Pay by state · 53 areas
Cost Estimator Salary by State (2026)
Cost Estimators earn the most in Massachusetts at $100,840 a year and the least in Arkansas at $61,470 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $78,740. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $100,840Massachusetts
- National median
- $78,740BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $61,470Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for cost estimators
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, Wyoming comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Massachusetts$100,840
- 2Alaska$97,020
- 3Wyoming$90,790
- 4Colorado$86,940
- 5Washington$86,070
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$61,470
- 2New Mexico$67,590
- 3Oklahoma$67,800
- 4South Carolina$70,260
- 5Mississippi$71,230
All states
Cost Estimator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of cost estimators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAMassachusetts | $100,840 | $75,420 | $127,400 | 4,520 | $95,351 |
| 2 | AKAlaska | $97,020 | $64,460 | $141,420 | 220 | $94,784 |
| 3 | WYWyoming | $90,790 | $74,730 | $104,000 | 440 | $97,949 |
| 4 | COColorado | $86,940 | $73,400 | $109,990 | 6,100 | $84,365 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $86,070 | $70,720 | $108,120 | 7,470 | $80,429 |
| 6 | CACalifornia | $85,460 | $65,690 | $118,060 | 26,020 | $77,186 |
| 7 | ILIllinois | $82,750 | $61,710 | $108,240 | 5,990 | $82,785 |
| 8 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $82,730 | $82,220 | $101,420 | 270 | $75,277 |
| 9 | NVNevada | $82,200 | $62,890 | $104,360 | 2,240 | $82,217 |
| 10 | RIRhode Island | $81,990 | $69,470 | $98,100 | 590 | $80,162 |
| 11 | VTVermont | $81,390 | $66,890 | $97,330 | 320 | $83,087 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $81,190 | $63,080 | $106,360 | 4,580 | $77,354 |
| 13 | CTConnecticut | $81,030 | $63,800 | $104,360 | 2,350 | $78,207 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $80,810 | $65,330 | $99,510 | 4,310 | $81,940 |
| 15 | NJNew Jersey | $80,570 | $62,530 | $109,060 | 5,240 | $74,050 |
| 16 | VAVirginia | $80,530 | $62,600 | $100,830 | 5,840 | $79,651 |
| 17 | OROregon | $80,460 | $62,010 | $112,130 | 2,940 | $77,844 |
| 18 | NYNew York | $80,430 | $60,290 | $106,820 | 11,980 | $74,527 |
| 19 | HIHawaii | $80,360 | $61,280 | $106,220 | 1,040 | $73,087 |
| 20 | IDIdaho | $79,700 | $61,110 | $103,660 | 1,600 | $83,461 |
| 21 | UTUtah | $79,610 | $60,700 | $103,490 | 2,800 | $80,525 |
| 22 | NHNew Hampshire | $79,560 | $62,190 | $102,640 | 980 | $76,379 |
| 23 | DEDelaware | $79,290 | $62,850 | $91,520 | 730 | $79,443 |
| 24 | PAPennsylvania | $78,480 | $62,610 | $99,580 | 9,420 | $80,433 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $77,990 | $62,060 | $100,660 | 6,960 | $81,056 |
| 26 | OHOhio | $77,730 | $61,150 | $99,070 | 8,100 | $83,784 |
| 27 | WVWest Virginia | $77,480 | $53,980 | $88,290 | 830 | $86,573 |
| 28 | MTMontana | $77,320 | $62,130 | $91,990 | 1,230 | $81,695 |
| 29 | LALouisiana | $77,030 | $58,290 | $98,680 | 2,680 | $87,329 |
| 30 | AZArizona | $77,010 | $58,710 | $99,110 | 5,760 | $76,492 |
| 31 | TXTexas | $76,980 | $58,970 | $100,580 | 20,760 | $79,314 |
| 32 | GAGeorgia | $76,800 | $57,410 | $97,680 | 6,010 | $79,757 |
| 33 | WIWisconsin | $76,270 | $60,540 | $93,960 | 5,150 | $81,056 |
| 34 | KSKansas | $76,250 | $62,190 | $96,980 | 2,250 | $84,658 |
| 35 | IAIowa | $76,040 | $58,450 | $93,380 | 1,870 | $86,643 |
| 36 | MOMissouri | $76,020 | $56,880 | $98,600 | 6,580 | $83,707 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $75,650 | $60,460 | $98,070 | 4,340 | $82,345 |
| 38 | ALAlabama | $74,990 | $53,890 | $92,970 | 3,000 | $84,426 |
| 39 | FLFlorida | $74,990 | $56,810 | $98,370 | 13,720 | $72,514 |
| 40 | SDSouth Dakota | $74,950 | $60,740 | $92,710 | 1,030 | $84,607 |
| 41 | KYKentucky | $74,880 | $57,990 | $98,450 | 1,960 | $83,053 |
| 42 | NCNorth Carolina | $74,730 | $57,680 | $94,320 | 8,030 | $79,225 |
| 43 | MEMaine | $74,080 | $56,660 | $90,340 | 760 | $76,332 |
| 44 | INIndiana | $73,430 | $59,590 | $91,410 | 4,810 | $78,679 |
| 45 | NDNorth Dakota | $73,280 | $61,010 | $85,940 | 730 | $82,375 |
| 46 | NENebraska | $73,100 | $58,030 | $86,770 | 1,330 | $81,129 |
| 47 | MSMississippi | $71,230 | $52,060 | $91,570 | 1,280 | $81,918 |
| 48 | SCSouth Carolina | $70,260 | $57,170 | $92,830 | 2,880 | $74,945 |
| 49 | OKOklahoma | $67,800 | $50,750 | $94,270 | 1,860 | $77,183 |
| 50 | NMNew Mexico | $67,590 | $49,000 | $82,990 | 900 | $73,298 |
| 51 | GUGuam | $63,350 | $47,990 | $81,190 | 70 | N/A |
| 52 | ARArkansas | $61,470 | $45,850 | $88,760 | 1,400 | $70,706 |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $47,130 | $34,530 | $62,300 | 560 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For cost estimators, that changes the ranking: Massachusetts leads on raw pay at $100,840, while Wyoming leads once prices are taken into account at $97,949.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Cost Estimator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays cost estimators the most?
Massachusetts reports the highest median wage for cost estimators at $100,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($97,020) and Wyoming ($90,790).
Which state pays cost estimators the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Arkansas reports the lowest median for cost estimators at $61,470 a year, $39,370 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $63,350 and Puerto Rico reports $47,130.
In which states do cost estimators earn over $100,000?
One of the 50 states and DC has a median of $100,000 or more: Massachusetts ($100,840) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for cost estimators after cost of living?
Not on this data. Massachusetts pays the most on paper ($100,840) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($95,351). Wyoming leads after that adjustment at $97,949, from a raw median of $90,790. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.