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Cost estimator: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$78,740median pay per year, or $37.86 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $48,530lowest 10% earn less
  2. $61,15025th percentile
  3. $78,740median
  4. $101,85075th percentile
  5. $130,820top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Cost estimators had a median pay of $78,740 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-3.1%[2]
Openings per year
17,600[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do cost estimators make?

In May 2025, the median pay for cost estimators was $78,740 a year, or $37.86 an hour[1]. That means half of the workers made more than this and half made less[7]. The average was higher, at $85,390 a year and $41.06 an hour[8].

The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4]. Cost estimators were paid above that typical level.

Point in the pay range Annual Hourly
Median[1] $78,740 $37.86
Lowest-paid 10% earned less than[3][9] $48,530 $23.33
Lowest-paid 25% earned less than[3][9] $61,150 $29.40
Highest-paid 25% earned more than[3][9] $101,850 $48.97
Highest-paid 10% earned more than[3][9] $130,820 $62.90

A percentile is a boundary line. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[7]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance[10].

Pay by state and city

Massachusetts had the highest median among the states, at $100,840 a year[11]. Alaska ($97,020) and Wyoming ($90,790) came next[11]. Arkansas was last on the list, at $61,470[11].

California had the most jobs, at 26,020, followed by Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH had the top median, at $102,640[13]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($101,630) and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,580) followed[13]. The metro area with the most jobs was New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, with 11,610 and a median of $82,380[14].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[11]$100,8404,520
Alaska$97,020220
Wyoming$90,790440
Colorado$86,9406,100
Washington$86,0707,470
California$85,46026,020
Illinois$82,7505,990
District of Columbia$82,730270
Nevada$82,2002,240
Rhode Island$81,990590
Vermont$81,390320
Maryland$81,1904,580
Connecticut$81,0302,350
Minnesota$80,8104,310
New Jersey$80,5705,240
Virginia$80,5305,840
Oregon$80,4602,940
New York$80,43011,980
Hawaii$80,3601,040
Idaho$79,7001,600
Utah$79,6102,800
New Hampshire$79,560980
Delaware$79,290730
Pennsylvania$78,4809,420
Michigan$77,9906,960
Ohio$77,7308,100
West Virginia$77,480830
Montana$77,3201,230
Louisiana$77,0302,680
Arizona$77,0105,760
Texas$76,98020,760
Georgia$76,8006,010
Wisconsin$76,2705,150
Kansas$76,2502,250
Iowa$76,0401,870
Missouri$76,0206,580
Tennessee$75,6504,340
Alabama$74,9903,000
Florida$74,99013,720
South Dakota$74,9501,030
Kentucky$74,8801,960
North Carolina$74,7308,030
Maine$74,080760
Indiana$73,4304,810
North Dakota$73,280730
Nebraska$73,1001,330
Mississippi$71,2301,280
South Carolina$70,2602,880
Oklahoma$67,8001,860
New Mexico$67,590900
Arkansas$61,4701,400

How to become a cost estimator

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry level, with no related work experience needed and moderate-term on-the-job training[6]. Employers generally prefer candidates who hold a bachelor's degree[15]. In an O*NET survey of 22 workers, 82% said a bachelor's degree was required and 9% said an associate's degree[16].

A degree is not the only route. Workers with several years of construction experience sometimes qualify in that industry without one, and some construction estimators qualify through extensive work experience alone[20][19].

BLS lists analytical, math, writing, time-management and detail skills as important qualities for the job[21][22][23][24][25].

What cost estimators do

Cost estimators prepare estimates for manufacturing, construction projects or services. Managers use them to bid on work or set a price[26]. Common tasks reported to O*NET include:

Workers in O*NET report job titles such as construction estimator, cost analyst and cost engineer[28].

Where they work

Cost estimators work mainly in offices. Some visit construction sites and factory assembly lines[29]. In 2025, specialty trade contractors was the largest employer, at 33%[30]. Only 1.3% of cost estimators were self-employed in 2025[31].

BLS says full-time work is the norm for cost estimators, and some put in over 40 hours a week[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects that employment of cost estimators will decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 226,400 to 219,500 jobs[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[33]. The projection counts self-employed workers too[2].

Even so, BLS expects about 17,600 openings a year on average[5]. Openings come from new jobs and also from workers who retire or switch to other occupations[5]. Each year, 2.9% of workers leave the labor force and 5.3% move to a different occupation[34].

BLS names cost estimation software as a factor behind the outlook, because it has made the work more efficient[35].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job that pays above the all-occupations median, with a median of $78,740 a year[1][4]. It usually calls for a bachelor's degree[6]. Job counts are projected to fall slightly, while turnover still creates openings[2][5]. The work is mostly office-based and calls for strong math and analytical skills[29][21][23]. Pay varies by state, so it helps to check figures for your own area[11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[36].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cost estimator make an hour?
The median pay was $37.86 an hour in May 2025[1]. The average was $41.06 an hour[8].
What degree do you need to be a cost estimator?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry level[6]. Construction estimators typically study construction or engineering, and manufacturing estimators business or finance[17].
Is cost estimating in demand?
BLS projects a 3.1% employment decline from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][33]. About 17,600 openings are still projected each year[5].
What is the highest paying state for cost estimators?
Massachusetts had the highest median among states, at $100,840 a year in May 2025[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Cost Estimators in the US was $78,740 per year and $37.86 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Cost Estimators is projected to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 226,400 to 219,500 jobs (a change of -6,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Cost Estimators: 10th percentile $48,530, 25th percentile $61,150, 75th percentile $101,850, 90th percentile $130,820. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 17,600 openings for Cost Estimators are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Cost Estimators: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Cost Estimators was $85,390 per year and $41.06 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Cost Estimators: 10th percentile $23.33, 25th percentile $29.40, 75th percentile $48.97, 90th percentile $62.90. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Cost Estimators in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Cost Estimators jobs: California 26,020; Texas 20,760; Florida 13,720; New York 11,980; Pennsylvania 9,420. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Cost Estimators (areas with at least 100 jobs): Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $102,640; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $101,630; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $97,580; Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $95,650; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $94,490; Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $92,600; Worcester, MA $92,570; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $89,820. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Cost Estimators jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 11,610 (median $82,380); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,600 (median $82,260); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 6,200 (median $79,290); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 5,660 (median $78,200); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 4,610 (median $83,640); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 4,380 (median $77,590). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. O*NET 13-1051.00 survey of workers (22 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 82%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. O*NET description of Cost Estimators. O*NET OnLine
  27. O*NET task list for Cost Estimators. O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET 13-1051.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Construction Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Consultant, Cost Engineer, Cost Estimating Analyst, Cost Estimator. O*NET OnLine
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of cost estimators in 2025: Specialty trade contractors 33%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. BLS Employment Projections: 1.3% of Cost Estimators were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Cost Estimators: 2.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  35. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Cost Estimators: Productivity change - share decreases as cost estimation software has made this work more efficient. BLS Employment Projections
  36. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.