Construction estimator vs quantity surveyor

The differences between construction estimators and quantity surveyors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a construction estimator, becoming a quantity surveyor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a construction estimator has an average salary of $72,383, which is higher than the $71,438 average annual salary of a quantity surveyor.

The top three skills for a construction estimator include construction management, project management and cost estimates. The most important skills for a quantity surveyor are construction projects, QS, and cost estimates.

Construction estimator vs quantity surveyor overview

	Construction Estimator	Quantity Surveyor
Yearly salary	$72,383	$71,438
Hourly rate	$34.80	$34.35
Growth rate	-2%	1%
Number of jobs	37,047	2,128
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	2	6

Construction estimator vs quantity surveyor salary

Construction estimators and quantity surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Construction Estimator	Quantity Surveyor
Average salary	$72,383	$71,438
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $104,000	Between $44,000 And $114,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Cheshire, CT
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	Amazon	Air Products
Best paying industry	Start-up	-

Differences between construction estimator and quantity surveyor education

There are a few differences between a construction estimator and a quantity surveyor in terms of educational background:

	Construction Estimator	Quantity Surveyor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Civil Engineering
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Construction estimator vs quantity surveyor demographics

Here are the differences between construction estimators' and quantity surveyors' demographics:

	Construction Estimator	Quantity Surveyor
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0%	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.5% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between construction estimator and quantity surveyor duties and responsibilities

Construction estimator example responsibilities.

Manage prevailing wage for payroll and prepare and submit bi-weekly certify payroll reports.
Supervise the installation of electronics, plumbing and penning.
Complete requests for information (RFI) and log them for future reference.
Complete estimates using spreadsheet models, cad models, similar designs and grass roots techniques.
Estimate cost of various building projects, pole barns, decks, plumbing, electrical supplies.
Gather, submit, and track relevant request for information (RFI) to project owner.

Quantity surveyor example responsibilities.

Prepare shop drawings using AutoCAD software.
Update contract BOQ base on contractors approve shop drawings to submit update BOQ and expect cost of completion.
Base: UK, UAE, Trinidad
Assist in the preparation of tenders for new contracts including pre-contract measurements and pricing.
Follow and maintain the drawing set using AutoCAD and release them to supervisors for assign tasks.
Check the quantities in BOQ during site handover for the contractor and match them with the implemented quantities at the site.

Construction estimator vs quantity surveyor skills

Common construction estimator skills

Construction Management, 13%
Project Management, 10%
Cost Estimates, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Quantity Take-Offs, 5%
Sage, 4%

Common quantity surveyor skills

Construction Projects, 18%
QS, 12%
Cost Estimates, 6%
Contractual Claims, 6%
Cost Analysis, 6%
Cost Control, 6%

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Construction Estimator vs Quantity Surveyor

Updated January 8, 2025

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