Chief Estimator Salary in the United States

Chief Estimator Salary

How much does a Chief Estimator make?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Chief Estimator in the United States is $126,517. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $112,825 to $145,301, with most professionals earning between $100,359 and $162,402.

Develop a Job description
Pay Equity
Salary Grading Scale
Pay Strategy
2024 Compensation Trend
Compensation Consulting
Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits
Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
View as table View as graph
Chief Estimator Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Chief Estimator Salary $100,359 US March 01, 2025
25th Percentile Chief Estimator Salary $112,825 US March 01, 2025
50th Percentile Chief Estimator Salary $126,517 US March 01, 2025
75th Percentile Chief Estimator Salary $145,301 US March 01, 2025
90th Percentile Chief Estimator Salary $162,402 US March 01, 2025
25% $112,825 10% $100,359 90% $162,402 75% $145,301 $126,517 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Employers: Find Surveys For This Job Employers: Price Your Company Jobs Employees: View your Salary
Change Search Criteria
See it in Action

What is a Chief Estimator ?

A cost estimate is the approximation of the cost of a program, project, or operation. The cost estimate is the product of the cost estimating process. The cost estimate has a single total value and may have identifiable component values. A problem with a cost overrun can be avoided with a credible, reliable, and accurate cost estimate. A cost estimator is the professional who prepares cost estimates. There are different types of cost estimators, whose title may be preceded by a modifier, such as building estimator, or electrical estimator, or chief estimator. Other professionals such as quanti...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Chief Estimator.

Search Chief Estimator Job Openings

Job Openings for Chief Estimator

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    Cost Estimation Engineer V

    10 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Chief Estimator

    3 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  3. Up a level:

    Estimating Supervisor

    3 - 5 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Not the job you're looking for? Search more salaries here:

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Chief Estimator, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
112825
145301
126517

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
114842
150185
129382
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Chief Estimator in the United States. The base salary for Chief Estimator ranges from $112,825 to $145,301 with the average base salary of $126,517. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $114,842 to $150,185 with the average total cash compensation of $129,382.

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

112825
145301

 

Skills associated with Chief Estimator: Design, Estimating, Planning

Recently searched related titles: Costing Clerk, Heavy Civil Estimator, Adobe Aem Developer

Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role

Jobs with a similar salary range to Chief Estimator : Structural Estimator, Microsoft Dynamics Nav, Aerospace Estimator