How much does a Cost Clerk make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cost Clerk in the United States is $41,524 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.

However, a Cost Clerk's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $51,046
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $37,484 to $46,508
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $33,805

Key Factors That Influence Cost Clerk Salaries

A Cost Clerk's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Cost Clerk Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Cost Clerks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $45,975.
  • California: $45,801.
  • Massachusetts: $45,190.

Top Paying Cities for Cost Clerks

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $52,374
  • San Francisco: $51,801
  • Oakland: $50,709

What Skills Can Increase a Cost Clerk's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 11.55% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • HVAC (Mentioned in 3.59% Job Postings): Designing, developing, maintaining, and updating Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning and Cooling system.
  • Welding (Mentioned in 1.74% Job Postings): Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool causing fusion. Welding is distinct from lower temperature metal-joining techniques such as brazing and soldering, which do not melt the base metal. In addition to melting the base metal, a filler material is typically added to the joint to form a pool of molten material (the weld pool) that cools to form a joint that, based on weld configuration (butt, full penetration, fillet, etc.), can be stronger than the base material (parent metal). Pressure may also be used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce a weld. Welding also requires a form of shield to protect the filler metals or melted metals from being contaminated or oxidized. Many different energy sources can be used for welding, including a gas flame (chemical), an electric arc (electrical), a laser, an electron beam, friction, and ultrasound. While often an industrial process, welding may be performed in many different environments, including in open air, under water, and in outer space. Welding is a hazardous undertaking and precautions are required to avoid burns, electric shock, vision damage, inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes, and exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 11.55%
HVAC 3.59%
Welding 1.74%

Cost Clerk Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cost Clerk's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$37,484
Average $41,524/year
$46,508
$3,124
Average $3,460/month
$3,876
$721
Average $799/week
$894
$18
Average $20/hour
$22
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $46,508 $3,876 $894 $22
Average $41,524 $3,460 $799 $20
25th Percentile $37,484 $3,124 $721 $18

Most common benefits for Cost Clerk

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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