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How Much Does a Cost Estimator Make?
A cost estimator in the US earns a median salary of $78,740 a year, or $37.86 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $85,390, and the middle half earn between $61,150 and $101,850.
Cost estimator pay range
What cost estimators earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $48,530 | $23.33 | |
| 25th | $61,150 | $29.40 | |
| Median (50th) | $78,740 | $37.86 | |
| 75th | $101,850 | $48.97 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $130,820 | $62.90 |
The median is 54% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 224,220 people work as cost estimators in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,514
- Every two weeks
- $3,028
- Twice a month
- $3,281
- A month
- $6,562
At the median salary, before tax.
Cost estimator salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Massachusetts pays cost estimators the most, at $104,770 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $104,770 | $100,840 | 4,520 | After tax |
| Alaska | $101,890 | $97,020 | 220 | After tax |
| Colorado | $95,040 | $86,940 | 6,100 | After tax |
| California | $94,780 | $85,460 | 26,020 | After tax |
| Washington | $94,250 | $86,070 | 7,470 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $92,030 | $82,730 | 270 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $89,600 | $80,570 | 5,240 | After tax |
| New York | $89,450 | $80,430 | 11,980 | After tax |
| Nevada | $88,930 | $82,200 | 2,240 | After tax |
| Illinois | $88,880 | $82,750 | 5,990 | After tax |
| Oregon | $88,810 | $80,460 | 2,940 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $88,260 | $81,990 | 590 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $88,240 | $90,790 | 440 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $88,170 | $81,030 | 2,350 | After tax |
| Idaho | $87,770 | $79,700 | 1,600 | After tax |
| Maryland | $87,770 | $81,190 | 4,580 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $87,120 | $80,360 | 1,040 | After tax |
| Virginia | $86,110 | $80,530 | 5,840 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $85,650 | $79,560 | 980 | After tax |
| Utah | $85,510 | $79,610 | 2,800 | After tax |
| Vermont | $85,430 | $81,390 | 320 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $85,290 | $80,810 | 4,310 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $83,890 | $78,480 | 9,420 | After tax |
| Texas | $83,780 | $76,980 | 20,760 | After tax |
| Ohio | $82,740 | $77,730 | 8,100 | After tax |
| Michigan | $82,600 | $77,990 | 6,960 | After tax |
| Arizona | $81,990 | $77,010 | 5,760 | After tax |
| Georgia | $81,220 | $76,800 | 6,010 | After tax |
| Missouri | $81,220 | $76,020 | 6,580 | After tax |
| Florida | $81,130 | $74,990 | 13,720 | After tax |
| Kansas | $80,750 | $76,250 | 2,250 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $80,280 | $77,030 | 2,680 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $79,960 | $75,650 | 4,340 | After tax |
| Delaware | $79,200 | $79,290 | 730 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $79,200 | $74,950 | 1,030 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $78,920 | $74,880 | 1,960 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $78,830 | $76,270 | 5,150 | After tax |
| Montana | $78,490 | $77,320 | 1,230 | After tax |
| Iowa | $78,310 | $76,040 | 1,870 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $78,060 | $74,730 | 8,030 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $77,540 | $73,280 | 730 | After tax |
| Alabama | $77,050 | $74,990 | 3,000 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $77,050 | $70,260 | 2,880 | After tax |
| Maine | $77,020 | $74,080 | 760 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $76,980 | $77,480 | 830 | After tax |
| Indiana | $76,200 | $73,430 | 4,810 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $75,840 | $73,100 | 1,330 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $74,850 | $71,230 | 1,280 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $72,680 | $67,800 | 1,860 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $71,890 | $67,590 | 900 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $69,300 | $61,470 | 1,400 | After tax |
| Guam | $68,880 | $63,350 | 70 | |
| Puerto Rico | $52,640 | $47,130 | 560 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other business and financial jobs
- Accountant $83,680 median
- Project management specialist $102,320 median
- Human resources specialist $75,940 median
- Market research analyst and marketing specialist $78,760 median
- Management analyst $101,860 median
- Buyer and purchasing agent $77,710 median
- Training and development specialist $69,280 median
- Compliance officer $80,730 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Cost Estimators” (SOC 13-1051). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cost estimator make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a cost estimator is $37.86, and the average is $41.06. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $23.33 an hour and the top 10% over $62.90.
How much does a cost estimator make a month?
At the median salary of $78,740, a cost estimator earns about $6,562 a month before tax, or $3,028 every two weeks.
Which state pays cost estimators the most?
Massachusetts has the highest average pay for a cost estimator, at $104,770 a year. Next are Alaska and Colorado. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a cost estimator?
The lowest-paid 10% of cost estimators earn less than $48,530 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $61,150. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid cost estimators make?
The top 10% earn more than $130,820 a year, and the top 25% more than $101,850.
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