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Land surveyor

  • Hours

    35-40 per week

  • Starting salary

    £20,000 + per year



The work

As a land (or geomatics) surveyor you would collect data to map the shape of land for civil engineering and construction projects. You would then use this data as the basis for site plans.

You might work on road, tunnel and bridge building projects, land redevelopment, mining and quarrying, and the installation of power and water supply networks. Your duties would include:

  • feasibility studies – carrying out initial surveys and environmental impact assessments on potential sites to assess whether plans are workable
  • geospatial measurement – using surveying instruments and GPS to chart exact coordinates of site features; producing digital images of sites (photogrammetry); and mapping land use with satellite photography (remote sensing)
  • geomatics – gathering data and using geographic information systems (GIS) to analyse and interpret site features
  • geomechanics – monitoring land movement and subsidence caused during the construction project or by natural processes
  • computer-aided design – draughting 2-D and 3-D charts and maps of an area using CAD programs and other cartographic techniques.

You could also specialise in mapping inshore and offshore features (known as hydrographic surveying), which covers:

  • natural waterways and canals for environmental projects
  • dredging operations
  • navigational charts
  • oil and gas exploration
  • undersea mining
  • locating and salvaging sunken ships.

Hours

You would normally work 35 to 40 hours a week. Early starts, late finishes and weekend work may be needed to meet deadlines.

Your job would combine office and site work, and some projects may involve overnight stays away from home.


Income

  • Newly qualified surveyors can earn between £20,000 and £23,000 a year
  • Chartered land surveyors can earn around £30,000 to £40,000
  • Those at senior management level or partner, may earn up to around £70,000.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.


Entry requirements

You would usually need a degree or professional qualification accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to become a land or geomatics surveyor.

Relevant subjects include:

  • surveying
  • civil engineering
  • geomatics
  • geographical information science.

You can search for accredited qualifications on the dedicated RICS Courses website.

If you have a non-accredited degree, you will need to take a postgraduate course in surveying. You can do this through a graduate traineeship with an employer or by studying full-time at an accredited university. If you already work in engineering or construction, you could take a distance learning postgraduate conversion course with the College of Estate Management (CEM). Contact CEM for more details.

If you have an HNC/HND or foundation degree in surveying, you could look for work as a surveying technician, and take further study to fully qualify as a land surveyor. See the Technical Surveyor job profile for more information.

See the RICS, the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES) and the Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) Faculty for Architecture and Surveying websites for more details about surveying careers and accredited degree programmes.

You are likely to need a driving licence so you can travel to and from sites.


Training and development

It is important that you continue to update your knowledge and skills throughout your career. You could do this by working towards chartered status with the RICS or the CIOB Faculty for Architecture and Surveying.

To qualify for chartered status through the RICS, you must complete the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) while you are working. You will need at least two years' post graduate experience and will have to pass an interview with a panel of assessors.

If you want to apply for CIOB chartered status, you will need an accredited honours degree and two years' relevant work experience.

The ICES offer a range of training programmes, which count towards professional development.

For more details about qualifying routes, accredited courses and professional development and membership enquiries contact RICS, the CIOB and the ICES.


Skills and knowledge

  • awareness of surveying technology and CAD programs
  • excellent STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering Maths)
  • strong analytical skills and a creative approach to problem solving
  • the ability to work to a high degree of accuracy
  • the ability to analyse and interpret graphical data
  • knowledge of planning and environmental regulations
  • knowledge of health and safety
  • strong communication, negotiating and presentation skills
  • the ability to prioritise and plan effectively
  • the ability to work as part of a team.

For hydrographic work, you may need some knowledge of navigation and experience of handling small marine craft.


More information

Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (Opens new window)
Dominion House
Sibson Road
Sale
Cheshire
M33 7PP
Tel: 0161 972 3100
www.ices.org.uk

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (Opens new window)
Parliament Square
London
SW1P 3AD
Tel: 0207 334 3875
www.rics.org

College of Estate Management (Opens new window)
Whiteknights
Reading
Berkshire
RG6 6AW
Tel: 0800 019 9697
www.cem.ac.uk

Asset Skills (Opens new window)
2 The Courtyard
48 New North Road
Exeter
Devon
EX4 4EP
Tel: 01392 423399
Careers Advice: careers@assetskills.org
www.assetskills.org

Chartered Institute of Building (Opens new window)
Englemere
Kings Ride
Ascot
Berkshire
SL5 7TB
Tel: 01344 630700
www.ciob.org.uk


Opportunities

Typical employers include central and local government, construction, engineering and property development companies, specialist surveying firms, financial institutions and Ordnance Survey of Great Britain.

With experience, you could progress to overall project management, contract management, specialise in a particular aspect of surveying, or work as a self-employed consultant.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading: (links open in a new window)

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (Opens in a new window) there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.


Related industry information

Industry summary

The construction sector is represented by ConstructionSkills Sector Skills Council. Construction is the creation of the built environment covering all stages of the construction process, from creating the initial ideas and designs to actually building the structure and ensuring that everything continues to work after it is completed. The sector covers the following areas: building infrastructure (such as roads and rail); the building of public and private housing; the construction of public non‐housing (such as schools); industrial building; the construction of commercial premises (such as offices and retail units); together with the repair and maintenance of these constructions.

ConstructionSkills represents every part of the UK construction industry, from architects to bricklayers. The sector employs 2.35 million people, representing over 8% of the UK workforce.

Professional and managerial staff in the construction sector can be involved at all stages of a construction project from the early planning stages to maintaining a building after it has been constructed. The industry covers a whole range of different roles including:

  • Design – Architects, Structural Engineer, Geospatial Modeller
  • Surveying – Quantity Surveyor, Building Surveyor, Hydrographic Surveyor
  • Management – Construction Manager, Project Manager, Site Supervisor
  • Planning – Planner, Facilities Manager, Town Planner.

Some who enter this area of the industry will become specialised in their chosen field, whilst others will start their own companies or become managers in construction businesses.

Key facts for the construction sector as a whole:

  • 92% of organisations in the construction sector employ less than 10 people.
  • 55% of the workforce is employed in manual occupations.
  • 37% of the workforce is self‐employed.
  • Much of the workforce is mobile.
  • More than 35% of people in the sector are their own boss running their own companies.

Jobs in the industry range from: senior executive, business process manager, construction manager, civil engineer, town planner, mechanical engineer, architect, surveyor, project manager, structural engineer, geospatial modeller, facilities manager.


National and regional data

Fewer employers in the East Midlands and West Midlands who had tried to recruit skilled staff had encountered difficulties (9% and 16% respectively); compared with London and Scotland, where two in five employers had experienced recruitment difficulties (40% and 39% respectively).

East Midlands – There are annual recruitment requirements for civil engineers (210), other construction professionals (140), construction managers (100) and surveyors (less than 50). There are little or no requirements for senior executive and business process managers, and architects.

East of England – There are annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (600), surveyors (480), other construction professionals (340), senior executive and business process managers (190) and architects (150). There is little or no requirement for civil engineers in the region.

London – There are annual recruitment requirements for senior executive and business process managers (470), surveyors (260), construction managers (200) and civil engineers (180). There are little or no requirements for other construction professionals and architects in the region.

North East – There are annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (70), civil engineers (70) and architects (less than 50). There are little or no requirements for senior executive and business process managers, other construction professionals and surveyors in the region.

North West – There are annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (200), architects (210) and senior executive and business process managers (80). There are little or no requirements for civil engineers and surveyors in the region.

South East – There are annual recruitment requirements for civil engineers (330) and architects (250). There are little or no requirements for senior executive and business process managers, construction managers, other construction professionals and surveyors.

South West – There are annual recruitment requirements for senior executive and business process managers (60) and construction managers (60). There are little or no requirements for civil engineers, other construction professionals, architects and surveyors.

West Midlands – There are only annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (720) in the region. There is little or no requirement for all other professional and management occupations in construction.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are annual recruitment requirements for civil engineers (100), construction managers (90) and other construction professionals (40). There are little or no requirements for senior executive and business process managers, architects and surveyors.

Northern Ireland – There are annual recruitment requirements for senior executive and business process managers (110) and surveyors (80). There are little or no requirements for construction managers, civil engineers, other construction professionals and architects.

Scotland – There are annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (630), civil engineers (380), other construction professionals (205), senior executive and business process managers (70) and architects (60). There is little or no requirement for surveyors. Total employment to 2014 is expected to increase in senior executive and business process management, construction management occupations and civil engineers.

Wales – There are annual recruitment requirements for construction managers (330), civil engineers (240), architects (70), other construction professionals (30) and surveyors (less than 50). There is little or no requirement for senior executive and business process managers. Total employment to 2014 is forecast to increase for senior executive and business process managers, civil engineers and architects.

[N.B. Data derived from Constructionskills Labour Market Intelligence 2010‐2014.]


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