Figures out how much a building, product or project will cost before anyone commits money.
You study blueprints for a new school, count every door and light fixture, call suppliers for steel prices and build a spreadsheet that totals $40 million. If your number is too high you lose the bid; too low and the company loses money.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in construction management, engineering or business; some rise from the trades.
Ways in: 4-year college, Trade school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Construction Management, Engineering, Business Administration.
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years). Estimating software and AI reduce the need for some estimators.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI takeoff software counts items from blueprints and prices them, so fewer estimators are needed; judging risk stays human.
Classes: Geometry, AP Statistics, Drafting or CAD class, Construction CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.