Cost Estimators
Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051) earn a median $78,740 a year ($37.86 an hour) in the United States, with 224,220 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What cost estimators do
Cost estimators predict what it will cost to build a structure, manufacture a product, or provide a service, so that managers can bid on a job or set a price. Their estimates cover manufactured products, construction projects, and services, and some estimators specialize in a particular service or type of product. Estimators study blueprints, specifications, and other documents to work out the time, materials, and labor needed. They talk through changes and their costs with design professionals, owners, and the trades, use cost records from past jobs to price future ones, and compile the figures into bids or estimates. After a job begins they may track actual costs against the estimate and assess whether a product, project, or service is cost effective. Titles include building estimator, civil estimator, and acquisition cost estimator. The occupation differs from construction managers, who direct the project, from purchasing agents, who buy materials, and from budget analysts, who review organizational budgets. Estimates for choosing vendors or subcontractors are also theirs to prepare, and they establish and maintain the tendering process.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Building Construction Estimator, Building Estimator, Civil Estimator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.33 | $29.40 | $37.86 | $48.97 | $62.90 | $41.06 | 224,220 |
| Annual | $48,530 | $61,150 | $78,740 | $101,850 | $130,820 | $85,390 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cost estimators earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $28.30 | $36.26 | $48.48 | $61.25 | $72.97 | $50.37 | 4,520 | 1.24 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $58,870 | $75,420 | $100,840 | $127,400 | $151,780 | $104,770 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $25.01 | $30.99 | $46.65 | $67.99 | $78.72 | $48.98 | 220 | 0.66 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $52,020 | $64,460 | $97,020 | $141,420 | $163,740 | $101,890 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $25.33 | $35.93 | $43.65 | $50.00 | $52.16 | $42.42 | 440 | 1.57 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $52,680 | $74,730 | $90,790 | $104,000 | $108,490 | $88,240 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $28.31 | $35.29 | $41.80 | $52.88 | $66.11 | $45.69 | 6,100 | 2.12 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $58,890 | $73,400 | $86,940 | $109,990 | $137,520 | $95,040 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $28.68 | $34.00 | $41.38 | $51.98 | $68.05 | $45.31 | 7,470 | 2.10 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $59,650 | $70,720 | $86,070 | $108,120 | $141,540 | $94,250 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.88 | $31.58 | $41.09 | $56.76 | $72.50 | $45.57 | 26,020 | 1.43 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $51,750 | $65,690 | $85,460 | $118,060 | $150,790 | $94,780 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $22.00 | $28.35 | $37.01 | $48.36 | $63.61 | $40.28 | 20,760 | 1.48 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $45,760 | $58,970 | $76,980 | $100,580 | $132,310 | $83,780 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $21.25 | $27.31 | $36.05 | $47.29 | $61.56 | $39.00 | 13,720 | 1.38 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $44,200 | $56,810 | $74,990 | $98,370 | $128,050 | $81,130 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.00 | $28.98 | $38.67 | $51.36 | $67.16 | $43.01 | 11,980 | 1.24 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $60,290 | $80,430 | $106,820 | $139,690 | $89,450 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $23.83 | $30.10 | $37.73 | $47.87 | $60.87 | $40.33 | 9,420 | 1.55 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $49,570 | $62,610 | $78,480 | $99,580 | $126,620 | $83,890 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $30.39 | $37.49 | $49.35 | $62.27 | $75.58 | $52.11 | 3,110 | 1.15 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $63,200 | $77,980 | $102,640 | $129,530 | $157,200 | $108,390 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $28.32 | $36.84 | $48.86 | $64.01 | $80.67 | $52.66 | 3,300 | 1.39 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $58,910 | $76,640 | $101,630 | $133,140 | $167,780 | $109,520 | ||||
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | Hourly | $24.17 | $33.11 | $48.27 | $63.09 | $80.80 | $49.29 | 90 | 1.35 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $50,270 | $68,860 | $100,410 | $131,230 | $168,070 | $102,520 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $29.59 | $38.23 | $46.91 | $61.50 | $81.99 | $52.40 | 1,680 | 1.48 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $61,550 | $79,520 | $97,580 | $127,920 | $170,550 | $108,990 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $27.83 | $36.59 | $45.99 | $60.46 | $74.13 | $48.70 | 490 | 2.40 | 1.66 |
| Annual | $57,880 | $76,100 | $95,650 | $125,760 | $154,180 | $101,290 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.00 | $29.82 | $39.61 | $54.62 | $72.45 | $44.54 | 11,610 | 1.22 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $62,020 | $82,380 | $113,610 | $150,690 | $92,640 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.62 | $30.62 | $39.55 | $51.97 | $67.50 | $43.64 | 7,600 | 1.21 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $51,220 | $63,680 | $82,260 | $108,100 | $140,390 | $90,760 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $23.05 | $29.36 | $38.12 | $49.35 | $64.64 | $41.89 | 6,200 | 1.53 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $47,950 | $61,070 | $79,290 | $102,640 | $134,460 | $87,120 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $21.54 | $28.81 | $37.60 | $48.90 | $63.68 | $40.78 | 5,660 | 1.72 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $44,800 | $59,930 | $78,200 | $101,710 | $132,450 | $84,820 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $24.38 | $30.92 | $40.21 | $52.88 | $67.05 | $43.76 | 4,610 | 1.02 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $50,720 | $64,320 | $83,640 | $109,990 | $139,460 | $91,010 | ||||
Top industries employing cost estimators
Building Equipment Contractors employ 13.6% of cost estimators nationally (30,480 jobs) at a median $85,720 a year ($41.21 an hour), followed by Nonresidential Building Construction (9.5%) and Automotive Repair and Maintenance (9.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 30,480 | 13.6% | $85,720 | $41.21 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 21,390 | 9.5% | $96,780 | $46.53 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811100 | 21,100 | 9.4% | $64,800 | $31.16 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 18,330 | 8.2% | $78,900 | $37.93 |
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 15,620 | 7.0% | $75,650 | $36.37 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (224,220). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $65,170 for cost estimators in May 2021 and $78,740 in May 2025, with employment of 208,950 and 224,220.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $65,170 | $31.33 | 208,950 |
| May 2022 | $71,200 | $34.23 | 225,310 |
| May 2023 | $74,740 | $35.94 | 220,970 |
| May 2024 | $77,070 | $37.05 | 219,530 |
| May 2025 | $78,740 | $37.86 | 224,220 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $48.48 | $100,840 | $58,870 | $151,780 | 4,520 | 1.24 | 0.86 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $46.65 | $97,020 | $52,020 | $163,740 | 220 | 0.66 | 0.46 |
| 3 | Wyoming profile | $43.65 | $90,790 | $52,680 | $108,490 | 440 | 1.57 | 1.09 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $41.80 | $86,940 | $58,890 | $137,520 | 6,100 | 2.12 | 1.47 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $41.38 | $86,070 | $59,650 | $141,540 | 7,470 | 2.10 | 1.46 |
| 6 | California profile | $41.09 | $85,460 | $51,750 | $150,790 | 26,020 | 1.43 | 0.99 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | $39.78 | $82,750 | $49,200 | $136,590 | 5,990 | 0.98 | 0.68 |
| 8 | District of Columbia profile | $39.77 | $82,730 | $66,720 | $127,520 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.27 |
| 9 | Nevada profile | $39.52 | $82,200 | $49,200 | $132,350 | 2,240 | 1.44 | 1.00 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $39.42 | $81,990 | $60,180 | $130,740 | 590 | 1.18 | 0.82 |
| 11 | Vermont profile | $39.13 | $81,390 | $56,600 | $113,230 | 320 | 1.05 | 0.73 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $39.03 | $81,190 | $50,660 | $130,970 | 4,580 | 1.66 | 1.15 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $38.96 | $81,030 | $50,020 | $136,830 | 2,350 | 1.39 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $38.85 | $80,810 | $56,640 | $125,370 | 4,310 | 1.46 | 1.01 |
| 15 | New Jersey profile | $38.74 | $80,570 | $50,390 | $137,080 | 5,240 | 1.22 | 0.85 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $38.72 | $80,530 | $49,820 | $129,330 | 5,840 | 1.42 | 0.99 |
| 17 | Oregon profile | $38.68 | $80,460 | $49,970 | $133,460 | 2,940 | 1.49 | 1.04 |
| 18 | New York profile | $38.67 | $80,430 | $52,000 | $139,690 | 11,980 | 1.24 | 0.86 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | $38.63 | $80,360 | $46,030 | $139,380 | 1,040 | 1.66 | 1.15 |
| 20 | Idaho profile | $38.32 | $79,700 | $48,200 | $137,530 | 1,600 | 1.87 | 1.30 |
| 21 | Utah profile | $38.27 | $79,610 | $51,740 | $126,800 | 2,800 | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| 22 | New Hampshire profile | $38.25 | $79,560 | $51,640 | $129,030 | 980 | 1.43 | 0.99 |
| 23 | Delaware profile | $38.12 | $79,290 | $49,580 | $108,280 | 730 | 1.51 | 1.05 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.73 | $78,480 | $49,570 | $126,620 | 9,420 | 1.55 | 1.08 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $37.50 | $77,990 | $46,660 | $125,520 | 6,960 | 1.58 | 1.10 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $37.37 | $77,730 | $48,750 | $124,990 | 8,100 | 1.46 | 1.01 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | $37.25 | $77,480 | $42,730 | $122,450 | 830 | 1.18 | 0.82 |
| 28 | Montana profile | $37.17 | $77,320 | $50,120 | $106,740 | 1,230 | 2.41 | 1.67 |
| 29 | Louisiana profile | $37.03 | $77,030 | $43,840 | $125,050 | 2,680 | 1.38 | 0.96 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $37.02 | $77,010 | $37,440 | $127,880 | 5,760 | 1.78 | 1.23 |
| 31 | Texas profile | $37.01 | $76,980 | $45,760 | $132,310 | 20,760 | 1.48 | 1.02 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $36.92 | $76,800 | $46,600 | $128,420 | 6,010 | 1.23 | 0.85 |
| 33 | Wisconsin profile | $36.67 | $76,270 | $50,890 | $111,530 | 5,150 | 1.75 | 1.21 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $36.66 | $76,250 | $48,860 | $118,310 | 2,250 | 1.57 | 1.09 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | $36.56 | $76,040 | $48,740 | $118,410 | 1,870 | 1.20 | 0.83 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $36.55 | $76,020 | $44,840 | $128,270 | 6,580 | 2.24 | 1.55 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $36.37 | $75,650 | $42,440 | $120,990 | 4,340 | 1.32 | 0.92 |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $36.05 | $74,990 | $42,400 | $118,160 | 3,000 | 1.42 | 0.98 |
| 39 | Florida profile | $36.05 | $74,990 | $44,200 | $128,050 | 13,720 | 1.38 | 0.96 |
| 40 | South Dakota profile | $36.04 | $74,950 | $57,110 | $129,560 | 1,030 | 2.25 | 1.56 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $36.00 | $74,880 | $46,410 | $119,530 | 1,960 | 0.98 | 0.68 |
| 42 | North Carolina profile | $35.93 | $74,730 | $43,580 | $123,240 | 8,030 | 1.63 | 1.13 |
| 43 | Maine profile | $35.61 | $74,080 | $41,450 | $123,040 | 760 | 1.19 | 0.83 |
| 44 | Indiana profile | $35.30 | $73,430 | $50,630 | $106,640 | 4,810 | 1.50 | 1.04 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $35.23 | $73,280 | $52,730 | $104,050 | 730 | 1.70 | 1.18 |
| 46 | Nebraska profile | $35.14 | $73,100 | $50,040 | $105,640 | 1,330 | 1.30 | 0.90 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $34.24 | $71,230 | $41,600 | $118,040 | 1,280 | 1.10 | 0.76 |
| 48 | South Carolina profile | $33.78 | $70,260 | $46,970 | $119,590 | 2,880 | 1.25 | 0.87 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | $32.59 | $67,800 | $42,700 | $104,750 | 1,860 | 1.09 | 0.76 |
| 50 | New Mexico profile | $32.50 | $67,590 | $38,960 | $109,610 | 900 | 1.04 | 0.72 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $29.55 | $61,470 | $38,480 | $110,040 | 1,400 | 1.08 | 0.75 |
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-1051 Cost Estimators.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-1051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-1051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.