Career
Cost estimators
Figure out what a project will cost before it begins.
$78,740
Median pay
-3.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
17,600
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then persuasion & leadership?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $78,740 a year and 17,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Business AdministrationSee the degree →
- Mechanical EngineeringSee the degree →
- Business (General)See the degree →
- Materials EngineeringCIP 14.1801
- Mechanical EngineeringCIP 14.1901
- Construction EngineeringCIP 14.3301
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Logistics Engineers
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$64,950 · +3.2%
- Construction Managers$114,990 · +9.1%
- Industrial Engineers$102,440 · +12.4%
- Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 · +5.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.