Quantity surveying

A quantity surveying degree gives you the skills for a career in property and construction where you can contribute to a sustainable built environment    

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Architectural technologist
• Building surveyor
• Commercial/residential surveyor
• Construction manager
• Estimator
• Planning and development surveyor
• Project manager
• Quantity surveyor
• Site engineer

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Arbitrator
• Architect
• Building control surveyor
• Building services engineer
• Compliance officer
• Energy manager
• Estates manager
• Financial manager
• Management consultant
• Production manager
• Rural practice surveyor

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Getting practical experience while studying can be great for your employment prospects, as well as building your network. You may be able to take a year-long work placement as part of your degree, which can lead to job offers once you've graduated. Look for relevant placements with construction firms, house builders, development consultancies, contractors, or multidisciplinary environmental or engineering consultancies.

You can also look for opportunities elsewhere. Large companies often run summer internship programmes or shorter placements. Check firms' websites for details.

You can make speculative applications to smaller companies that you're interested in who may not advertise their opportunities. Use the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Find a Surveyor facility for contact details.

You could also become a RICS student member, which gives you access to industry news and networking opportunities through RICS Matrics. Membership can indicate to employers that you have a real enthusiasm and interest in the field, while networking can give you contacts to approach for industrial experience.    

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

Common employers of quantity surveying graduates include:

• quantity surveying consultancies
• construction companies, contractors and consultancies
• architects
• project management consultancies
• civil engineering contractors and consultancies
• property firms
• house builders and housing associations
• local authorities
• specialist surveying practices
• specialist tax consultants.

Other potential employment opportunities include working in commercial and operations management, a project management role with a range of companies, within the sustainability and environmental sectors or in finance, risk and logistics work.

Find information on employers in property and construction, business, consulting and management, accountancy,banking and finance and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying quantity surveying provides you with specialist knowledge in cost planning, procurement processes, technical aspects, risk management and the management of construction projects. You'll also gain an understanding of sustainability and built environment resilience, health and safety, ethics, and the legal, financial, political and economic factors that impact construction processes.   

In addition, you develop transferable skills that are vital for a range of jobs. These include:

• numerical skills
• problem-solving ability
• analytical and data interpretation skills
• negotiation and dispute resolution skills
• the ability to organise your work and meet deadlines
• teamwork and interpersonal skills
• the ability to work independently
• written and verbal communication skills
• presentation skills
• project management skills
• confidence with business management systems
• IT skills and digital literacy.

Further study

On completion of a RICS-accredited quantity surveying degree, you can start to work towards achieving chartered surveyor status in your job. To become chartered and a professional member of RICS, you'll need to complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).

There are also opportunities to study quantity surveying at postgraduate level, or in another area depending on the direction you'd like your career to take. Including, sustainability, environmental management, commercial management, construction project management, strategic project management, and construction law and dispute resolution.

Alternatively, you could consider postgraduate study in a related area such as facilities management, finance, business or town and regional planning.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in quantity surveying.

What do quantity surveying graduates do?

The vast majority of quantity surveying graduates (90%) in employment in the UK are working as quantity surveyors (80%), construction project managers and related professionals (4%), estimators, valuers and assessors (3%), chartered surveyors (2%), production managers and directors in construction (2%) 15 months after graduation.

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.