SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 13-1051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,530 | $4,044 | $933 | $23.33 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,150 | $5,096 | $1,176 | $29.40 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $78,740 | $6,562 | $1,514 | $37.86 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $101,850 | $8,488 | $1,959 | $48.97 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $130,820 | $10,902 | $2,516 | $62.90 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Cost Estimators is $78,740, which is 54% higher. Among the 32 occupations of the field Business and Financial Operations, it ranks number 18 by median pay. With 224,220 jobs, it makes up about 14 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Cost Estimators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($100,840), Alaska ($97,020) and Wyoming ($90,790). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($47,130), Arkansas ($61,470) and Guam ($63,350). The most jobs were in California (26,020), Texas (20,760) and Florida (13,720). The occupation is most concentrated in Montana, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 4,520 | $100,840 | $104,770 | $48.48 |
| Alaska | 220 | $97,020 | $101,890 | $46.65 |
| Wyoming | 440 | $90,790 | $88,240 | $43.65 |
| Colorado | 6,100 | $86,940 | $95,040 | $41.80 |
| Washington | 7,470 | $86,070 | $94,250 | $41.38 |
| California | 26,020 | $85,460 | $94,780 | $41.09 |
| Illinois | 5,990 | $82,750 | $88,880 | $39.78 |
| District of Columbia | 270 | $82,730 | $92,030 | $39.77 |
| Nevada | 2,240 | $82,200 | $88,930 | $39.52 |
| Rhode Island | 590 | $81,990 | $88,260 | $39.42 |
| Vermont | 320 | $81,390 | $85,430 | $39.13 |
| Maryland | 4,580 | $81,190 | $87,770 | $39.03 |
| Connecticut | 2,350 | $81,030 | $88,170 | $38.96 |
| Minnesota | 4,310 | $80,810 | $85,290 | $38.85 |
| New Jersey | 5,240 | $80,570 | $89,600 | $38.74 |
| Virginia | 5,840 | $80,530 | $86,110 | $38.72 |
| Oregon | 2,940 | $80,460 | $88,810 | $38.68 |
| New York | 11,980 | $80,430 | $89,450 | $38.67 |
| Hawaii | 1,040 | $80,360 | $87,120 | $38.63 |
| Idaho | 1,600 | $79,700 | $87,770 | $38.32 |
| Utah | 2,800 | $79,610 | $85,510 | $38.27 |
| New Hampshire | 980 | $79,560 | $85,650 | $38.25 |
| Delaware | 730 | $79,290 | $79,200 | $38.12 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,420 | $78,480 | $83,890 | $37.73 |
| Michigan | 6,960 | $77,990 | $82,600 | $37.50 |
| Ohio | 8,100 | $77,730 | $82,740 | $37.37 |
| West Virginia | 830 | $77,480 | $76,980 | $37.25 |
| Montana | 1,230 | $77,320 | $78,490 | $37.17 |
| Louisiana | 2,680 | $77,030 | $80,280 | $37.03 |
| Arizona | 5,760 | $77,010 | $81,990 | $37.02 |
| Texas | 20,760 | $76,980 | $83,780 | $37.01 |
| Georgia | 6,010 | $76,800 | $81,220 | $36.92 |
| Wisconsin | 5,150 | $76,270 | $78,830 | $36.67 |
| Kansas | 2,250 | $76,250 | $80,750 | $36.66 |
| Iowa | 1,870 | $76,040 | $78,310 | $36.56 |
| Missouri | 6,580 | $76,020 | $81,220 | $36.55 |
| Tennessee | 4,340 | $75,650 | $79,960 | $36.37 |
| Alabama | 3,000 | $74,990 | $77,050 | $36.05 |
| Florida | 13,720 | $74,990 | $81,130 | $36.05 |
| South Dakota | 1,030 | $74,950 | $79,200 | $36.04 |
| Kentucky | 1,960 | $74,880 | $78,920 | $36.00 |
| North Carolina | 8,030 | $74,730 | $78,060 | $35.93 |
| Maine | 760 | $74,080 | $77,020 | $35.61 |
| Indiana | 4,810 | $73,430 | $76,200 | $35.30 |
| North Dakota | 730 | $73,280 | $77,540 | $35.23 |
| Nebraska | 1,330 | $73,100 | $75,840 | $35.14 |
| Mississippi | 1,280 | $71,230 | $74,850 | $34.24 |
| South Carolina | 2,880 | $70,260 | $77,050 | $33.78 |
| Oklahoma | 1,860 | $67,800 | $72,680 | $32.59 |
| New Mexico | 900 | $67,590 | $71,890 | $32.50 |
| Guam | 70 | $63,350 | $68,880 | $30.46 |
| Arkansas | 1,400 | $61,470 | $69,300 | $29.55 |
| Puerto Rico | 560 | $47,130 | $52,640 | $22.66 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Financial Specialists, All Other$81,100 a year
- Compliance Officers$80,730 a year
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$78,760 a year
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage$78,240 a year
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210 a year
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000 a year
Common questions
How much do Cost Estimators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $78,740 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,530 and the highest-paid 10% more than $130,820.
How many people work as Cost Estimators?
About 224,220 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.