Where a quantity surveyor can go next
12 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a quantity surveyor already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Quantity surveyors have under their helm complete management of the cost involved in building and construction projects from the inception of the project until the delivery. They strive for an efficient use of the resources whilst keeping an eye on quality, quality standards, and client's requirements.
Also known as development project cost manager, construction project manager, development project cost consultant, construction project cost consultant, construction cost consultant, quantity survey consultant, assistant quantity surveyor, QS, quantity survey expert, graduate quantity surveyor, quantity surveying consultant, building estimator.
Professionals 41 skills on file 12 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: construction general contractor, 57%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 1 · Within reach
Table 2 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
- construction manager 43% covered · difficulty 65.6
- property developer 33% covered · difficulty 67.7
- installation engineer 25% covered · difficulty 72.9
- contract engineer 25% covered · difficulty 70.6
- construction general supervisor 24% covered · difficulty 77.8
- cost analyst 24% covered · difficulty 71.1
- civil engineering technician 22% covered · difficulty 79.5
- construction engineer 20% covered · difficulty 78.9
- manufacturing cost estimator 20% covered · difficulty 73.8
- building inspector 19% covered · difficulty 76.9
- terrazzo setter supervisor 18% covered · difficulty 80.3
Table 3 · What the job itself asks for
A quantity surveyor needs 19 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- identify customer objectives communication, collaboration and creativity
- prepare construction documents information skills
- building construction principles engineering, manufacturing and construction
- communicate with construction crews communication, collaboration and creativity
- perform cost accounting activities management skills
- construction industry engineering, manufacturing and construction
- oversee construction project management skills
- urban planning law business, administration and law
- quantity surveying engineering, manufacturing and construction
- finish project within budget management skills
Table 4 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a quantity surveyor does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
Look up another occupation
Quantity surveyor is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a quantity surveyor’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.