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Quantity Surveyor Pay UK 2026/27

Quantity surveyor salaries are supported by sustained construction demand and increase significantly after chartership. Location and project scale remain major drivers of pay variation.

Calculate your take-home →See salary breakdown

At a Glance

  • Graduate QS£2,213 / mo
    of £32,000 gross a year
  • Chartered QS (MRICS)£3,538 / mo
    of £55,000 gross a year
  • Senior / Associate Director QS£4,650 / mo
    of £78,000 gross a year
Take-homeTaxNI

Quantity surveyors are central to UK construction delivery, managing costs and commercial risk across projects from housing developments to major infrastructure.

RICS 2024 Rewards & Attitudes data showed chartered QS median pay around £55,000 nationally, with stronger rates in London and on large commercial or infrastructure schemes.

Progression to MRICS chartership usually takes about 3-5 years post-graduation through structured APC experience.

Quantity Surveyor Salary Breakdown UK 2026/27

The table below shows typical quantity surveyor salaries across experience levels and regions, alongside estimated take-home pay after income tax and National Insurance. Click any gross salary figure to open it in the calculator.

LevelNational GrossNational Take-HomeMonthly (National)London GrossLondon Take-Home
Graduate QS£32,000£26,561£2,213£40,000£32,321
Chartered QS (MRICS)£55,000£42,458£3,538£68,000£49,998
Senior / Associate Director QS£78,000£55,798£4,650£98,000£67,398

How Quantity Surveyor Pay Works in the UK

MRICS chartership is the industry benchmark for career progression; employers often fund the APC and offer a pay increase on achieving the designation

London and the South East attract a 20–30% premium over national rates, reflecting the concentration of major commercial and residential projects

Contracting QSs and consulting QSs can follow different career and pay trajectories; senior consulting roles in PQS firms often command higher fees and bonuses

Infrastructure and civil engineering QSs, especially on major projects such as HS2, Lower Thames Crossing, or Thames Tideway, are in chronically short supply; day rates for senior freelance QSs reach £450–£650 per day

Specialisms such as mechanical and electrical (M&E) QS, dispute resolution, and NEC contract management command premium salaries of £65,000–£85,000+ at mid-level

The RICS APC requires a minimum of 400 days of structured experience and a final assessment before chartership is granted

Income Tax and National Insurance in 2026/27

Like all UK workers, quantity surveyors salaries are subject to income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions. In the 2026/27 tax year:

Income Tax Bands
Up to £12,5700% (Personal Allowance)
£12,571 – £50,27020% (Basic Rate)
£50,271 – £125,14040% (Higher Rate)
Above £125,14045% (Additional Rate)
Employee National Insurance
Up to £12,5700%
£12,570 – £50,2708%
Above £50,2702%
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Use the calculator above to see your exact take-home pay after all deductions, including pension contributions and student loan repayments if applicable.

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Take-home calculator

Your take-home pay

Enter your salary and we'll break down income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and your final take-home for 2026/27.

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State Pension age

68 applies if you were born after 5 April 1978.

Your take-home pay

£2,431a month

£29,171 a year · £561 a week

Out of £3,125 gross a month

  • Take-home pay£2,43177.8%
  • Your pension+ £94 from your employer£1565.0%
  • Income tax£38412.3%
  • National Insurance£1544.9%
HMRC 2026/27 rates, updated 6 April 2026

If you invested £181 each month into an ISA after covering your expenses, you could make £108,173 over 25 years: +£53,905 on top of what you put in, thanks to compounding returns.

See how

Explore your finances

Model your expenses, project your wealth, and find your path to financial independence, using the pay figures above.

Your monthly spending

Essentials

£per month
Housing, bills, council tax, food.

Everything else

£per month
Things you choose to pay for.

Your plan

The earliest you can retire with your workplace pension is usually 55 (rising to 57 from 6 April 2028). You won't get your state pension until your mid or late 60s, depending on your current age. Tip: try playing around with your target retirement age to see how things change.
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The total balance of any existing ISA Savings accounts (GIAs are not currently supported)

Financial independence

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% of today
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Financial independence means having enough saved that your outgoings are covered for the rest of your life.

Where your £3,125 a month goes

  • Essentials£1,750
  • Everything else£500
  • Tax and NI£538
  • Pension£156
  • Left to invest in your ISA£181

Projected wealth

Estimated income over 50 years, in today's money, with a 5% annual return and 0.35% yearly platform and fund fees.

Projected pension

Your pension pot over 31 years at three growth rates, after 0.35% fees, in today's money.

Calculations
  • FI Target = Annual outgoings (£21,600) * Years needed for 4.00% SWR (25.00) = £540,000
  • Invested annual pension = £3,000
  • Invested annual surplus = £2,171
  • Inflation of 2.5% / year
  • Assumes New State Pension, payments increasing with inflation (2.5% / year)
  • Assumes student loans last 30 years max
  • Assumes a flex-drawdown pension for illustration purposes
  • Assumes you draw down pension up to the higher rate bracket (£50,270), then draw down your S&S ISA
  • Pension lump sums are not included

Take-home pay by salary

See the full 2026/27 breakdown for common salaries.