How To Become An Estimating Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an estimating manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An estimating manager manages the estimating department, which predicts costs for a construction project. Most estimating managers work for construction or engineering firms.

Estimating managers supervise project estimators and make sure that they are doing their work accurately and on time. An estimating manager is proactive in making sure that a project will stay within its projected budget. For example, they negotiate labor contracts and equipment procurements to get a fair deal for their company. They also take care of the administrative responsibilities of running an estimating department, such as entering invoices into QuickBooks and handling paperwork during a request for proposal (RFP) process.

In order to be successful, estimating managers need to know a lot about business and about the costs of executing a project. Most get a bachelor's degree in business or construction management, although it is possible to do this job with just an associate's degree or a high school diploma. Estimating managers also need several years of experience as estimators before earning a promotion to a management position. These highly valued members of a construction team earn an average annual salary of $88,565.

ScoreEstimating ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $95,887

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 4.43%

Black or African American 2.23%

Hispanic or Latino 13.56%

Unknown 3.81%

White 75.74%

Gender

female 12.17%

male 87.83%

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 an estimating manager

Explore estimating manager education requirements

Most common estimating manager degrees

Bachelor's

60.1 %

Associate

18.4 %

Master's

8.1 %

Start to develop specific estimating manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Cost Estimates	18.90%
Construction Management	14.43%
Project Management	6.11%
Phone Calls	5.72%
Business Development	5.00%

Complete relevant estimating manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New estimating managers 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 an estimating manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real estimating manager resumes.

Research estimating manager duties and responsibilities

Lead contract negotiations with DCAA and DCMA contracting officials.
Manage the HVAC and layout of the conceptual HVAC design, procurement of the HVAC equipment, and compliance review.
Manage RFP process from invitation through proposal and ultimately e-auction when necessary.
Develop RFP s and construction bid packages for all trades in each division of construction necessary for each project.

Prepare your estimating manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your estimating manager 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 an estimating manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable estimating manager resume templates

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