An estimator draws up an assessment of the overall expenses a project would require, taking every possible aspect into consideration. Material costs, labor hours, expenses of equipment, production venue, or transportation all go into the mix. After collecting information and analyzing metrics and customer specifications, the estimator will present findings and propose the final budget of the project to the management.
Estimators generally work for the construction business. They need to be able to read blueprints, plan ahead, and take notice of every foreseeable occurrence that might take money or take time during the implementation of the project. A good estimator is well aware that the devil is in the details, and is able to accurately communicate with everyone involved in the process.
Along with the growing construction business, the demand for estimators is expected to steadily grow over the coming years. Average annual salaries fall between $61,589 and $75,304, depending on your education, certificates, and years of experience on the job.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an estimator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.05 an hour? That's $60,432 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 18,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many estimators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and detail oriented.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be an estimator, we found that a lot of resumes listed 17.8% of estimators included customer service, while 7.5% of resumes included project management, and 6.1% of resumes included cost estimates. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the estimator job title. But what industry to start with? Most estimators actually find jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
If you're interested in becoming an estimator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 44.8% of estimators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 8.1% of estimators have master's degrees. Even though most estimators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an estimator. When we researched the most common majors for an estimator, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on estimator resumes include high school diploma degrees or master's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an estimator. In fact, many estimator jobs require experience in a role such as estimator project manager. Meanwhile, many estimators also have previous career experience in roles such as project manager or owner.