Cost Estimators Salary
Cost Estimators in Charlottesville, VA make a median of $78,040 a year, or about $37.52 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.15), that's roughly $78,709 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,824/month, about 35.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Charlottesville, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlottesville’s Regional Price Parity (99.15). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cost estimators
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charlottesville
Cost estimators pay in Charlottesville tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,824/month, which is 36.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.15) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cost estimators in metros near Charlottesville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $67K | $72K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $81K | $83K |
| Richmond | $78K | $79K |
| Roanoke | $71K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlottesville, VA
Entry-level cost estimators (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Cost Estimators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cost Estimators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $101K | +28% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $97K | +23% | 220 |
| Wyoming | $91K | +15% | 440 |
| Colorado | $87K | +10% | 6,100 |
| Washington | $86K | +9% | 7,470 |
| California | $85K | +9% | 26,020 |
| Illinois | $83K | +5% | 5,990 |
| District of Columbia | $83K | +5% | 270 |
| Nevada | $82K | +4% | 2,240 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +4% | 590 |
| Vermont | $81K | +3% | 320 |
| Maryland | $81K | +3% | 4,580 |
| Connecticut | $81K | +3% | 2,350 |
| Minnesota | $81K | +3% | 4,310 |
| New Jersey | $81K | +2% | 5,240 |
| Virginia | $81K | +2% | 5,840 |
| Oregon | $80K | +2% | 2,940 |
| New York | $80K | +2% | 11,980 |
| Hawaii | $80K | +2% | 1,040 |
| Idaho | $80K | +1% | 1,600 |
| Utah | $80K | +1% | 2,800 |
| New Hampshire | $80K | +1% | 980 |
| Delaware | $79K | +1% | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | -0% | 9,420 |
| Michigan | $78K | -1% | 6,960 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 8,100 |
| West Virginia | $77K | -2% | 830 |
| Montana | $77K | -2% | 1,230 |
| Louisiana | $77K | -2% | 2,680 |
| Arizona | $77K | -2% | 5,760 |
| Texas | $77K | -2% | 20,760 |
| Georgia | $77K | -2% | 6,010 |
| Wisconsin | $76K | -3% | 5,150 |
| Kansas | $76K | -3% | 2,250 |
| Iowa | $76K | -3% | 1,870 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 6,580 |
| Tennessee | $76K | -4% | 4,340 |
| Alabama | $75K | -5% | 3,000 |
| Florida | $75K | -5% | 13,720 |
| South Dakota | $75K | -5% | 1,030 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -5% | 1,960 |
| North Carolina | $75K | -5% | 8,030 |
| Maine | $74K | -6% | 760 |
| Indiana | $73K | -7% | 4,810 |
| North Dakota | $73K | -7% | 730 |
| Nebraska | $73K | -7% | 1,330 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -10% | 1,280 |
| South Carolina | $70K | -11% | 2,880 |
| Oklahoma | $68K | -14% | 1,860 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -14% | 900 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -22% | 1,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cost estimators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlottesville numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cost estimator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlottesville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 36.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,824/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cost estimators in Charlottesville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cost estimators typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,416/month. At HUD’s $1,824/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cost estimator a high-paying job in Charlottesville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Charlottesville compare to the national average for cost estimators?
Charlottesville pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — below the national median.
How much do cost estimators make in Charlottesville, VA?
The median is $78,040 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,530, and experienced cost estimators can clear $132,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Charlottesville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,943/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,824/month, which eats 36.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cost estimators salary go in Charlottesville?
Charlottesville has a Regional Price Parity of 99.15 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cost estimators salary is worth about $78,709 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cost estimators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.