while they learn.
Career Path & Progression
Graduate / Assistant QS
Entry level, often while completing an accredited degree or degree apprenticeship. Supports senior staff with take-offs, measurement, valuations and cost records while building APC experience.
Quantity Surveyor
Manages cost and commercial duties on packages or smaller projects with growing autonomy, typically working towards chartership.
Senior / Chartered QS
Holds RICS chartered status and runs projects or significant packages, mentors juniors and owns commercial outcomes.
Project / Managing QS
Leads the commercial function on major projects or multiple schemes, managing teams and supply-chain relationships.
Commercial Manager / Director
Heads commercial strategy across a business unit or portfolio, with responsibility for margin, risk and team leadership.
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