How To Become A Chief Estimator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief estimator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Chief estimators are critical members of any construction or design team. They create budget estimates based on a variety of factors. The estimates are then used to bid on projects. As a chief estimator, some of the factors you'd consider include the cost of materials, cost of labor, transportation fees, and the profit margin. Chief estimators need to be adept in accounting, as well as several software packages.

Sometimes, the chief estimator also needs to be adept at bargain hunting to find the best materials and labor prices and lower the cost prices. A chief estimator can be instrumental in securing contracts for a company and helping them turn a sizable profit.

Some of the chief estimator requirements include a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, construction management, or a related field. They also need to be adept with financial software, the Microsoft package, and other necessary tools.

ScoreChief EstimatorUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,498

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate -2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 4.42%

Black or African American 2.23%

Hispanic or Latino 13.51%

Unknown 3.81%

White 75.80%

Gender

female 5.30%

male 94.70%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief estimator

Explore chief estimator education requirements

Most common chief estimator degrees

Bachelor's

60.0 %

Associate

18.2 %

Master's

8.9 %

Start to develop specific chief estimator skills

Skills	Percentages
Construction Management	11.07%
Cost Estimates	7.92%
Project Management	7.71%
Design-Build	6.69%
General Contractors	6.44%

Complete relevant chief estimator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chief estimators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief estimator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief estimator resumes.

Research chief estimator duties and responsibilities

Manage team of quoting specialists and control the overall quotation processes for all RFQ's.
Prepare equipment & HVAC installation estimates.
Conduct an audits program on an HVAC subcontractor that save the client $120m in back charges.
Develop and update Primavera scheduling and cost-control for electrical and mechanical activities in accordance with owner and general contractor planning strategies.

Get chief estimator experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a chief estimator. The most common roles before becoming a chief estimator include estimator project manager, estimator team lead and senior estimator.

Prepare your chief estimator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief estimator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief estimator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable chief estimator resume templates

Build a professional chief estimator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief estimator resume.