Cost Estimators
Business and Financial Operations · SOC 13-1051
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 13-1051 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 45/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $78,740
- H-1B offered wage $90,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 24,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -4.2%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 703
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 41,907 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~50% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service. May specialize according to particular service performed or type of product manufactured.
Common titles: Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Construction Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Consultant, Cost Engineer
Representative 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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Estimate costs of goods or services.
- •Analyze business or financial data.
- •Confer with others about financial matters.
- •Assess the cost effectiveness of products, projects, or services.
- •Monitor financial indicators.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 29.0% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 48% Bright |
| Median Salary | $78,740 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |