Cost Estimator salary
From 1,492 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 13-1051: Cost Estimators
- Also filed as: Cost Manager
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 29% of Cost Estimator filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Cumming Management Group. 49 filings (3% of the total), median $120,000.
- Median up 36% since FY2020. From $68,000 in FY2020 to $92,165 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Cost Estimator H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 1,492 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Cost Estimator jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 13-1051, Cost Estimators). The median base salary is $90,948, 26% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $74,000 and $120,000. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 29% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (352), and Cumming Management Group is the employer that files the most (49).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Cost Estimator
Accenture18 filings · 1%$150,000
Currie & Brown18 filings · 1%$100,000
Mace North America16 filings · 1%$152,900
Coastal Construction of Miami-Dade County15 filings · 1%$94,952
DPR Construction, A General Partnership14 filings · 1%$94,228
Microsoft14 filings · 1%$175,850
Employers with the most Cost Estimator filings. Bar: share of all Cost Estimator filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 22% of filings
Mid-level · 29% of filings
Senior · 22% of filings
Expert · 27% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $62,400 | 323 |
| Level II · Qualified | $80,000 | 435 |
| Level III · Experienced | $102,190 | 322 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $125,000 | 408 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Cost Estimator pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 26 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $84,360 | 352 |
| San Francisco, CA | $123,200 | 99 |
| Dallas, TX | $87,250 | 76 |
| Houston, TX | $87,000 | 75 |
| Chicago, IL | $91,520 | 69 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $92,196 | 68 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 68 |
| Miami, FL | $88,499 | 65 |
| Washington, DC | $87,659 | 54 |
| Atlanta, GA | $83,000 | 48 |
| Austin, TX | $106,371 | 29 |
| Boston, MA | $89,440 | 25 |
| Denver, CO | $101,000 | 22 |
| Detroit, MI | $107,500 | 20 |
| Seattle, WA | $90,888 | 19 |
| Tampa, FL | $107,900 | 19 |
| San Jose, CA | $126,939 | 18 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $65,000 | 17 |
| Raleigh, NC | $106,445 | 17 |
| Charlotte, NC | $80,600 | 15 |
| Orlando, FL | $89,000 | 15 |
| San Diego, CA | $120,000 | 15 |
| Nashville, TN | $86,590 | 14 |
| Portland, OR | $80,250 | 11 |
| Columbus, OH | $107,502 | 10 |
| Kansas, MO | $80,179 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Cost Estimator does
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.
Typical tasks
- Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
- Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
- Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops.
- Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
- Establish and maintain tendering process, and conduct negotiations.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Cost Estimators (13-1051.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Cost Estimators), the median annual wage was $78,740 in May 2025, with 224,220 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $90,948, 16% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,000 | $48,530 |
| 25th percentile | $74,000 | $61,150 |
| Median | $90,948 | $78,740 |
| 75th percentile | $120,000 | $101,850 |
| 90th percentile | $147,000 | $130,820 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $60,000 |
| 25th | $74,000 |
| 50th (median) | $90,948 |
| 75th | $120,000 |
| 90th | $147,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $68,000 | $57,179 | $84,800 | 572 |
| FY2021 | $74,300 | $63,000 | $93,678 | 556 |
| FY2022 | $85,000 | $67,434 | $101,000 | 577 |
| FY2023 | $85,000 | $70,000 | $108,000 | 540 |
| FY2024 | $90,143 | $71,760 | $120,000 | 541 |
| FY2025 | $90,000 | $70,000 | $119,632 | 698 |
| FY2026 | $92,165 | $79,056 | $120,000 | 794 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Cost Estimator make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Cost Estimator jobs is $90,948 (1,492 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $74,000 and $120,000.
What does an entry-level Cost Estimator earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $62,400. Level I accounts for 22% of Cost Estimator filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Cost Estimators?
Cumming Management Group (49), Turner & Townsend (48) and Toscano Clements Taylor (22) filed the most Cost Estimator LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Cost Estimators earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($90,948) is 16% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($78,740, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.