Quantity surveyor vs civil engineer

The differences between quantity surveyors and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a quantity surveyor and a civil engineer. Additionally, a quantity surveyor has an average salary of $71,438, which is higher than the $70,950 average annual salary of a civil engineer.

The top three skills for a quantity surveyor include construction projects, QS and cost estimates. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.

Quantity surveyor vs civil engineer overview

	Quantity Surveyor	Civil Engineer
Yearly salary	$71,438	$70,950
Hourly rate	$34.35	$34.11
Growth rate	1%	7%
Number of jobs	2,128	26,803
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	41
Years of experience	6	6

Quantity surveyor vs civil engineer salary

Quantity surveyors and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quantity Surveyor	Civil Engineer
Average salary	$71,438	$70,950
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $114,000	Between $51,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	Cheshire, CT	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Air Products	The Citadel
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between quantity surveyor and civil engineer education

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

	Quantity Surveyor	Civil Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Civil Engineering	Civil Engineering
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Quantity surveyor vs civil engineer demographics

Here are the differences between quantity surveyors' and civil engineers' demographics:

	Quantity Surveyor	Civil Engineer
Average age	44	41
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	5%

Differences between quantity surveyor and civil engineer duties and responsibilities

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.

Civil engineer example responsibilities.

Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
Manage project programming requirements and manage HVAC design activities.
Project manage the overall reorganizing and restructuring of the telecommunication department.
Design engineer and project manager for HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection systems.
Support and troubleshoot Hewlett Packard printers, servers, switches, thin clients, and Cisco phone systems.
Handle and continuously update project documentation as as-built records and construction record reports.

Quantity surveyor vs civil engineer skills

Common quantity surveyor skills

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

Common civil engineer skills

Civil 3D, 11%
Engineering Design, 7%
Cost Estimates, 7%
Project Management, 6%
Construction Projects, 4%
Engineering Projects, 4%