Study Quantity Surveying

BSc Quantity Surveying 3 years plus BScHons 1 year (NQF 8); Construction Management follows the same structure

Pay in South AfricaR480–660ka year · typical R570k · limited evidence Work abroad4.1 of 5best: Canada, Australia AI outlookTransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Getting inMediumcompetition for places · 3-year BSc plus 1-year BScHons

R58 870 to R98 870 first-year fees 1 bursary lists Quantity Surveying

School subjects: Maths requiredPhysical Sciences required at some universitiesMaths Literacy not accepted

Entry details and typical minimums

English at level 4-5. UCT's BSc Construction Studies requires Physical Sciences (at least 55-60%, depending on the admission band); UP's BSc Quantity Surveying requires Physical Sciences or Accounting at level 4. Wits BSc Construction Studies requires neither.

Typical minimums: Wits BSc Construction Studies: APS 36 with level 5 (60-69%) in English and Mathematics; APS 30-35 may be wait-listed. UP runs a separate 3-year BSc Quantity Surveying.

Sources: Wits BSc Construction Studies · UP Faculty of EBIT brochure 2027, p. 8 - BSc Quantity Surveying: English 5, Mathematics 5, Physical Sciences or Accounting 4, APS 30 · UCT 2027 undergraduate prospectus, p. 36 - BSc Construction Studies: Mathematics 65% and Physical Sciences 60% (Band A) or 55% (Bands B and C) · Wits School of Construction Economics and Management accreditation · SACQSP routes to registration

Pay

Yearly gross pay, turned into rand at the exchange rate. The dot is the typical figure. How pay is measured

USAR1.1–1.8m
GermanyR1.1–1.7m
IrelandR710k–2.2m^~
AustraliaR950k–1.9m
NetherlandsR1.0–1.5m^~
UKR980k–1.6m
New ZealandR780k–1.5m
CanadaR790k–1.3m
South AfricaR480–660k^~

~ limited evidence

Working abroad 4.1 of 5

Score out of 5. Tap a country for steps and visas.

AI outlook

TransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Measurement, costing and documentation are very automatable; site presence and commercial negotiation are less so.

Hands-on In-person care Licensed & accountable

How AI changes each field

Careers

Quantity surveyor
Cost manager or cost consultant
Construction cost estimator
Contracts or commercial manager
Construction project manager
Claims and dispute consultant

RICS course accreditation

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors accredits QS and construction degrees at UP, Wits and UCT, so graduates enrol directly for the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and can become MRICS anywhere RICS operates. It is a professional-body route, not a legal licence, and gives no right to work or a visa.

Where to study 5

First-year tuition, as published. My Matric Map can check your results against each of these. Tap a university for its entry requirements and dates. Compare study costs

Country by country: steps, exams, visas and pay sources

A construction-cost degree that travels unusually well. Quantity surveying is unregulated in most rich countries, and UP, Wits and UCT programmes are RICS-accredited, so graduates can go straight into the RICS APC abroad.

Professional regulator: South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP)

Where it can take you

Quantity Surveying → Netherlands

Overall 3/5 · Moderate

No licence is needed, but the standalone QS role barely exists in Dutch practice and Dutch is expected.

Recognition: 4/5 · Recognised, paperwork only. Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
Demand: Some demand

Sources: IDW (Nuffic) - credential evaluation

Qualification and licensing guide

Pay, in rand at the exchange rate

Typical gross pay in each country, turned into rand at the exchange rate. Compare salaries switches between the exchange rate, buying power and after tax, and says how each works.

United States R1.1–1.8m2.5× SA

Germany R1.1–1.7m2.4× SA

Ireland R710k–2.2m^*2.3× SA

Australia R950k–1.9m^*2.3× SA

Netherlands R1.0–1.5m^*2.2× SA

United Kingdom R980k–1.6m2.2× SA

New Zealand R780k–1.5m1.9× SA

Canada R790k–1.3m1.8× SA

South Africa R480–660k^*

South Africa · line: the South African figure · pay range · starting pay · hover or tap a bar for details · gross pay a year, low to high estimate; the bar ends at the typical figure · * weaker figure

Country	Typical gross pay	Range and starting pay	Occupation and source
South Africa	ZAR 567 500 Middle of the advertised range 2026	ZAR 480 000 to 655 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide (advertised CTC/month), as published by IT-Online · low confidence · Pnet advertised CTC range x12. Public QS Gr A gross R719,600-R772,200.	Quantity Surveyor (Pnet Building & Construction sector) Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide (advertised CTC/month), as published by IT-Online · Advertised CTC R40,000-R54,583/mth x12 = R480k-R655k; CTC treated as gross. PayScale QS median R300k (n=364) much lower. PRIVATE sector, where most graduates work. Public-service gross equivalent R745,900.
United Kingdom	GBP 52 537 Median 2025	GBP 41 465 to 67 203 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · SOC 2453 Quantity surveyors, full-time, April 2025. Starting GBP 26 000 Graduate/trainee quantity surveyor, first job after the degree, 2026 · National Careers Service job profile: quantity-surveyor ('Starter' salary) · NCS starter 26,000; experienced 70,000.	SOC2020 2453 Quantity surveyors ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · Median gross annual pay, full-time employees, April 2025. CV 5.7%.
Ireland	EUR 65 833 Middle of the advertised range 2026	EUR 35 000 to 110 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · low confidence · Quantity Surveyor, lowest to highest across experience bands and 5 cities (same source as typical). MM 0-3 yrs: 35,000-50,000; 5+ yrs 75,000-110,000. Starting EUR 36 140 First year after an L8 degree, graduate/trainee quantity surveyor, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2022 graduates, year 1): Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction · low confidence, not shown on the chart · EUR695/wk x52. Median, earned 2023. Broad field of study; includes part-time workers, so understates full-time pay. QS is a small part of this broad field.	Quantity Surveyor Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · Midpoint of each published band (0-3/3-5/5+ yrs) averaged over bands and the 5 listed cities. Full range EUR35,000-110,000. No Irish official occupational pay statistics exist.
Netherlands	EUR 61 984 Median 2025	EUR 49 296 to 75 920 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (p25/p75 gross hourly) · BRC 2014 0721 Technici bouwkunde en natuur, employees, 2025: p25 23.70/h, p75 36.50/h x2080, excl. holiday pay (as typical). Broad technician group. Starting EUR 45 282 New hbo-bachelor graduate, 1 year after leaving, 2024 · CBS StatLine 83815NED Uitstromers ho; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (median, cohort 2022/'23, 1 yr after leaving) · low confidence, not shown on the chart · Hbo-bachelor 'Techniek': median 21.77/h x2080, Oct 2024, employees. NL calculators/cost engineers mostly hbo-trained; field covers all hbo technical bachelors.	BRC 2014 0721 Technici bouwkunde en natuur CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep · Median gross hourly x2080 (40h x52). Hourly excl. holiday pay, NL full-time ~36-38h; errors largely offset. No distinct NL QS occupation; calculators sit in this broad technician group.
Germany	EUR 67 020 Median 2025	EUR 53 796 to 84 984 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BA Entgeltatlas (Beschaeftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025, Vollzeit, all ages, Germany · KldB 31173, monthly p25-p75 x12. Baukalkulation, specialist level (closest to QS). Starting EUR 49 494 Newly graduated construction-cost engineer in municipal service, TVoeD E10 Stufe 1, 2026 · TVoeD/VKA Entgelttabelle 2026 (valid 1 May 2026-31 Mar 2027); EGO VKA Teil A II.3 · low confidence, not shown on the chart · No QS profession in DE; Baukalkulation grads are usually Bau-/Wirtschaftsingenieure. Public engineer entry used as proxy. Excludes annual Jahressonderzahlung.	KldB 2010 31173 Berufe in der Bauabrechnung & -kalkulation - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten BA Entgeltatlas (Beschäftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025 · Median monthly gross full-time x12. Employees in social insurance only (no self-employed/Beamte); capped at 8,050 EUR/mo. Baukalkulator, closest to QS. n=4,925.
United States	USD 78 740 Median 2025	USD 61 150 to 101 850 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 national (via BLS Public Data API) · OEWS May 2025 national annual 25th/75th percentile for SOC 13-1051; p10 $48,530, p90 $130,820; not top-coded. Starting USD 72 800 1 year after a bachelor's in construction management (CIP 52.20), 2022 · College Scorecard field-of-study data (Jun 2026 release), EARN_MDN_1YR · low confidence, not shown on the chart · Grad-weighted median of program medians, earnings 1 yr after completion (2018-20 grads, CY2020-21, 2022 $; working & not enrolled, incl. part-time). No QS degree in the US; construction management is the closest route to cost estimating. Small cohort (2,990 grads).	13-1051 Cost Estimators BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national · OEWS national median annual wage, May 2025. No QS code in SOC; cost estimators is the closest US equivalent.
Canada	CAD 78 707 Median 2024	CAD 61 963 to 99 840 25th to 75th percentile, 2024 · Job Bank wage data 2025 release (LFS 2023-2024), national quartiles · Job Bank Q1/Q3 C$29.79/C$48.00 x2080, NOC 22303 estimators (no QS code), LFS 2023-24. ~p10/p90 C$50,003/C$128,003. No QS graduate starting figure published.	22303 Construction estimators Job Bank wage data (open data), Labour Force Survey · No separate QS code in NOC 2021; construction estimators is the closest equivalent. National median hourly wage C$37.84 x 2080 h. Job Bank/LFS reference period 2023-2024, published 19 Nov 2025.
Australia	AUD 115 284 Median 2025	AUD 82 700 to 167 300 25th to 75th percentile, estimated from tax statistics (includes part-time), 2024 · ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 14A (occupation unit group x taxable income range); medians from Table 15B · low confidence · p25/p75 interpolated from 5 taxable-income bands (linear density matched to band means). Includes part-time/part-year earners and non-wage income; 2023-24 dollars, not uprated. Starting AUD 83 500 About 4 months after completing the bachelor's degree, full-time employed domestic graduates, 2025 · QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 national report tables: median full-time salary, undergraduates, by 45 study areas ('Building and construction') · low confidence, not shown on the chart · QS degrees fall in the 'Building and construction' study area (also construction management); no QS-only figure.	Civil Engineering Professionals (ANZSCO 2332) ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (customised report), via JSA Occupation Profiles · Median $2217/wk x52; FT non-managerial adult-rate employees, before tax. No separate QS figure: QS (233213) sits inside this unit group with civil/structural engineers.
New Zealand	NZD 105 000 Median 2026	NZD 75 000 to 146 000 careers service range, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator job profile: Quantity surveyor ('most common' pay range) · Tahatu 'most common' band (full published range 57,000-182,000); Stats NZ IDI/Census + IR data, percentiles not defined, no vintage stated. Starting NZD 71 000 Graduate quantity surveyor, year 1 after the BCons degree, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator study page 'Bachelors degrees in building construction economics and quantity surveying': median employed income 1 year after completion (Stats NZ IDI + IR) · Published in $ thousands; vintage not stated; includes part-year/part-time earners. Year-1 p25-p75 57k-87k.	Quantity surveyor Tahatu Career Navigator (Ministry of Education / Tertiary Education Commission careers service) · Published range $57,000-$182,000, most common $75,000-$146,000. From Stats NZ Census/IDI + Inland Revenue data; no vintage stated (year = year observed).

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Researched 2026-10-07.