Cost estimators
SOC Code: 13-1051
Cost estimators carries a 42% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $77,070 and -4.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 221,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 42% AI exposure, Cost estimators sits 5 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 73% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
39/100
Cost estimators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B $77,070
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -4.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 42% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Cost estimators in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Cost estimators shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Slow growth (245 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Cost estimators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Cost estimators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
42% Around the middle lower than 27% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Cost estimators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Cost estimators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Cost estimators's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 13-1051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Cost estimators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Cost estimators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
- 2. Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
- 3. Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
- 4. Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops.
- 5. Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
- 6. Establish and maintain tendering process, and conduct negotiations.
- 7. Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
- 8. Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.
- 9. Set up cost monitoring and reporting systems and procedures.
- 10. Review material and labor requirements to decide whether it is more cost-effective to produce or purchase components.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Mathematics
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Writing
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge Areas
- Mathematics
- Economics and Accounting
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Design
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Cost estimators?
Cost estimators has an AI exposure score of 42%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Cost estimators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Cost estimators is projected to decline by 4.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 221,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Cost estimators?
Key skills for Cost estimators include Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Cost estimators earn?
The median annual wage for Cost estimators is $77,070, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Cost estimators?
The typical entry-level education for Cost estimators is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Cost estimators?
Cost estimators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Cost estimators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (42% here).
- Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers · AI exposure 42%
- Budget analysts · AI exposure 42%
- Chemical plant and system operators · AI exposure 42%
- Compensation and benefits managers · AI exposure 42%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-4.2% here).
- Network and computer systems administrators · growth -4.2%
- Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers · growth -4.2%
- Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -4.3%
- Pipelayers · growth -4.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 13 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Cost estimators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Cost estimators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).