How to become an estimator, valuer or assessor
Official title: Estimators, valuers and assessors
Also called: Valuer, Assessor, Estimator, Hip assessor, Risk assessor, Cost estimator, Claims assessor, Energy assessor, Chief estimator, Print estimator, Sales estimator, Planner-estimator
Estimators, valuers and assessors plan and undertake the calculation of probable costs of civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic and other projects, estimate the value of property and chattels, and investigate insurance claims to assess their validity and to assign liability.
Main tasks
- Examines plans, drawings, specifications, parts lists, etc. and specifies the materials and components required
- Assesses condition, location, desirability and amenities of property to be valued
- Assesses costs of materials, labour and other factors such as required profit margins, transport costs, tariffs and fare structures, possible hazards, etc.
- Prepares comprehensive estimates of time and costs and presents these in report or tender form
- Examines insurance documents to assess extent of liability and gathers information about incident from police, medical records, ship’s log, etc. and investigates potential fraudulent claims
How to become one
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications. Entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades, GNVQs/GSVQs or BTEC/SQA awards. Professional qualifications are available and may be required by some employers.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Vehicle damage assessor (level 4). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0406.
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £39,634 a year The middle half earn £32,274 to £51,360.
- About 51,800 people work in this job now, and about 54,200 are projected by 2035. (+4.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become an estimator, valuer or assessor?
Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications. Entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades, GNVQs/GSVQs or BTEC/SQA awards. Professional qualifications are available and may be required by some employers.
How much does an estimator, valuer or assessor earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £39,634 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £32,274 to £51,360.
Is an estimator, valuer or assessor a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 51,800 to about 54,200 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become an estimator, valuer or assessor?
Not always. 40% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees; Vehicle damage assessor (level 4).
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.