Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Cost engineer salary
Average cost engineer salary
$87,901
Understanding Cost Engineer Salaries
The role of a Cost Engineer is critical in various sectors, particularly in construction, manufacturing, and engineering. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $87,901 per year. Factors influencing this figure include experience level, geographic location, and the specific industry.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level cost engineers can expect to earn significantly less, while those with extensive experience can command salaries well above the average. For instance, a senior cost engineer may earn upwards of $100,000 annually.
Geographic Salary Variance
Salaries also vary by state. For example, cost engineers in states like California and New York often earn higher salaries compared to those in less populated areas. Understanding these dynamics is essential for job seekers aiming to negotiate salaries effectively.
Job Opportunities
With the construction and engineering sectors continuing to grow, there are numerous job opportunities for cost engineers. Candidates should focus on developing skills in cost estimation, budget management, and project analysis to enhance their employability.
Let Zippia find your next cost engineer job
Let Zippia find your next cost engineer job
Where can a Cost Engineer earn more?
Cost engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level cost engineer | $78,700 | $37.82 |
| Mid-level cost engineer | $97,900 | $47.07 |
| Senior-level cost engineer | $124,000 | $59.42 |
Cost engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average cost engineer salary by state
The average cost engineer salary in Rhode Island, Michigan, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average cost engineer salary states are Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for cost engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $96,020 | $46.16 |
| 2 | Washington | $94,830 | $45.59 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $100,545 | $48.34 |
| 4 | Texas | $93,231 | $44.82 |
| 5 | Maryland | $95,574 | $45.95 |
| 6 | Arizona | $86,308 | $41.49 |
| 7 | California | $95,584 | $45.95 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $91,899 | $44.18 |
| 9 | Colorado | $88,902 | $42.74 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $106,794 | $51.34 |
| 11 | Alabama | $82,839 | $39.83 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $85,599 | $41.15 |
| 13 | Utah | $83,093 | $39.95 |
| 14 | Delaware | $85,344 | $41.03 |
| 15 | Oregon | $84,068 | $40.42 |
| 16 | Idaho | $83,547 | $40.17 |
| 17 | Virginia | $84,799 | $40.77 |
| 18 | Alaska | $88,810 | $42.70 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $80,879 | $38.88 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $80,383 | $38.65 |
| 21 | Nevada | $80,226 | $38.57 |
| 22 | Maine | $81,533 | $39.20 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $81,358 | $39.11 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $78,119 | $37.56 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $77,941 | $37.47 |
| 26 | Missouri | $80,967 | $38.93 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $82,917 | $39.86 |
| 28 | Vermont | $79,560 | $38.25 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $78,200 | $37.60 |
| 30 | Illinois | $79,601 | $38.27 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $75,268 | $36.19 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $74,853 | $35.99 |
| 33 | New York | $78,261 | $37.63 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $76,908 | $36.98 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $81,306 | $39.09 |
| 36 | Ohio | $71,768 | $34.50 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $73,536 | $35.35 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $73,585 | $35.38 |
| 39 | Georgia | $73,698 | $35.43 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $74,022 | $35.59 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $75,588 | $36.34 |
| 42 | Iowa | $72,113 | $34.67 |
| 43 | Florida | $70,933 | $34.10 |
| 44 | Indiana | $67,286 | $32.35 |
| 45 | Kansas | $72,561 | $34.89 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $62,243 | $29.92 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $69,167 | $33.25 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $68,146 | $32.76 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $63,231 | $30.40 |
| 50 | Montana | $58,666 | $28.20 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $58,565 | $28.16 |
Highest paying cities for cost engineers
The highest-paying cities for cost engineers are San Francisco, CA, Warren, MI, and Hagerstown, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $102,078 | $49.08 |
| 2 | Warren, MI | $96,274 | $46.29 |
| 3 | Hagerstown, MD | $95,292 | $45.81 |
| 4 | Bellevue, WA | $95,142 | $45.74 |
| 5 | Plano, TX | $94,131 | $45.26 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $91,891 | $44.18 |
| 7 | Anchorage, AK | $89,406 | $42.98 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $85,110 | $40.92 |
| 9 | Beaverton, OR | $83,393 | $40.09 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $81,419 | $39.14 |
| 11 | Chesterfield, MO | $80,922 | $38.90 |
| 12 | Concord, NH | $80,118 | $38.52 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $79,858 | $38.39 |
| 14 | New York, NY | $78,402 | $37.69 |
| 15 | Columbus, MS | $76,821 | $36.93 |
| 16 | Greenville, NC | $75,800 | $36.44 |
| 17 | Columbus, GA | $74,154 | $35.65 |
| 18 | Lincoln, NE | $74,082 | $35.62 |
| 19 | Greenville, SC | $73,718 | $35.44 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $71,762 | $34.50 |
Cost engineer salary details
A cost engineer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $120,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a cost engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $87,901 | $7,325 | $42 |
| 25th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
Highest paying cost engineer jobs
The highest paying types of cost engineers are customer engineer, research and development engineer, and equipment engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Engineer | $100,169 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 187,910 |
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Radio Frequency Engineer | $88,301 | $7,358 | $42.45 | 35,158 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $78,522 | $6,543 | $37.75 | 115,384 |
| Packaging Engineer | $88,452 | $7,371 | $42.52 | 54,028 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for cost engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring cost engineers now:
Which companies pay cost engineers the most?
Cost engineer salaries at BP America Inc and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average cost engineer salary at companies like Nike and Exxon Mobil are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BP America Inc | $136,539 | $65.64 |
| 2 | Meta | $131,321 | $63.14 |
| 3 | Nike | $118,349 | $56.90 |
| 4 | Exxon Mobil | $104,514 | $50.25 |
| 5 | General Motors | $104,098 | $50.05 |
| 6 | Coach | $103,038 | $49.54 |
| 7 | Lucid Motors | $99,831 | $48.00 |
| 8 | FCA US LLC | $99,337 | $47.76 |
| 9 | CITGO Petroleum | $99,060 | $47.63 |
| 10 | Air Products | $98,732 | $47.47 |
| 11 | Rivian | $97,741 | $46.99 |
| 12 | Harley-Davidson | $97,355 | $46.81 |
| 13 | TRW Automotive Holdings | $97,242 | $46.75 |
| 14 | Philips | $96,570 | $46.43 |
| 15 | TTI Maumee Equipment | $96,370 | $46.33 |
| 16 | Praxair | $96,295 | $46.30 |
| 17 | Stanley Black & Decker | $94,863 | $45.61 |
| 18 | The Judge Group | $94,797 | $45.58 |
| 19 | Koch Industries | $93,862 | $45.13 |
| 20 | General Electric | $93,520 | $44.96 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Cost Engineer salary by industry
The average cost engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average cost engineer salary in the energy industry is $101,020, the highest of any industry.
- The average cost engineer salary in the finance industry is $99,404.
- Cost engineers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $84,096, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for cost engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $101,020 | $48.57 |
| 2 | Automotive | $99,404 | $47.79 |
| 3 | Technology | $88,692 | $42.64 |
| 4 | Professional | $86,687 | $41.68 |
| 5 | Retail | $86,660 | $41.66 |
| 6 | Construction | $84,160 | $40.46 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | $84,096 | $40.43 |
High paying cost engineer jobs
Cost engineer salary trends
The average cost engineer salary has risen by $13,111 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average cost engineer earned $74,790 annually, but today, they earn $87,901 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for cost engineers over the last decade.
Compare cost engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average cost engineer salary over time
Compare cost engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Cost engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $87,900 | $42.26 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $86,300 | $41.49 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $83,900 | $40.36 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $83,500 | $40.15 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $81,100 | $38.99 | +0.9% |
Recently added cost engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMA Consultants | Project Cost Engineer (00450) | South Plainfield, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $79,040 |
| Trimas Corporation | Cost Engineer | El Cajon, CA | 06/25/2025 | $93,000 |
| Actalent | Cost Engineer | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $104,350 |
| Bechtel | Lead Cost/Trend Engineer (Bsvii Core-Cp2) | San Jose, CA | 06/20/2025 | $119,780 |
| Staffworthy Inc. | Construction Cost Engineer | Callaway, FL | 06/10/2025 | $90,000 |
| Flatiron Construction Corp | Cost Engineer | Norfolk, VA | 06/07/2025 | $85,000 |
| Ampirical, Cybirical, and Gridintel Careers | Cost Engineer | Covington, LA | 06/06/2025 | $65,000 |
| Aecom | Cost Engineer-Estimator | New York, NY | 06/05/2025 | $90,000 |
| Turner & Townsend | Cost Engineer-Aviation Construction (Anticipated Opening) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/05/2025 | $100,000 |
| Heery | Cost Engineer-Aviation Construction (Anticipated Opening) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/05/2025 | $100,000 |
Cost engineer salary FAQs
Search for cost engineer jobs