Cost Estimators Career, Salary and Skills
Cost Estimators have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $78,740 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 224,220. Wage data is published for 432 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$78,740
Hourly median
$37.86
Employment
224,220
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Mathematics | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Writing | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
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.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Apple AppleWorks
- Assured Software JPP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk Revit
- Choice Job Cost
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- ConEst BidTrac
- ConEst Electrical Formulas
- ConEst Intellibid
- ConEst IntelliBid Design Build
- ConEst JobTrac
- ConEst Permit Trac
- ConEst SureCount
Cost Estimators salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Cost Estimators Salary in CAMedian $85,460 · Employment 26,020
- Cost Estimators Salary in TXMedian $76,980 · Employment 20,760
- Cost Estimators Salary in FLMedian $74,990 · Employment 13,720
- Cost Estimators Salary in NYMedian $80,430 · Employment 11,980
- Cost Estimators Salary in New York, NYMedian $82,380 · Employment 11,610
- Cost Estimators Salary in PAMedian $78,480 · Employment 9,420
- Cost Estimators Salary in OHMedian $77,730 · Employment 8,100
- Cost Estimators Salary in NCMedian $74,730 · Employment 8,030
- Cost Estimators Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $82,260 · Employment 7,600
- Cost Estimators Salary in WAMedian $86,070 · Employment 7,470
- Cost Estimators Salary in MIMedian $77,990 · Employment 6,960
- Cost Estimators Salary in MOMedian $76,020 · Employment 6,580
Related careers
- Manufacturing EngineersNational median $102,440
- Construction and Building InspectorsNational median $74,690
- Appraisers and Assessors of Real EstateNational median not published
- Sales EngineersNational median $124,900
- Electrical EngineersNational median $120,630
- Mechanical EngineersNational median $104,110
- Solar Energy Installation ManagersNational median $79,920
- Energy AuditorsNational median $74,690
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.