An apprenticeship lets you qualify as a surveyor while being paid, with your employer covering the training. There are two main surveying apprenticeships in England: the Level 3 Surveying Technician, which leads to RICS Associate membership, and the Level 6 Chartered Surveyor degree apprenticeship, which leads to full chartership. This guide explains how each one works, who offers them, and how the funding works for employers in 2026.
The two main routes
| Surveying Technician | Chartered Surveyor (degree) | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Level 3 (equivalent to A levels) | Level 6 (a bachelor's degree) |
| Typical length | Around two years of training, plus the final assessment | Usually around five years part time |
| Study | A Level 3 Diploma in Surveying, often by day release or online | An RICS-accredited degree, usually by day or block release |
| Final assessment | The RICS Associate assessment | The RICS APC |
| Qualification | AssocRICS | A degree and MRICS (chartered surveyor) |
Level 3 Surveying Technician
The Surveying Technician apprenticeship is for people starting out, often straight from school or college, or moving into surveying from another job. It covers technician roles across building surveying, commercial and residential property, land and rural work, valuation, quantity surveying and project management.
Apprentices study for a Level 3 Diploma in Surveying alongside their job. Before the final assessment they need the diploma, a set period of relevant work experience, a record of CPD and English and maths at Level 2. The final assessment is the RICS Associate assessment: a summary of experience against the competencies of your pathway, a case study about a project you worked on, a CPD record and an online test of ethics and professional conduct. Pass, and you become an Associate member of RICS and can use the letters AssocRICS.
AssocRICS is a recognised qualification in its own right, and many technicians build long careers on it. It also leads on to chartership: Associates can go on to the APC once they have the required experience and qualifications, so this route can take you all the way to MRICS.
Level 6 Chartered Surveyor degree apprenticeship
The degree apprenticeship combines a job with an RICS-accredited degree. Universities offer it in building surveying, quantity surveying, commercial real estate, rural surveying, project management and other disciplines, usually with one day a week or blocks of study at the university. Entry requirements are set by each university, but typically include A levels or an equivalent such as an HNC, plus GCSE English and maths. Some universities let you start part way through if you already hold a relevant HNC or HND.
The end-point assessment is the RICS APC itself. When you pass it, you complete the apprenticeship, receive your degree and become a chartered surveyor at the same time. Our guide to the RICS APC explains what the assessment involves.
For many people the biggest attraction is finishing with a degree, chartership and around five years of experience, and no tuition fee debt.
Who offers surveying apprenticeships?
Large consultancies, contractors, councils, housing associations and public bodies all take on apprentices, and many smaller practices now do too. Apprenticeships are advertised as jobs, often with intakes in the spring and summer for a September start. Look for titles such as Apprentice Surveyor, Trainee Surveyor, Surveying Technician Apprentice or Degree Apprentice Quantity Surveyor. Graduate and trainee surveyor jobs include apprenticeships when they are advertised.
Apprentices are paid employees with the same rights as other staff. Pay depends on the employer and your age and experience. For what surveyors earn once qualified, see our surveying salary guide: trainee pay is typically £25,000 to £35,000.
How funding works for employers in England (2026)
Apprenticeship funding changed in several ways during 2025 and 2026. The main points for the 2026 to 2027 funding year, which began on 1 August 2026, are:
- Levy-paying employers (those with a pay bill over £3 million) pay for training from the funds in their apprenticeship service account. From 1 August 2026, new levy funds no longer receive the 10% government top-up, and they expire after 12 months instead of 24 if they are not used.
- When a levy payer's funds run out, the government pays the full cost of training for apprentices aged 16 to 24. For apprentices aged 25 and over who start from 1 August 2026, the employer now pays 25% and the government 75%.
- Employers who do not pay the levy, which includes most surveying practices, pay nothing towards training for apprentices aged 16 to 24. For apprentices aged 25 and over, they pay 5% and the government pays 95%.
- A new £2,000 hiring payment is available from 1 October 2026 to employers who do not pay the levy and take on a new apprentice aged 16 to 24. It is paid in two instalments, claimed through the training provider.
- The existing £1,000 payment for apprentices aged 16 to 18 (and some older apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in care) continues.
- Levy transfers let a levy-paying employer pass some of its unused funds to another employer, so a smaller practice can sometimes have an apprenticeship paid for in full by a larger client or partner.
Funding is capped at the maximum funding band for each apprenticeship, and costs above the cap are paid by the employer. Separately, since January 2026 most Level 7 (master's level) apprenticeships are no longer funded for people aged 22 and over. This does not affect the Level 3 or Level 6 surveying apprenticeships.
These rules change often, sometimes during the year. Before taking on an apprentice, check the current apprenticeship funding rules on GOV.UK and ask your training provider to confirm what applies. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own schemes with different rules.
Is an apprenticeship right for you?
An apprenticeship suits people who learn best by doing, want to earn from the start and are happy to study alongside a full-time job. It takes commitment: evenings and weekends are often needed for assignments, and the degree route is a long one. The reward is a qualification, real experience and, in most cases, a job at the end. For other ways in, see our guide on how to become a surveyor.
Looking for a first step? Browse graduate and trainee surveyor jobs, and get new ones by email every Monday with the free SURVEYINGJOBS.COM Weekly.