Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for senior cost engineers in the United States
Senior cost engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior cost engineer job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 30,600 new jobs for senior cost engineers are projected over the next decade.
Senior cost engineer salaries have increased 6% for senior cost engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,089 senior cost engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 27,901 active senior cost engineer job openings in the US.
The average senior cost engineer salary is $86,004.
Are senior cost engineer jobs in demand?
Senior cost engineer job and salary trends over time
Senior cost engineer jobs over time
Senior cost engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,089 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,559 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,767 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,906 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,898 | 0.00% |
Average senior cost engineer salary over time
Senior cost engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $86,004 | $41.35 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $85,105 | $40.92 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $84,157 | $40.46 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $83,035 | $39.92 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $81,517 | $39.19 | +1.0% |
Senior cost engineer jobs by state
Most common states for senior cost engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 171 | 25% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 835 | 12% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 92 | 10% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 485 | 9% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 126 | 9% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,803 | 7% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 612 | 7% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 441 | 7% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 366 | 7% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 277 | 7% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 210 | 7% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 593 | 6% |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 479 | 6% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 406 | 6% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 377 | 6% |
| 16 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 287 | 6% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 212 | 6% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 107 | 6% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 45 | 6% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 538 | 5% |
Most common cities for senior cost engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasadena | 1 | 1% | $98,372 |
| 2 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $84,294 |
| 3 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $84,549 |
Senior Cost Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior cost engineer experts
Clarkson University
Pennsylvania State University
North Carolina State University
George Mason University
The Ohio State University
AACEI
What's a good job out of college for Senior Cost Engineers?
Tracy Farrell: A "good" job out of college, in my opinion, is an entry-level position with a company that provides advancement. I would recommend that if graduates did not take advantage of internship opportunities, early and often, they will be at a disadvantage to "think they know it all" and have proven not to be as successful. Entry positions offer valuable training and teach transferable skills that can only be gained in entry-level positions (or internships) like communication skills, time management, organization, teamwork, aspects of all positions.
I strongly recommend that a graduate start interning well before they graduate. Internships can serve as "entry-level positions" providing opportunities for learning, growth, and hands-on experience they would not have otherwise. NYS high school business education programs have been offering internships for years, for credit, and many students do not take advantage of these programs.
What technical skills for a Senior Cost Engineer stand out to employers?
Tracy Farrell: Technical skills that employers are seeking include "real" computer skills like Microsoft Office Suite tools, proper communication skills via email and website development and postings, developing proper document format that is appropriate to send to stakeholders (i.e., letter formatting, report writing, email formatting); strong communication skills that include speaking professionally and respectfully to stakeholders as well as writing professionally (i.e., making eye contact when speaking, proper handshake, respectful dialogue including questioning); project management - knowing how to organize work and develop a timeline that includes who will be responsible for what and follow through; data analysis - being able to not only present data in an organized and understandable manner; but, be able to interpret data correctly offering the justification behind what they are interpreting and why.
Respectfully, today's graduates do not understand that being able to text and use social media does not prepare them for "real" computer skills. Many students that I have in high school and in college do not have proper writing skills, document formatting skills, or document management skills to know how to save documents properly and where to save to.
What Senior Cost Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Purdum: Certification, certification, certifications! Lean or Six Sigma green belt (e.g., ASQ.com), project management (e.g., PMI.com), and leadership skills.
Dr. Kanton Reynolds Ph.D.
Director, Undergraduate Programs & Associate Teaching ProfessorNorth Carolina State University
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Senior Cost Engineer?
Dr. Kanton Reynolds Ph.D.: These are unusual times, so they require unusual responses to the prevailing circumstances. Think about other types of careers that do not necessarily align fully with how you envisioned leveraging your major in the workforce. For example, engineers may need to look at careers in services instead of design or development. Also, do not discount industries that are fundamental to our society like consumer-packaged goods as potential career options. Lastly, always seek ways to expand your skills and career footprint. Do not allow yourself to be siloed in a role or function that prevents you from responding to shifts in the marketplace with a corresponding skill set.
Dr. Lance Sherry Ph.D.
Director, Center for Air Transportation Systems Research Assoc. Professor, System Engineering and Operations Research Dept.George Mason University
What type of skills will young Senior Cost Engineers need?
Dr. Lance Sherry Ph.D.: Critical thinking - don't take things for granted. Instrumentalize the process, and collect the performance data. Analyse the data, and test hypotheses. Once the problem and issue are understood, then, and only then, develop a solution.
Too many times we rush in with a technology solution that does not really solve the problem.
Also go and listen to the stakeholders. Understand their perspectives and account for these perspectives in the design solution.
Too many times we rush in with a technology solution that causes more problems than it solves because we have not truly understood the perspectives of the stakeholders.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Senior Cost Engineers in the next 5 years?
Theodore T. Allen Ph.D.: I am bullish on the next five years for IE graduates. I see those who apply disciplined decision processes, statistics, optimization, and AI methods with an entrepreneurial mindset will become key enablers. It is amazing to me how many different types of industries seem to be longing for data-driven decision-making and how many key world issues we can help with. Personally, I move from pipeline inspection to election systems improvement, to automotive manufacturing, to air filtration methods, to try to educate and energize voters on a typical day.
What type of skills will young Senior Cost Engineers need?
Chris P. Caddell: I anticipate the basic technical skills will largely be the same as today. However, I expect graduates will need greater familiarity with configuring software. This skill will be moving from an IT-exclusive capability to a useful skill that new graduates will need. From a softer skills perspective, young graduates will need to be self-motivated, self-aware, and outspoken. As our world moves to more remote working, graduates will need to be self-motivated because there may be no one (physically) there to push them. They will need to be self-aware of when they are struggling and need help. And they will need to be outspoken about asking for help when they need it and making sure they make their voices heard.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Cost Engineers in the next 5 years?
Chris P. Caddell: I think we are moving in a direction to be able to capture more data on projects and using that to inform our future cost estimates. The ability to analyze large amounts of data will be critical to improving our estimating process. As technology starts to influence our construction techniques, our older estimating guides and metrics will become antiquated and no longer valid. Some new technology is helping to improve estimating through improved visualization of the data and the actual work to be performed. So technology will influence both the actual construction work and how we estimate it.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Cost Engineers to find work opportunities?
Chris P. Caddell: The best places for graduates to find work in the cost estimating field, at least for construction, is dependent in part on the industry. Smaller owners and contractors are prevalent throughout the U.S. in cities and large towns. Major cities continue to be the hub for owners and contractors that are involved with major construction projects. Houston, Atlanta, Denver, and Philadelphia are some of the more active cities, but it really depends.