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Collision Estimator Salary in the United States

How much does a Collision Estimator make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Collision Estimator in the United States is $89,255 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $102,567
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,346 to $96,223
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,504
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Collision Estimator Salaries

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

How Experience Level Affects Collision Estimator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Collision Estimator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $142,697
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $168,427
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $88,743
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $125,021
  • Expert (over 8 years): $142,357
Levels Salary
Cost Esti... Level Collision Estimator$142,697
Cost Esti... Level Collision Estimator$168,427
Collision... Level Collision Estimator$88,743
Cost Esti... Level Collision Estimator$125,021
Cost Esti... Level Collision Estimator$142,357
View as Graph

How Do Collision Estimator 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 Collision Estimators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $98,824.
  • California: $98,449.
  • Massachusetts: $97,137.

Top Paying Cities for Collision Estimators

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: $112,578
  • San Francisco: $111,345
  • Oakland: $108,999

What Skills Can Increase a Collision Estimator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Project Management (Mentioned in 6.08% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
  • Plumbing (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery are among the most common uses for plumbing, but it is not limited to these applications. The word derives from the Latin for lead, plumbum, as the first effective pipes used in the Roman era were lead pipes. In the developed world, plumbing infrastructure is critical to public health and sanitation. Boilermakers and pipefitters are not plumbers although they work with piping as part of their trade and their work can include some plumbing.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 1.05% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
Skills Demand Percentage
Project Management 6.08%
Plumbing 2.02%
Data Analysis 1.05%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Collision Estimator's salary.

  • RFI: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Budgeting: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Procurement: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
RFI $97,288
9%
Budgeting $96,396
8%
Procurement $96,396
8%
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Collision Estimator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Collision Estimator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 63% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Software & Networking sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Collision Estimator positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Collision Estimator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Collision Estimator

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$107,106$51.020%
Software & Networking$105,321$51.018%
Biotechnology$102,644$49.015%
Financial Services$99,966$48.012%
Energy & Utilities$98,181$47.010%

Collision Estimator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Collision Estimator'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 September 01, 2026
$77,346
Average $89,255/year
$96,223
$6,446
Average $7,438/month
$8,019
$1,487
Average $1,716/week
$1,850
$37
Average $43/hour
$46
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $96,223 $8,019 $1,850 $46
Average $89,255 $7,438 $1,716 $43
25th Percentile $77,346 $6,446 $1,487 $37

Most common benefits for Collision Estimator

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

Common company salaries for Collision Estimator

Here are companies hiring for Collision Estimator and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Collision Estimator

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Collision Estimator?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Collision Estimator roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

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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