Land surveyor

How to become a land surveyor

You can gain the qualifications you need by doing a university course, a graduate training scheme, or an apprenticeship.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

University

You will need to complete a degree accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

Graduate training scheme

If your first degree isn’t relevant to surveying, you could do a postgraduate conversion course at university, or through an employer.

You could also gain higher qualifications through an employer’s graduate training scheme. If you have a foundation degree or graduate diploma in surveying, you could get a graduate job as a surveying technician. You could then apply for RICS membership and study to be a fully qualified land surveyor.

Some people become surveyors by working for a surveying practice and completing a distance learning course with the University College of Estate Management.

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

• Equivalent entry requirements explained
• Find a university course
• Funding advice

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship with a land surveying company is a good way into the industry. Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16.  As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

You could start your career as a surveying technician or a geospatial survey technician.

Find out what the entry requirements are where you live.

• Find an apprenticeship near you
• Guide to apprenticeships

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works in construction. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

• Find out more about work experience

Skills

• Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a land surveyor include:
• Knowledge of engineering science, maths, geography, and technology
• Analytical thinking skills
• Be thorough and pay attention to detail
• Able to use your initiative
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Thinking and reasoning skills
• Able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Qualifications

What does a land surveyor do?

As a land surveyor, you will be responsible for carrying out the review of land using technical equipment to ensure it is suitable for a construction project to take place.

The job role of a land surveyor involves the following duties:

• Carrying out surveys of the environment with construction projects in mind
• Working in diverse sectors, such as construction, property, cartography (maps), offshore engineering and exploration
• Assessing land due for redevelopment
• Surveying airports, landfill sites, mines, quarries, pipeline systems and more
• Managing and monitoring projects from start to finish
• Producing maps using GPS, surveying instruments, digital images and satellite photographs
• Analysing data using geographic information systems (GIS) and drawing charts using computer-aided design (CAD)
• Monitoring changes in the land during the construction process
• Writing reports and sharing crucial information with colleagues and clients
• Working in an office, with regular site visits.

How much could you earn as a land surveyor?

The expected salary for a land surveyor varies as you become more experienced.

• Newly qualified surveyors can earn £20,000 – £25,000
• This can rise to £25,000 – £40,000 with chartered status
• Senior surveyors can earn up to £70,000 or more.*

Salaries depend on location, employer and level of responsibility, and salaries and career options can improve with chartered status.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Check out the latest land/ geomatic Surveyor vacancies: 

• Indeed
• Reed
• Total Jobs 

As these are external websites, the number of vacancies related to your preferred role may vary. New opportunities will be posted as they come up.

Career path and progression

You could apply for chartered status through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This will improve your job prospects and you could earn a higher salary.

With experience, you could become a project or contract manager, or specialise in an area such as offshore engineering or construction surveying.

Some land surveyors work as self-employed consultants or sub-contractors.