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Business & Finance

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$78,740

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$49k – $131k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Cost Estimators

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Cost Estimators Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Cost Estimators

    Entry / Junior

    $48,530

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Cost Estimators

    Established

    $78,740

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Cost Estimators

    Senior

    $104,780

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.