Land surveyor vs quantity surveyor

The differences between land surveyors and quantity surveyors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a land surveyor and a quantity surveyor. Additionally, a quantity surveyor has an average salary of $71,438, which is higher than the $46,182 average annual salary of a land surveyor.

The top three skills for a land surveyor include GPS, data collection and topographic surveys. The most important skills for a quantity surveyor are construction projects, QS, and cost estimates.

Land surveyor vs quantity surveyor overview

	Land Surveyor	Quantity Surveyor
Yearly salary	$46,182	$71,438
Hourly rate	$22.20	$34.35
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	4,717	2,128
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Land surveyor vs quantity surveyor salary

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

	Land Surveyor	Quantity Surveyor
Average salary	$46,182	$71,438
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $66,000	Between $44,000 And $114,000
Highest paying City	Walnut Creek, CA	Cheshire, CT
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Adobe	Air Products
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between land surveyor and quantity surveyor education

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

	Land Surveyor	Quantity Surveyor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Civil Engineering	Civil Engineering
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Land surveyor vs quantity surveyor demographics

Here are the differences between land surveyors' and quantity surveyors' demographics:

	Land Surveyor	Quantity Surveyor
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1%	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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	7%	7%

Differences between land surveyor and quantity surveyor duties and responsibilities

Land surveyor example responsibilities.

Utilize GPS technology to manage a two man robotic crew assign to residential/ commercial development projects.
Operate survey robotic instruments (Leica TPS1200), data collectors (Carlson, TDS).
Hire and train tribal members in using GPS and conventional survey equipment to assist perform field surveys of vary complexity.
Finalize plans through AutoCAD and Carlson software.
Used a Leica total station with TDS software.
Stake commodities and existing underground using Trimble GNSS equipment.

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.

Land surveyor vs quantity surveyor skills

Common land surveyor skills

GPS, 21%
Data Collection, 8%
Topographic Surveys, 8%
Survey Data, 8%
Boundary Surveys, 6%
Civil 3D, 6%

Common quantity surveyor skills

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