How much should I pay a cost estimators in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Cost Estimators is $78,749 to $101,858 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows financial activities wages growing about 3.1% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a cost estimators?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $61,152 is below market, $78,749 to $101,858 is competitive, and above $101,858 is above market for Cost Estimators.

How is cost estimators pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 2.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI). Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.

Cost Estimators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 13-1051 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$78,749

$37.86/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Cost Estimators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$49K

P25$61K

P50$79K

P75$102K

P90$131K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $78,749 to $101,858 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Cost Estimators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Cost Estimators is $78,749 per year ($37.86/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $61,152 and $101,858 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $130,832 per year. There are approximately 224,220 cost estimators employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

-4.2%

Slower than average

Annual openings

17K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

221K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200	30K	$85,720
Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200	21K	$96,780
Automotive Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811100	21K	$64,800
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100	18K	$78,900
Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300	16K	$75,650

Wage range across top 5 industries: $64,800 to $96,780 (49% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$23.33	$48,526
P25	$29.40	$61,152
P50MEDIAN	$37.86	$78,749
P75	$48.97	$101,858
P90	$62.90	$130,832

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · finance sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.3%

Quits Rate

0.9%

Finance and Insurance openings rebounded 43K to 303K in June, rate up from 3.7% to 4.3% -- a volatile series this year. Quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, so workers are staying put and wage pressure stays muted despite the openings pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost estimators salary?

The national median salary for Cost Estimators is $78,749 per year ($37.86/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $61,152 and $101,858 annually.

How much do top-earning cost estimators make?

The 90th percentile salary for Cost Estimators is $130,832 per year ($62.90/hr). The 75th percentile is $101,858 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for cost estimators?

Entry-level Cost Estimators (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,526 per year ($23.33/hr). The 25th percentile is $61,152 per year.

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Cost Estimators Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California26,020 workers Texas20,760 workers Florida13,720 workers New York11,980 workers Pennsylvania9,420 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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