National Salary Info » Cost Estimators

Highest Paying Industries for Cost Estimators

The top 100 highest paying industries for cost estimators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $103,870, natural gas distribution is the highest paying industry for cost estimators. It is followed by wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) industry (average annual salary $94,650). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of cost estimators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Cost Estimators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Natural Gas Distribution	$103,870	$67,660	720
2	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$94,650	$81,180	40
3	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$92,410	$51,030	340
4	Oil and Gas Extraction	$91,720	$54,070	60
5	Telecommunications	$90,940	$51,080	480
6	Utilities	$90,700	$53,750	1,280
7	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$86,380	$54,790	40
8	Information	$84,610	$46,220	670
9	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$83,680	$48,910	60
10	Pipeline Transportation	$83,280	$46,530	70
11	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$80,480	$51,660	1,980
12	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$79,880	$51,160	430
13	Scientific Research and Development Services	$79,170	$50,240	450
14	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$77,700	$43,540	180
15	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$77,140	$50,840	120
16	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$76,560	$48,810	510
17	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$75,840	$54,820	60
18	Engineering Services	$75,410	$44,600	4,030
19	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$75,320	$47,380	2,810
20	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$75,130	$44,600	430
21	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$74,230	$42,890	4,770
22	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$73,690	$46,480	80
23	Business Support Services	$73,660	$52,160	30
24	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$73,150	$38,500	110
25	Nondepository Credit Intermediation	$72,670	$44,930	30
26	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	$72,620	$43,220	50
27	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$72,300	$48,860	40
28	Educational Services - Local government owned	$72,300	$48,860	40
29	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$72,270	$49,140	40
30	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$71,920	$42,930	870
31	Mining	$71,710	$46,240	450
32	Waste Collection	$71,580	$45,710	90
33	Testing Laboratories	$71,490	$36,530	180
34	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$71,280	$32,590	n/a
35	Outpatient Care Centers	$71,230	$36,890	60
36	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$70,990	$39,520	8,320
37	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$70,940	$39,460	50
38	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$70,670	$45,870	40
39	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$70,600	$36,280	50
40	Warehousing and Storage	$70,070	$36,770	140
41	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$69,900	$41,010	750
42	Federal, State, and Local Government	$69,900	$41,010	750
43	Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	$69,670	$42,090	180
44	State government, including schools and hospitals	$69,660	$42,520	410
45	Support Activities for Mining	$69,600	$47,760	330
46	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$69,530	$39,920	60
47	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$69,530	$39,920	60
48	Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$69,360	$36,140	100
49	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$69,180	$41,680	2,900
50	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$69,140	$41,540	1,030
51	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$69,010	$42,640	240
52	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$68,830	$40,000	4,940
53	Ship and Boat Building	$68,610	$49,960	390
54	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$68,530	$40,820	610
55	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$68,480	$39,300	1,260
56	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$68,450	$33,510	1,510
57	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$68,410	$38,570	100
58	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$68,400	$40,380	840
59	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$67,980	$40,350	560
60	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$67,650	$43,160	70
61	Hospitals - Privately owned	$67,650	$43,160	70
62	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$67,450	$42,660	80
63	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$67,450	$42,660	80
64	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$67,270	$38,310	1,600
65	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$67,170	$37,930	11,880
66	Nonresidential Building Construction	$66,660	$36,850	21,160
67	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$66,110	$37,230	1,380
68	Other Insurance Related Activities	$66,070	$38,170	340
69	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$65,860	$37,670	40
70	Water Transportation	$65,860	$37,670	40
71	Educational Services	$65,850	$42,020	360
72	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$65,790	$37,560	370
73	Air Transportation	$65,690	$50,380	80
74	Utility System Construction	$65,610	$37,070	5,200
75	Land Subdivision	$65,600	$37,510	230
76	Scheduled Air Transportation	$65,240	$50,540	80
77	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$65,030	$42,380	220
78	Educational Services - State government owned	$64,850	$41,980	220
79	Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$64,460	$24,540	150
80	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$64,050	$29,520	40
81	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$64,040	$41,550	310
82	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$63,980	$37,380	15,810
83	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$63,830	$34,900	1,090
84	Building Equipment Contractors	$63,390	$36,530	34,400
85	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$63,180	$35,440	400
86	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$63,020	$35,580	16,910
87	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$62,800	$39,120	210
88	Lessors of Real Estate	$62,600	$33,410	100
89	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$62,600	$36,880	270
90	Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	$62,560	$26,590	300
91	Educational Services - Privately owned	$62,550	$40,530	100
92	Freight Transportation Arrangement	$62,450	$35,340	190
93	Construction of Buildings	$62,200	$33,920	36,700
94	Rental and Leasing Services	$62,080	$37,440	220
95	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$61,790	$38,120	70
96	Food Manufacturing	$61,730	$40,720	70
97	Software Publishers	$61,680	$44,640	40
98	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$61,510	$37,490	1,680
99	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$61,410	$42,440	50
100	Other Support Services	$61,400	$34,300	140