Hiring a cost estimator in Baltimore, MD

Employers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area pay cost estimators a median of $80,130, with the middle half of the market between $62,590 and $103,940. Baltimore residents working in business and financial operations occupations report a median of $82,125, which is 2% above what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a cost estimator earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$62,590
Median	$80,130
75th percentile	$103,940

Half of cost estimators in this area earn between $62,590 and $103,940. A band set below $62,590 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Baltimore residents earn

$82,125

Median earnings of Baltimore residents working in business and financial operations occupations, 17,554 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 2% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

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.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 13-1051.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, On Center On-Screen Takeoff, Adobe Acrobat, Autodesk AutoCAD.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Baltimore?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 35.4% of Baltimore adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a workable pool, but the search will reach beyond the city line. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Baltimore commute runs 29.4 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 15.9% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Baltimore city, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 2,610 and turns over 9.2% a quarter, with 339 hires against 312 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $8,350 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about cost estimators. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $16,026 to $24,039 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.