Cost Estimators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$78,740
United States, 2025
Employment
224,220
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 13-1051.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- 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.
- Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops.
- Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
- Establish and maintain tendering process, and conduct negotiations.
- Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
- Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$48,530
25th percentile
$61,150
75th percentile
$101,850
90th percentile
$130,820
Most important skills
- Mathematics4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Writing3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Management of Financial Resources3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Coordination3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median not published
Compare with Cost EstimatorsSupplemental
National median $66,120
Compare with Cost EstimatorsSupplemental
National median $74,510
Compare with Cost EstimatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $102,640 | 3,110 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $101,630 | 3,300 | 2025 |
| MA | $100,840 | 4,520 | 2025 |
| Amherst Town, MA | $100,410 | 90 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $97,580 | 1,680 | 2025 |
| AK | $97,020 | 220 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $95,650 | 490 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $94,490 | 4,340 | 2025 |
| Norwich, CT | $92,600 | 150 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $92,570 | 550 | 2025 |
| WY | $90,790 | 440 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $89,820 | 3,690 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $89,540 | 290 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $89,330 | 3,780 | 2025 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $88,080 | 100 | 2025 |
| Providence, RI | $87,720 | 960 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $87,670 | 100 | 2025 |
| Greeley, CO | $87,350 | 340 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $87,170 | 2,740 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $87,150 | 330 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Cost Estimators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.