Cost Estimator Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of cost estimators to shrink 3.1% from 2025 to 2035 (about 6,900 fewer jobs), with about 17,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $78,740 a year ranks 233rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- -3.1%
- Openings a year
- 17,600
- Median pay
- $78,740
- Pay rank
- 233rd of 825
Is employment of cost estimators growing or shrinking?
Shrinking: BLS projects employment of cost estimators to fall 3.1% (about 6,900 fewer jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +5.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 32 business and financial operations occupations with a projection. That change ranks 684th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 226,400 |
| Employment, 2035 | 219,500 |
| Projected change | -3.1% |
| Openings a year | 17,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 226,400 jobs here differ from the 224,220 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 17,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 173rd most of 830 occupations. All of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, since BLS projects no net new jobs.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for cost estimators rank?
The median of $78,740 a year ranks 233rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | +17.6% | 26,600 | $82,320 |
| Project Management Specialists | +6.7% | 76,500 | $102,320 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +3.2% | 6,100 | $64,950 |
| Construction Managers | +9.1% | 49,700 | $114,990 |
| Industrial Engineers | +12.4% | 23,100 | $102,440 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | +5.5% | 14,900 | $171,270 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | -1.3% | 32,600 | $59,650 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | +5.2% | 9,100 | $66,150 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.