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Cost Estimators prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service. May specialize according to particular service performed or type of product manufactured.
- Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
- Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.
- Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
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Featured Schools
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Cost Estimators with little to no experience tend to make between $38060 and $49850 while the more experienced ones can earn over $84000 per year.
| Top 5 paying states | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| DC | $45 | $93,880 |
| AK | $40 | $83,450 |
| HI | $40 | $82,390 |
| CA | $38 | $78,190 |
| MA | $37 | $77,670 |
One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Cost Estimator is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Cost Estimators are DC, AK, HI, CA and MA.
However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.
Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Cost Estimator is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.
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We asked other Cost Estimators what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by a Master’s Degree.
Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.
| Materials Engineering |
| Mechanical Engineering |
| Construction Engineering |
| Manufacturing Engineering |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician |
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Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Cost Estimator.
| [icon type=”thumbs-o-up”] PROS |
|---|
| Suitable for people who likes to start and carry out projects |
| Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants to work in a friendly non-competitive environment |
| This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors. |
| Very good salary |
| [icon type=”thumbs-o-down”] CONS |
|---|
| Not suitable for people who likes to work with designs |
| It is hard to get into this career. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career. |
| Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week) |
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68% of Cost Estimators said they were satisfied with their job and 44% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.
My name is Kyle McCarney, Junior Estimator at Inflector Environmental Services. I have been lucky to have been a part of the Inflector team since 2015. Close to a year ago, I was given the opportunity to begin my journey as a Junior Estimator. My typical day My typical day starts at 5:45 AM. I … Read More
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You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..
They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
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| [icon type=”home”] | Summary (You are here) |
| [icon type=”list-ul”] | Job Description |
| [icon type=”dollar”] | Salary |
| [icon type=”graduation-cap”] | Requirements |
| [icon type=”heart”] | Quiz |
Related career information
Cost Estimators job description, Cost Estimators salary, Cost Estimators information, what is the job of a Cost Estimator like, pros and cons about Cost Estimators, colleges and universities for Cost Estimators, is Cost Estimators the right career for me, careers in Business and Finance
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