Occupations · Business and Financial Operations
Cost Estimators
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 13-1051.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 60% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $86,540 | 9,770 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $80,920 | 7,350 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $77,170 | 6,390 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $74,990 | 6,310 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $81,480 | 4,850 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $86,300 | 4,490 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $77,580 | 4,100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $84,090 | 4,020 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $104,190 | 3,860 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $83,300 | 3,790 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $103,030 | 3,520 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $75,160 | 3,460 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- 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.
- Set up cost monitoring and reporting systems and procedures.
- Review material and labor requirements to decide whether it is more cost-effective to produce or purchase components.
- Prepare cost and expenditure statements and other necessary documentation at regular intervals for the duration of the project.
- Conduct special studies to develop and establish standard hour and related cost data or to reduce cost.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Use remote sensing technologies or drones to evaluate site conditions when in-person visits are not feasible.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 3 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 13
No longer listed 7
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| cost analyst | 2411.1.5 | close |
| quantity surveyor | 2149.12 | close |
| manufacturing cost estimator | 2421.1.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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