Careers > Cost Estimators

Cost Estimators

$71.2K Median Salary 17.8K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 0.6% Job Growth

Find Colleges for this Career Find Certificates for this Career

About This Career

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.

Reported Job Titles

Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Construction Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Consultant, Cost Engineer, Cost Estimating Analyst, Cost Estimator, Estimating Specialist, Estimator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Inductive Reasoning

Mathematical Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Number Facility

Written Comprehension

Deductive Reasoning

Near Vision

Written Expression

Information Ordering

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Category Flexibility

Problem Sensitivity

Flexibility of Closure

Fluency of Ideas

Selective Attention

Visualization

Knowledge

Mathematics

Economics and Accounting

Computers and Electronics

Engineering and Technology

Building and Construction

Administration and Management

English Language

Design

Customer and Personal Service

Skills

Mathematics

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Writing

Complex Problem Solving

Active Learning

Coordination

Management of Financial Resources

Social Perceptiveness

Monitoring

Negotiation

Persuasion

Systems Analysis

Systems Evaluation

Time Management

Technology Skills

Project management software

Word processing software

Financial analysis software

Accounting software

Computer aided design CAD software

Analytical or scientific software

Data base user interface and query software

Spreadsheet software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Data base reporting software

Document management software

Electronic mail software

Expert system software

Graphics or photo imaging software

License management software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Office suite software

Presentation software

Process mapping and design software

Tools

Scanners

Notebook computers

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Tablet computers

Abilities

Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Knowledge

Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Management of Financial Resources: Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology
Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Data base reporting software: SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Expert system software: MASterMind
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
License management software:
Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Microsoft Dynamics; Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio