Also called: Packaging Estimator, Cost Estimator
Figures out what a print or packaging job will cost so the company can quote a price and still make money.
A customer wants 50,000 gift boxes with gold foil. You calculate paper, ink, press time, die-cutting and shipping, then send the quote. Win the job at the right price and the whole plant stays busy.
Uses BLS cost estimator wages; print estimators sit near the median.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate or bachelor's degree, or years of print-shop experience.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Graphic Communications, Business, Construction/Industrial Management.
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years). About flat for cost estimators overall.
High risk for 10 years. Web-to-print pricing software and AI quoting now calculate most job costs automatically.
Classes: Algebra II, Business class, Accounting.
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.