Architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals

How to become a chartered surveyor

Official title: Chartered surveyors

Also called: Surveyor, Land surveyor, Group surveyor, River surveyor, Rural surveyor, Estate surveyor, Mining surveyor, Mineral surveyor, Project surveyor, Utility surveyor, Building surveyor, Colliery surveyor

Chartered surveyors conduct surveys related to the measurement, management, valuation and development of land, natural resources, buildings, other types of property, and infrastructure such as harbours, roads and railway lines.

Main tasks

Surveys, measures and describes land surfaces to establish property boundaries and to aid with construction or cartographic work
Surveys mines, prepares drawings of surfaces, hazards and other features to control the extent and direction of mining
Surveys buildings to determine necessary alterations and repairs
Measures shore lines, elevations and underwater contours, establishes high and low water marks, plots shore features and defines navigable channels

How to become one

Entrants usually possess an accredited degree, equivalent qualification and/or postgraduate qualification. Entrants must also have successfully completed a probationary training period and professional assessment. Entry requirements to professional bodies vary.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Building control surveyor (integrated degree) (level 6). England. Typically 48 months. Skills England standard ST0652.
Apprenticeship (England): Chartered surveyor (degree) (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0331.
Apprenticeship (England): Geospatial mapping and science specialist (degree) (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0492.
Apprenticeship (England): Geospatial survey technician (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0491.
University: Architecture & Built Environment degrees, Offered by 12 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

Median full-time pay: £46,184 a year The middle half earn £37,504 to £57,670.
About 79,500 people work in this job now, and about 89,200 are projected by 2035. (+12.2%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a chartered surveyor?

How much does a chartered surveyor earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £46,184 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £37,504 to £57,670.

Is a chartered surveyor a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 79,500 to about 89,200 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a chartered surveyor?

Usually. 82% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.