Job cost estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a job cost estimator. Job cost estimators usually study business, accounting, or management. 40% of job cost estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 72 real job cost estimator resumes to see exactly what job cost estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for job cost estimators are the Davenport University and the Davenport University.

There are also many online job cost estimator courses to help get the education required to be a job cost estimator.

What education do you need to become a job cost estimator?

What degree do you need to be a job cost estimator?

The most common degree for job cost estimators is bachelor's degree, with 40% of job cost estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 40% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 40%

Associate, 40%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a job cost estimator?

You should major in business to become a job cost estimator. 24% of job cost estimators major in business. Other common majors for a job cost estimator include accounting and management.

Business, 24%

Accounting, 16%

Management, 8%

Construction Management, 5%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for job cost estimators

Job cost estimators often get their degrees at Davenport University, Missouri State University, and Lewis-Clark State College. Here are the most common colleges for job cost estimators in the US based on their resumes.

Job cost estimator common college	Percentages
Davenport University	9.52%
Missouri State University	4.76%
Lewis-Clark State College	4.76%
Florida State College at Jacksonville	4.76%
Mercer University	4.76%

Show more common job cost estimator colleges

Best majors for job cost estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.3%
2	Accounting	16.2%
3	Management	8.1%
4	Construction Management	5.4%
5	Computer Programming	5.4%

Show more common job cost estimator majors

Best colleges for job cost estimators

The best colleges for job cost estimators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A job cost estimator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for job cost estimators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become job cost estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for job cost estimators

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3. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

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Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

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In the third course, you will learn how to use information from cost accounting to improve managerial decision-making. We discuss business decisions and suggest how cost information can support them best. For example, how will costs change if managers adjust cost drivers? How many units do companies need to sell in order to avoid losses or to achieve a targeted profit? How can managers improve pricing or product programs with information from cost accounting?...

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8. Cost Accounting: Introduction to Management Accounting

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Learn Cost Accounting for Management. Includes Process Costing, ABC Systems, Variance Analysis, Cash Budgets and more...

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14. Managerial (Cost) Accounting For Beginners

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Management accounting for managers and students. Learn managerial and cost accounting. #1 accounting course online...

15. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

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Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

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17. Cost Reduction for Managers & Management Consultants

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18. Financial Accounting - Inventory Costs

4.3

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Mastering Inventory Costs & Flows: An In-Depth Guide to Accounting for Inventory in Business Operations...

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4.6

(459)

Learn everything about AWS Cost Explorer, Cloud Financial Management and Reserved Instance/Savings Plan...

20. Learn Xactimate in less than 4 hours

4.3

(582)

Introduction to Xactimate - Cost Estimation Software for Construction Project...

Top 10 most affordable universities for job cost estimators

The most affordable schools for job cost estimators are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for job cost estimators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for job cost estimators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for job cost estimators

The hardest universities for job cost estimators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for job cost estimators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for job cost estimators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for job cost estimators

The easiest schools for job cost estimators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a job cost estimator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for job cost estimators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average job cost estimator salary by education level

Job cost estimators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $57,782 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, job cost estimators earn a median annual income of $53,645 compared to $50,231 for job cost estimators with an Associate degree.

Job cost estimator education level	Job cost estimator salary
Master's Degree	$57,782
High School Diploma or Less	$48,818
Bachelor's Degree	$53,645
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,231

Job cost estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Job Cost Estimators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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