# Will AI replace quantity surveyors? Updated October 2026 Cost estimators score 53 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 51%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 35% outright, and 14% stays with people. - **35%** AI can do it - **51%** AI helps - **14%** Needs a person High exposure Higher than 81% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 5 of them today, speeds up 7 and leaves 2 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Prepare and maintain a directory of suppliers, contractors and subcontractors. AI maintains supplier records and flags outdated contact details. | 80% AI can do it | | Prepare cost and expenditure statements and other necessary documentation at regular intervals for the duration of the project. Routine statements from ledger data; AI drafts, estimator reviews. | 75% AI can do it | | Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products. AI queries and cleans cost records; estimator checks relevance. | 72% AI can do it | | Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops. AI computes variances and flags overruns; manager interprets causes. | 62% AI can do it | | Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work. AI drafts schedules and cost plans; managers review and adjust. | 62% AI can do it | [See what AI can take on across a legal and compliance team](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/legal-and-compliance/) ## How cost estimators compare All occupations (923) Business and financial operations (48) **Cost estimators score 53**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 55 for business and financial operations. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $78,740 a year, May 2025 People employed 224,220 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs \-3.1% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Walk sites and record access, drainage, and utility services - Verify AI quantity takeoffs in PlanSwift and On-Screen Takeoff - Run tender comparisons and lead subcontractor negotiations - Explain cost variances to managers from SAP and Excel data - Hold the AACE International Certified Cost Professional credential ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Civil engineering technicians52 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/civil-engineering-technicians/) - [Construction managers47 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/construction-managers/) - [Engineering managers43 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/engineering-managers/) - [Cad designers50 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/architectural-drafters/) - [Civil engineers45 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/civil-engineers/) ## Questions about cost estimators and AI Will quantity surveyors be replaced by AI? Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping supplier directories current and preparing cost and expenditure statements. What stays with people is site visits, client and foreman talks, and negotiation with contractors. Will AI take over quantity surveying? AI can already do 35% of the task time in quantity surveying and speeds up another 51%. People still do 14% of it. The US has 224,220 cost estimator jobs, with a projected change of -3.1% from 2024 to 2034. Which tasks is AI taking over for cost estimators? Supplier directory upkeep comes first, with an exposure score of 80, because AI maintains records and flags outdated contact details. Cost and expenditure statements follow at 75, since AI drafts them from ledger data for the estimator to review. Historical cost data collection scores 72, as AI queries and cleans past records while the estimator checks which ones still apply. Which tasks stay human for cost estimators? Site visits stay human. Someone has to stand on the ground to record access, drainage, topography and utility services. Resolving issues with clients and construction foremen needs live judgement, and so does negotiation with contractors over the final price. How can cost estimators stay valuable as AI takes over tasks? Check every AI quantity takeoff in PlanSwift or On-Screen Takeoff before pricing it. Track actual costs against bids in SAP and Excel, and explain each overrun to the manager who is responsible for the budget. Take responsibility for the tender comparisons and subcontractor negotiations, which stay with people. ## Related jobs - [Industrial engineers55 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industrial-engineers/) - [Production clerks63 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/production-clerks/) - [Project managers53 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/project-managers/) - [Industrial engineering technicians43 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industrial-engineering-technicians/) ## Next steps for cost estimators - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.