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Project estimator salary
Average project estimator salary
$70,496
Understanding Project Estimator Salaries
The average salary for a Project Estimator stands at $70,496 per year or $34 per hour. This salary can differ significantly based on several factors including geographical location and level of expertise. For instance, entry-level estimators typically earn less, while those with extensive experience may command salaries exceeding $100,000.
In specific states, like California and New York, Project Estimators can expect higher compensation due to the higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Additionally, industries such as construction and engineering tend to offer more lucrative positions.
Salary by Experience
Experience plays a vital role in salary determination. Entry-level positions may offer around $55,000, while mid-level professionals with 5–10 years can earn approximately $75,000. Senior estimators often exceed $90,000, especially if they hold certifications such as the Certified Professional Estimator (CPE).
Job Opportunities
Project Estimators are sought after across various sectors. Exploring job listings on platforms like Zippia can reveal numerous opportunities tailored to your skills and location. Continuing education and obtaining relevant certifications can further enhance your prospects in this growing field.
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Where can a Project Estimator earn more?
Project estimator salaries by experience level
Project estimator salary estimates from across the web
Average project estimator salary by state
The average project estimator salary in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average project estimator salary states are Mississippi, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project estimators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $78,282 | $37.64 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $73,185 | $35.19 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $88,398 | $42.50 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $74,092 | $35.62 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $87,810 | $42.22 |
| 6 | Vermont | $93,272 | $44.84 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $80,183 | $38.55 |
| 8 | Alaska | $82,164 | $39.50 |
| 9 | Washington | $81,491 | $39.18 |
| 10 | Maine | $71,248 | $34.25 |
| 11 | Utah | $75,529 | $36.31 |
| 12 | Missouri | $68,961 | $33.15 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $69,572 | $33.45 |
| 14 | Texas | $67,563 | $32.48 |
| 15 | Oregon | $73,563 | $35.37 |
| 16 | Colorado | $73,118 | $35.15 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $73,416 | $35.30 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $64,155 | $30.84 |
| 19 | Arizona | $70,378 | $33.84 |
| 20 | Idaho | $67,374 | $32.39 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $73,607 | $35.39 |
| 22 | California | $74,636 | $35.88 |
| 23 | Ohio | $63,226 | $30.40 |
| 24 | Montana | $69,742 | $33.53 |
| 25 | Michigan | $64,228 | $30.88 |
| 26 | Indiana | $64,498 | $31.01 |
| 27 | New York | $73,888 | $35.52 |
| 28 | Virginia | $70,914 | $34.09 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $62,474 | $30.04 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $67,244 | $32.33 |
| 31 | Kansas | $62,748 | $30.17 |
| 32 | Maryland | $70,162 | $33.73 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $61,519 | $29.58 |
| 34 | Nevada | $59,832 | $28.77 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $69,208 | $33.27 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $60,718 | $29.19 |
| 37 | Georgia | $59,024 | $28.38 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $57,882 | $27.83 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $64,746 | $31.13 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $56,956 | $27.38 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $59,350 | $28.53 |
| 42 | Illinois | $64,279 | $30.90 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $60,943 | $29.30 |
| 44 | Iowa | $57,422 | $27.61 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $54,751 | $26.32 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $57,279 | $27.54 |
| 47 | Delaware | $60,794 | $29.23 |
| 48 | Florida | $59,860 | $28.78 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $52,485 | $25.23 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $51,475 | $24.75 |
| 51 | Alabama | $50,414 | $24.24 |
Highest paying cities for project estimators
The highest-paying cities for project estimators are Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $87,796 | $42.21 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $82,259 | $39.55 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $81,917 | $39.38 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $80,539 | $38.72 |
| 5 | Mount Vernon, NY | $74,094 | $35.62 |
| 6 | Saint Paul, MN | $73,276 | $35.23 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $73,213 | $35.20 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $70,460 | $33.88 |
| 9 | Hackensack, NJ | $69,348 | $33.34 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $67,707 | $32.55 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $64,564 | $31.04 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $64,375 | $30.95 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $64,307 | $30.92 |
| 14 | Memphis, TN | $63,366 | $30.46 |
| 15 | Overland Park, KS | $62,956 | $30.27 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $62,878 | $30.23 |
| 17 | Baton Rouge, LA | $60,633 | $29.15 |
| 18 | Jacksonville, FL | $60,535 | $29.10 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $59,281 | $28.50 |
| 20 | Waukesha, WI | $57,954 | $27.86 |
Project estimator salary details
A project estimator's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $102,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project estimator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $70,496 | $5,875 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
Highest paying project estimator jobs
The highest paying types of project estimators are chief estimator, estimating manager, and project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimator Project Manager | $73,546 | $6,129 | $35.36 | 112,100 |
| Estimating Manager | $95,887 | $7,991 | $46.10 | 11,106 |
| Engineer/Estimator | $73,392 | $6,116 | $35.28 | 27,140 |
| Project Manager | $91,578 | $7,632 | $44.03 | 167,116 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
| Construction Estimator | $72,383 | $6,032 | $34.80 | 37,047 |
Top companies hiring project estimators now:
Which companies pay project estimators the most?
Project estimator salaries at Varian Medical Systems and Calpine are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project estimator salary at companies like Parsons and The Walt Disney Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varian Medical Systems | $112,858 | $54.26 |
| 2 | Calpine | $108,836 | $52.33 |
| 3 | Parsons | $106,342 | $51.13 |
| 4 | The Walt Disney Company | $105,125 | $50.54 |
| 5 | Florida Power and Light | $93,700 | $45.05 |
| 6 | Koch Industries | $93,693 | $45.04 |
| 7 | CITGO Petroleum | $92,361 | $44.40 |
| 8 | Jem | $89,998 | $43.27 |
| 9 | W. R. Grace & Co | $89,201 | $42.89 |
| 10 | Olin | $88,528 | $42.56 |
| 11 | American Transmission Co | $83,005 | $39.91 |
| 12 | PPL | $81,052 | $38.97 |
| 13 | Siemens | $80,043 | $38.48 |
| 14 | Fluor Corporation | $79,059 | $38.01 |
| 15 | EMCOR Group | $78,683 | $37.83 |
| 16 | Enovity | $78,391 | $37.69 |
| 17 | CyberCoders | $78,381 | $37.68 |
| 18 | Walbridge | $78,288 | $37.64 |
| 19 | H.J. Martin and Son | $78,128 | $37.56 |
| 20 | Bechtel Corporation | $75,391 | $36.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project Estimator salary by industry
The average project estimator salary varies across industries:
- The average project estimator salary in the manufacturing industry is $76,612, the highest of any industry.
- The average project estimator salary in the finance industry is $74,432.
- Project estimators in the construction industry earn an average salary of $69,862, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for project estimators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $76,612 | $36.83 |
| 2 | Energy | $74,432 | $35.78 |
| 3 | Retail | $70,861 | $34.07 |
| 4 | Construction | $69,862 | $33.59 |
High paying project estimator jobs
Project estimator salary trends
The average project estimator salary has risen by $8,625 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project estimator earned $61,871 annually, but today, they earn $70,496 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for project estimators over the last decade.
Compare project estimator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project estimator salary over time
Compare project estimator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project estimator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,500 | $33.89 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $69,100 | $33.20 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $67,800 | $32.58 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $66,800 | $32.11 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | $65,400 | $31.44 | +2.3% |
Recently added project estimator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterson Holding | Project Estimator | San Leandro, CA | 06/30/2025 | $92,000 |
| Get It-Hospitality | Project Estimator-Remote | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| O2EPCM, Inc. | Senior Project Cost Estimator-Project Execution | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $148,000 |
| Leather Emporium | Installation Project Estimator | Minneapolis, MN | 06/28/2025 | $70,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | Louisville, CO | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | Indianapolis, IN | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | Arlington, VA | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
| AES Corporation | High Voltage Project Estimator | Dayton, OH | 06/27/2025 | $87,000 |
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