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The differences between project estimators and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $70,496 average annual salary of a project estimator.
The top three skills for a project estimator include project management, cost estimates and construction projects. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Project Estimator | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $70,496 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $33.89 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | -2% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,513 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Project estimators are professionals who are responsible for calculating the total costs that are associated with a construction project or the development of a new product. These estimators are required to monitor project cost and quality construction development while conducting formal presentations to clients about data findings, material takeoff, and project costs. They are required to work with the project management team to develop project accounting and bill-of-materials process. Project estimators must also attend pre-bid meetings and site walk to determine the scope of work and finalize proposals for review by the client.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Project estimators and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Estimator | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $70,496 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $102,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | California |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project estimator and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Estimator | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project estimators' and project managers' demographics:
| Project Estimator | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.5% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |