Jobs / Management and business operations / 13-1051.00
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.
- US jobs
- 224,220
- Median wage
- $78,740 a year
- Job family
- Management and business operations
Can agents do the work of cost estimators?
We read the evidence for the whole job family, Management and business operations: Some tasks (first measured in the last 12 months)
Agents complete 20% or more of the tasks (or projects) on a direct benchmark.
Evidence: SOP-Bench, 72.4% of tasks completed.
6% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.
- 35%Determine values or prices of goods or servicesNot measured
- 12%Analyze business or financial dataNot measured
- 8%Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizationsNot measured
- 8%Communicate with others about business strategiesNot measured
- 8%Develop operational or technical procedures or standardsNot measured
- 6%Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgetsNot measured
- 6%Maintain operational recordsMeasured
- 4%Monitor financial data or activitiesNot measured
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in management and business operations, not always this occupation's tasks.
Direct evidence
Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.
Also relevant
These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.
- 45.9%Claude Opus 4.6 · 16 Mar 2026Emerging
- 64.8%Claude Code + Opus 5.5 (max) · 6 Oct 2026Strong
Context only
These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.
- 42.9%TTE-MatrixAgent + DeepSeek-V3.2 · 10 Nov 2025Emerging
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- 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.
- Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
- Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.
- Set up cost monitoring and reporting systems and procedures.
- Review material and labor requirements to decide whether it is more cost-effective to produce or purchase components.
- Prepare cost and expenditure statements and other necessary documentation at regular intervals for the duration of the project.
- Conduct special studies to develop and establish standard hour and related cost data or to reduce cost.
Other job titles for this occupation (39)
Acquisition Cost Estimator · Analyst · Construction Estimator · Cost Analyst · Cost Consultant · Cost Engineer · Cost Estimating Analyst · Cost Estimator · Estimating Specialist · Estimator · Building Construction Estimator · Building Estimator · Civil Estimator · Commercial Construction Estimator · Commercial Estimator · Commercial Roofing Estimator · Concrete Estimator · Construction Job Cost Estimator · Cost Recovery Technician (Cost Recovery Tech) · Crating and Moving Estimator · Drywall Estimator · Electrical Estimator · Flooring Estimator · Heavy Civil Estimator · Industrial Estimator · Investment Recovery Technician (Investment Recovery Tech) · Job Cost Estimator · Job Estimator · Mechanical Estimator · Plumbing Estimator · Print Estimator · Printing Estimator · Production Cost Estimator · Project Estimator · Quantity Surveyor · Sales Estimator · Service Advisor · Service Writer · Structural Steel Estimator