State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cost Estimator Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Cost Estimators earn a median of $78,740 per year ($37.86/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 4.2% through 2034, with about 16,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 13-1051Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $78,740
- Projected growth
- -4.2%
- Openings a year
- 16,900
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Construction Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Consultant, Cost Engineer.
How much do Cost Estimators make?
10th percentile$48,530
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$61,150
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$78,740
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$101,850
Upper quartile
90th percentile$130,820
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $78,740 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $37.86/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $85,390 |
| People employed | 224,220 |
Versus all US occupations
At $78,740, Cost Estimators earn 54% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $27,760 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
The median is typical for the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $130,820 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,530, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 65% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Massachusetts posts the highest raw median ($100,840), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $97,949 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Cost Estimators the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $100,840 | $95,351 | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $97,020 | $94,784 | 220 |
| Wyoming | $90,790 | $97,949 | 440 |
| Colorado | $86,940 | $84,365 | 6,100 |
| Washington | $86,070 | $80,429 | 7,470 |
| California | $85,460 | $77,186 | 26,020 |
| Illinois | $82,750 | $82,785 | 5,990 |
| District of Columbia | $82,730 | $75,277 | 270 |
| Nevada | $82,200 | $82,217 | 2,240 |
| Rhode Island | $81,990 | $80,162 | 590 |
Is Cost Estimator a growing career?
Cost Estimators-4.2%
All US occupations3.1%
-4.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Cost Estimators to change -4.2% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 9,300 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 16,900 openings are projected each year, 7.6% of the 221,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Cost estimation software is improving the productivity of these workers, requiring fewer estimators to do the same amount of work. This will limit employment growth of cost estimators.
However, there will continue to be some demand for these workers because companies need accurate cost projections to ensure that their products and services are profitable.
How to become a Cost Estimator
Cost estimators typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation, although workers with several years of experience in construction sometimes qualify in that industry without a degree.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cost estimators.
- Bachelor's Degree81.8%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)9.1%
- High School Diploma4.6%
- Master's Degree4.6%
What does a Cost Estimator do?
Prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service. May specialize according to particular service performed or type of product manufactured.
Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess the time, money, materials, and labor required to manufacture a product, construct a building, or provide a service. They generally specialize in a particular product or industry.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
- Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
- Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
- Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
- Conduct special studies to develop and establish standard hour and related cost data or to reduce cost.
- Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops.
- Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where cost estimators work
| Specialty trade contractors | 34% |
|---|---|
| Construction of buildings | 16% |
| Manufacturing | 12% |
| Automotive repair and maintenance | 9% |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Mathematics4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Writing3.5/5
- Active Learning3.3/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Management of Financial Resources3.1/5
- Persuasion3.0/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Systems Analysis3.0/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cost Estimator?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic3.0
Investigativeprimary3.2
Artistic1.1
Social1.7
Enterprisingprimary4.7
Conventionalprimary6.4
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cost Estimator: frequently asked questions
How much do Cost Estimators make?
Cost Estimators earn a median of $78,740 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 54% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.86/hr. The middle half earn between $61,150 and $101,850. The top 10% earn $130,820 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cost Estimator?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Cost Estimators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.8% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Cost Estimator a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 4.2% over 2024–2034, a loss of 9,300 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 16,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cost Estimator do?
Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess the time, money, materials, and labor required to manufacture a product, construct a building, or provide a service. A core O*NET task: analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software.
Which states pay Cost Estimators the most?
The highest state medians for Cost Estimators are Massachusetts ($100,840), Alaska ($97,020), Wyoming ($90,790) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $97,949.
What personality type suits a Cost Estimator?
O*NET scores Cost Estimators highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.