A technical surveyor provides support to chartered surveyors and other professionals. They work in a range of branches of surveying including building, general practice, land, minerals, offshore, planning, quantity and rural.
They are also called surveying technicians.
The Work
You could be:
carrying out surveying duties such as mapping land use, checking building repairs or assessing fire risks
undertaking site measuring and re-measuring
using computer-aided design (CAD) software to help plan and design new projects
estimating the cost of a building project, including budget breakdown and timescales
writing reports, contracts and tenders
organising and supervising building site operations
scheduling and monitoring project workloads
valuing property, land and machinery
managing estates and farms.
Pay
The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:
where you work
the size of company or organisation you work for
the demand for the job.
Starting salaries are likely to be from around £20,000, rising to around £28,000 with experience. High earning senior technical surveyors can up to £40,000 a year.
Conditions
Depending on your branch of surveying you may:
spend much of your time in the office
travel to building sites and visit clients
work outside in all weathers and conditions
wear a hard hat and other safety gear while on site
Many applicants usually have an HNC (SCQF Level 7) or HND (SCQF Level 8) in building surveying, built environment with specialisms or quantity surveying. Usual entry requirements are 1 or 2 Highers.
As a school leaver, you could apply for a job as a trainee technician. Employers would normally look for around 4 subjects at National 5.
You may be able to enter through a Modern Apprenticeship. You would need some subjects at National 4 or 5, or Highers including English, Maths and a science or technological subject. You can work towards Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in one of the branches of surveying.
You could study the Foundation Apprenticeship in Construction (SCQF Level 4 or 5) in S3-S6, which can help to get into a relevant Modern Apprenticeship.
You must hold a ConstructionSkills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to work on a building site. You need to pass a health and safety test to qualify for this scheme.
Look for jobs with surveying firms, building contractors, civil engineering companies and property developers, as well as in the public sector with local authorities and the Civil Service.
keep up to date with relevant standards and regulations
work accurately and pay attention to detail
work with a wide range of people
organise projects and workloads
work to deadlines.
Training
You might do a SVQ in Construction Contracting Operations: Surveying or Site Technical Support at SCQF Level 6.
As a trainee technical surveyor, you would train on the job with part time study at a local college towards an HNC qualification in a relevant area of surveying.
Depending on the industry you work in, you may be able to take courses to keep up to date in specialised software, such as CAD.
Getting On
Once you gain experience you might move on to a supervisory position such as senior technician.
You might become self-employed.
You might progress to the Technical Apprenticeship in Construction at SCQF Level 9 and work towards the SVQ Construction Contracting Operations Management: Quantity Surveying.
By studying for further qualifications you could eventually become a qualified chartered surveyor. Check the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) website for details.
2024
