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Estimator salary
Average estimator salary
$67,162
Average Estimator Salary
The salary for an Estimator varies significantly based on experience, location, and industry. As of October 2025, the average salary is approximately $67,162 per year. Entry-level estimators typically earn less, while those with several years of experience can command higher salaries. For instance, estimators with specialized skills in fields like construction or engineering may find themselves in higher-paying positions.
Estimator Salaries by Experience Level
Entry-level estimators can expect to earn around $50,000, while mid-level professionals may see salaries ranging from $60,000 to $70,000. Senior estimators, particularly in high-demand markets, can reach salaries above $80,000.
Location Impact
Geographical location plays a crucial role in salary variations. States with booming construction industries, such as California and New York, often offer higher salaries compared to others. Moreover, metropolitan areas typically have a higher cost of living, which can also impact salary scales.
Job Opportunities
Estimators are in demand across various sectors including construction, manufacturing, and project management. Consider exploring job boards and networking opportunities to find positions that match your skills and experience.
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Where can an Estimator earn more?
Estimator salaries by experience level
Estimator salary estimates from across the web
Average estimator salary by state
The average estimator salary in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average estimator salary states are Florida, Kentucky, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for estimators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,841 | $40.79 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,168 | $37.10 |
| 3 | Vermont | $90,352 | $43.44 |
| 4 | Washington | $71,096 | $34.18 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $75,388 | $36.24 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $75,288 | $36.20 |
| 7 | Maine | $69,033 | $33.19 |
| 8 | California | $76,461 | $36.76 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $80,683 | $38.79 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $72,924 | $35.06 |
| 11 | Michigan | $70,330 | $33.81 |
| 12 | Nevada | $66,432 | $31.94 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,875 | $34.07 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $72,011 | $34.62 |
| 15 | New York | $73,969 | $35.56 |
| 16 | Montana | $68,915 | $33.13 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $70,939 | $34.11 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $65,929 | $31.70 |
| 19 | Virginia | $68,938 | $33.14 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $68,878 | $33.11 |
| 21 | Colorado | $65,596 | $31.54 |
| 22 | Arizona | $63,707 | $30.63 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $66,664 | $32.05 |
| 24 | Idaho | $65,519 | $31.50 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $65,048 | $31.27 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $61,792 | $29.71 |
| 27 | Indiana | $60,483 | $29.08 |
| 28 | Oregon | $62,440 | $30.02 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $61,405 | $29.52 |
| 30 | Kansas | $62,194 | $29.90 |
| 31 | Texas | $60,569 | $29.12 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $62,739 | $30.16 |
| 33 | Illinois | $64,882 | $31.19 |
| 34 | Georgia | $58,927 | $28.33 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $60,983 | $29.32 |
| 36 | Utah | $57,175 | $27.49 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $61,820 | $29.72 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $60,826 | $29.24 |
| 39 | Missouri | $59,859 | $28.78 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $57,476 | $27.63 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $56,163 | $27.00 |
| 42 | Florida | $56,132 | $26.99 |
| 43 | Ohio | $57,565 | $27.68 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $55,948 | $26.90 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $56,133 | $26.99 |
| 46 | Iowa | $57,841 | $27.81 |
| 47 | Delaware | $59,133 | $28.43 |
| 48 | Alabama | $52,562 | $25.27 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $56,025 | $26.94 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $51,646 | $24.83 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $53,758 | $25.85 |
Highest paying cities for estimators
The highest-paying cities for estimators are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $84,842 | $40.79 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $83,524 | $40.16 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $80,635 | $38.77 |
| 4 | Columbus, MS | $76,039 | $36.56 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $74,119 | $35.63 |
| 6 | Washington, NJ | $72,604 | $34.91 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $71,749 | $34.49 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $71,105 | $34.19 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $69,329 | $33.33 |
| 10 | Richmond, VA | $68,799 | $33.08 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $66,216 | $31.83 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $65,662 | $31.57 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $65,638 | $31.56 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $65,181 | $31.34 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $63,775 | $30.66 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $62,709 | $30.15 |
| 17 | Portland, OR | $62,189 | $29.90 |
| 18 | Raleigh, NC | $61,980 | $29.80 |
| 19 | San Antonio, TX | $60,758 | $29.21 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $60,379 | $29.03 |
Estimators are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Estimator salary details
An estimator's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $96,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an estimator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $67,162 | $5,597 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest paying estimator jobs
The highest paying types of estimators are chief estimator, estimating manager, and estimator project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimator Project Manager | $73,546 | $6,129 | $35.36 | 112,100 |
| Construction Estimator | $72,383 | $6,032 | $34.80 | 37,047 |
| Estimating Manager | $95,887 | $7,991 | $46.10 | 11,106 |
| Electrical Estimator | $70,612 | $5,884 | $33.95 | 36,760 |
| Engineer/Estimator | $73,392 | $6,116 | $35.28 | 27,140 |
| Project Estimator | $70,496 | $5,875 | $33.89 | 56,513 |
Top companies hiring estimators now:
Which companies pay estimators the most?
Estimator salaries at BlackRock and NRG Energy are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average estimator salary at companies like MPS Horticulture and Douglas Emmett, Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackRock | $107,852 | $51.85 |
| 2 | NRG Energy | $97,677 | $46.96 |
| 3 | MPS Horticulture | $97,229 | $46.74 |
| 4 | Douglas Emmett, Inc. | $95,189 | $45.76 |
| 5 | Jordan Ford | $94,013 | $45.20 |
| 6 | Intel | $93,642 | $45.02 |
| 7 | Gordon Brothers | $93,203 | $44.81 |
| 8 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $91,115 | $43.81 |
| 9 | Nucor | $89,744 | $43.15 |
| 10 | Tesla | $89,547 | $43.05 |
| 11 | American Residential Services | $88,216 | $42.41 |
| 12 | Fairpoint Communications | $86,086 | $41.39 |
| 13 | Asbury Automotive Group | $86,048 | $41.37 |
| 14 | Carter Lumber | $85,857 | $41.28 |
| 15 | Lennar | $83,180 | $39.99 |
| 16 | Foley Products | $82,366 | $39.60 |
| 17 | Siemens | $80,501 | $38.70 |
| 18 | Rosendin Electric | $80,314 | $38.61 |
| 19 | Ducommun | $80,018 | $38.47 |
| 20 | Gilbane Building Company | $79,759 | $38.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Estimator salary by industry
The average estimator salary varies across industries:
- The average estimator salary in the manufacturing industry is $70,701, the highest of any industry.
- The average estimator salary in the finance industry is $69,970.
- Estimators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $65,937, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for estimators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $70,701 | $33.99 |
| 2 | Automotive | $69,970 | $33.64 |
| 3 | Construction | $67,877 | $32.63 |
| 4 | Professional | $65,937 | $31.70 |
High paying estimator jobs
Estimator salary trends
The average estimator salary has risen by $8,218 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average estimator earned $58,944 annually, but today, they earn $67,162 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for estimators over the last decade.
Compare estimator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average estimator salary over time
Compare estimator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Estimator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $67,200 | $32.29 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $65,800 | $31.63 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $64,600 | $31.04 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $63,600 | $30.59 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | $62,300 | $29.95 | +2.3% |
Recently added estimator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Experienced Estimator | El Segundo, CA | 06/30/2025 | $90,100 |
| Sierra Nevada | Material Pricing Estimator I | Lone Tree, CO | 06/30/2025 | $64,900 |
| Ziegler | Service Estimator | Buhl, MN | 06/30/2025 | $63,361 |
| Apltd Branding | Estimator II | Bloomington, MN | 06/30/2025 | $84,000 |
| Ken Garff Automotive | Collision Repair Estimator | Fort Collins, CO | 06/30/2025 | $60,000 |
| Caliber Collision | Collision Estimator | Lynbrook, NY | 06/30/2025 | $65,000 |
| Caliber Collision | Collision Estimator | Grand Junction, CO | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Caliber Collision | Collision Estimator | Southington, CT | 06/30/2025 | $65,000 |
| Caliber Collision | Collision Estimator | Waldorf, MD | 06/30/2025 | $50,000 |
| Caliber Collision | Collision Estimator | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $50,000 |
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