Cost Estimators · SOC 13-1051

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Cost Estimatorss

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas

Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for cost estimators. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (1 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Top 25 of 379 metro areas

Cost Estimators: metro areas with the highest published median annual wages, May 2025
#	Metro area	Median annual	Employment	Per 1,000 jobs
1	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$102,640	3,110	1.2
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$101,630	3,300	1.4
3	Amherst Town-Northampton, MA	$100,410	90	1.3
4	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$97,580	1,680	1.5
5	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$95,650	490	2.4
6	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$94,490	4,340	2.1
7	Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$92,600	150	1.2
8	Worcester, MA	$92,570	550	1.6
9	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$89,820	3,690	2.3
10	Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	$89,540	290	1.7
11	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$89,330	3,780	1.2
12	Pittsfield, MA	$88,080	100	1.7
13	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$87,720	960	1.3
14	Kahului-Wailuku, HI	$87,670	100	1.4
15	Greeley, CO	$87,350	340	2.8
16	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$87,170	2,740	1.8
17	Kennewick-Richland, WA	$87,150	330	2.6
18	Springfield, MA	$86,730	270	1.3
19	Napa, CA	$86,240	110	1.3
20	Bozeman, MT	$85,820	250	3.4
21	Casper, WY	$84,990	70	1.6
22	Colorado Springs, CO	$84,990	720	2.3
23	Vallejo, CA	$84,830	290	2.0
24	Baton Rouge, LA	$84,710	940	2.3
25	Pueblo, CO	$84,580	140	2.3

Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Cost Estimators overview.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.