A cost estimator in Massachusetts earns a median of $100,840 a year. The same job title in Arkansas earns a median of $61,470. That is an annual gap of $39,370 inside one occupation code. Nationally, the median salary for cost estimators is $78,740 a year, or $37.86 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for May 2025. The state figures on this page were pulled from the BLS public API on November 12, 2026.
One caution before any of the numbers. BLS does not publish a construction-only estimator wage at the state level in this data. The occupation is "Cost Estimators," SOC 13-1051, and it covers estimators in every industry: construction, manufacturing, auto repair and others. The figures below are the closest federal benchmark for a construction estimator's pay, but they are not construction-only figures.
The National Picture: $78,740 Median, Wide Spread
BLS counted 224,220 wage and salary cost estimator jobs in May 2025. The median annual wage was $78,740 and the mean was $85,390. On an hourly basis the median was $37.86 and the mean was $41.06.
The full national distribution for SOC 13-1051:
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23.33 | $48,530 |
| 25th | $29.40 | $61,150 |
| 50th (median) | $37.86 | $78,740 |
| 75th | $48.97 | $101,850 |
| 90th | $62.90 | $130,820 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national estimates, SOC 13-1051.
The lowest-paid tenth of cost estimators earn $48,530 or less. Half earn less than $78,740. The top quarter start at $101,850, and the top tenth start at $130,820.
The 90th percentile hourly figure of $62.90 is 2.7x the 10th percentile figure of $23.33. That range reflects the distance between junior and senior estimators and the mix of industries inside the occupation.
The mean annual wage sits $6,650 above the median. A smaller group of high earners is pulling the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical estimator earns.
On who is in the occupation, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook lists the largest employers of cost estimators as specialty trade contractors at 33%, construction of buildings at 15%, manufacturing at 12%, automotive repair and maintenance at 9%, and heavy and civil engineering construction at 5%. Added together, the three construction sectors on that list account for 53 percent of the jobs in the Handbook's count. Construction is the largest part of this occupation, but many of the people in these wage figures estimate something other than buildings and site work.
Full State Table
All 51 jurisdictions, the states plus the District of Columbia, have a published median. They are ranked by median hourly wage, with the annual median and job count alongside.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $48.48 | $100,840 | 4,520 |
| 2 | Alaska | $46.65 | $97,020 | 220 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $43.65 | $90,790 | 440 |
| 4 | Colorado | $41.80 | $86,940 | 6,100 |
| 5 | Washington | $41.38 | $86,070 | 7,470 |
| 6 | California | $41.09 | $85,460 | 26,020 |
| 7 | Illinois | $39.78 | $82,750 | 5,990 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $39.77 | $82,730 | 270 |
| 9 | Nevada | $39.52 | $82,200 | 2,240 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $39.42 | $81,990 | 590 |
| 11 | Vermont | $39.13 | $81,390 | 320 |
| 12 | Maryland | $39.03 | $81,190 | 4,580 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $38.96 | $81,030 | 2,350 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $38.85 | $80,810 | 4,310 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $38.74 | $80,570 | 5,240 |
| 16 | Virginia | $38.72 | $80,530 | 5,840 |
| 17 | Oregon | $38.68 | $80,460 | 2,940 |
| 18 | New York | $38.67 | $80,430 | 11,980 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $38.63 | $80,360 | 1,040 |
| 20 | Idaho | $38.32 | $79,700 | 1,600 |
| 21 | Utah | $38.27 | $79,610 | 2,800 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $38.25 | $79,560 | 980 |
| 23 | Delaware | $38.12 | $79,290 | 730 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $37.73 | $78,480 | 9,420 |
| 25 | Michigan | $37.50 | $77,990 | 6,960 |
| 26 | Ohio | $37.37 | $77,730 | 8,100 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $37.25 | $77,480 | 830 |
| 28 | Montana | $37.17 | $77,320 | 1,230 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $37.03 | $77,030 | 2,680 |
| 30 | Arizona | $37.02 | $77,010 | 5,760 |
| 31 | Texas | $37.01 | $76,980 | 20,760 |
| 32 | Georgia | $36.92 | $76,800 | 6,010 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $36.67 | $76,270 | 5,150 |
| 34 | Kansas | $36.66 | $76,250 | 2,250 |
| 35 | Iowa | $36.56 | $76,040 | 1,870 |
| 36 | Missouri | $36.55 | $76,020 | 6,580 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $36.37 | $75,650 | 4,340 |
| 38 | Alabama | $36.05 | $74,990 | 3,000 |
| 39 | Florida | $36.05 | $74,990 | 13,720 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $36.04 | $74,950 | 1,030 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $36.00 | $74,880 | 1,960 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $35.93 | $74,730 | 8,030 |
| 43 | Maine | $35.61 | $74,080 | 760 |
| 44 | Indiana | $35.30 | $73,430 | 4,810 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $35.23 | $73,280 | 730 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $35.14 | $73,100 | 1,330 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $34.24 | $71,230 | 1,280 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $33.78 | $70,260 | 2,880 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $32.59 | $67,800 | 1,860 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $32.50 | $67,590 | 900 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $29.55 | $61,470 | 1,400 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates, SOC 13-1051.
Highest and Lowest Paying States
Massachusetts leads at $48.48 an hour, or $100,840 a year. It is the only state with a six-figure median, and it sits $22,100 above the national median. Alaska is second at $46.65 an hour ($97,020), and Wyoming is third at $43.65 ($90,790). Colorado at $41.80, Washington at $41.38 and California at $41.09 follow. Illinois, the District of Columbia, Nevada and Rhode Island complete the top ten.
Check the employment column before trusting the top three. Alaska's median rests on 220 jobs and Wyoming's on 440, small markets where a few employers can move the figure. Massachusetts, with 4,520 jobs, and California, with 26,020, are firmer benchmarks.
Arkansas is the lowest-paying state at $29.55 an hour, or $61,470 a year. That is $17,270 below the national median, and it is close to the national 25th percentile of $61,150. New Mexico ($32.50), Oklahoma ($32.59), South Carolina ($33.78) and Mississippi ($34.24) are next from the bottom. Nebraska, North Dakota, Indiana, Maine and North Carolina round out the bottom ten.
The Massachusetts median is $18.93 an hour above the Arkansas median, which makes it 64% higher. Only 23 of the 51 jurisdictions have a median above the national figure of $37.86, and 28 fall below it.
Look past the extremes and the table is tight. From Illinois at rank 7 down to Nebraska at rank 46, every median falls between $39.78 and $35.14 an hour. For most of the country, the state moves the median by a few dollars an hour. The large swings are at the two ends.
The usual explanations apply, and they are explanations, not measurements from this survey: living costs, the amount of industrial, energy and large commercial work, and each state's mix of construction, manufacturing and auto repair estimators.
Where the Jobs Are
Pay and job counts do not line up neatly. California has the most cost estimator jobs, 26,020, at a median of $41.09 an hour. Texas is second with 20,760 jobs at $37.01, which is below the national median. Florida is third with 13,720 jobs at $36.05, New York fourth with 11,980 at $38.67, and Pennsylvania fifth with 9,420 at $37.73.
Those top 5 states hold 81,900 of the 224,220 national jobs, or 37%. Ohio (8,100 jobs), North Carolina (8,030) and Washington (7,470) come next.
For an estimator weighing a move, the pairing matters. Texas and Florida have far more jobs than most states but medians below the national figure. California's annual median of $85,460 is $8,480 above the Texas median of $76,980.
The smallest markets are Alaska (220 jobs), the District of Columbia (270), Vermont (320) and Wyoming (440).
Workers should hear the Occupational Outlook Handbook's projection plainly: "Employment of cost estimators is projected to decline 3 percent from 2025 to 2035." The Handbook expects the openings that do arise to come from replacing workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, not from growth.
How Estimators and Contractors Should Use These Numbers
If you are an estimator, start with your state's median and then place yourself on the national percentile table. An experienced estimator paid well below the state median has a factual basis for a conversation about pay. Bring the table, the SOC code and the survey date.
If you are early in the trade, know the entry requirement BLS describes: "Cost estimators typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation, although workers with several years of experience in construction sometimes qualify in that industry without a degree." Field experience is a recognized route into the estimating office, which matters for tradespeople who want a path off the tools.
If you are a contractor hiring an estimator, treat the state median as the midpoint of the market, not as an opening offer for an experienced person. The national 75th percentile is $101,850. For how the estimating seat compares with the role it often leads to, see our piece on construction manager salaries.
If you are a small contractor doing your own estimating, these figures tell you what that time is worth, and it belongs in your overhead. Our free cost estimator tool and bid calculator help structure the numbers, and the markup and margin calculator shows whether your pricing recovers that overhead.
What the Data Does Not Show
OEWS is an employer survey with firm limits.
It covers wage and salary workers only. Self-employed estimators and owners who estimate their own work are not counted in the 224,220 jobs or in any wage figure here.
It measures straight-time gross pay. Overtime premiums are excluded. So are benefits and per diem.
It is not construction-only. This is the limit that matters most here. A state median blends estimators at general contractors and subcontractors with estimators in manufacturing and auto repair. BLS does not publish a construction-only state table in this data.
It reports medians, not union scale and not any single employer's pay band.
It has a May 2025 reference period. Pay has continued to move since then. The next OEWS release, covering May 2026, is due in spring 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average construction estimator salary in 2026?
The most current federal figure is the May 2025 OEWS estimate for cost estimators in all industries: a median of $78,740 a year ($37.86 an hour) and a mean of $85,390 a year ($41.06 an hour). BLS does not break out a construction-only figure in this data set.
Which state pays estimators the most?
Massachusetts, with a median of $48.48 an hour, or $100,840 a year. Alaska is second at $97,020 and Wyoming third at $90,790, though both of those medians rest on small job counts of 220 and 440.
Which state pays estimators the least?
Arkansas, with a median of $29.55 an hour, or $61,470 a year. New Mexico at $67,590 and Oklahoma at $67,800 are the next lowest.
How much do top estimators earn?
Nationally, the 75th percentile is $101,850 a year and the 90th percentile is $130,820 a year, or $62.90 an hour. Those figures exclude overtime premiums, benefits and the self-employed.
Is estimating a growing occupation?
No. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects a 3 percent decline in employment from 2025 to 2035. Openings are expected to come from replacing workers who move to other occupations or leave the labor force.
Your Action Item for This Week
Find your state in the table, then find where your own pay falls on the national percentile table.
If you are an employee paid well below your state median with several years of experience, put the comparison in writing and ask for a pay review. Cite BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-1051.
If you are a contractor, check what you pay your estimator, or what you charge your own estimating hours to overhead, against the state median. If your overhead assumes less, your bids carry an unpriced cost.
Sources & Data Cited
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Cost Estimators, SOC 13-1051, May 2025 national and state estimates, retrieved via the BLS public API November 12, 2026: www.bls.gov/oes/
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Cost Estimators (job description, largest employers, entry requirements, 2025 to 2035 projections): https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/cost-estimators.htm
