Cost Estimators Salary
Cost Estimators in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL make a median of $65,670 a year, or about $31.57 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.69), which stretches that salary to about $69,353 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,345/month, about 31.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Daphne-Fairhope-Foley’s Regional Price Parity (94.69). 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
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What this looks like in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley
Pay for cost estimators in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $79K. Rent runs $1,345/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cost estimators in metros near Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $79K | $87K |
| Huntsville | $79K | $85K |
| Mobile | $77K | $87K |
| Montgomery | $75K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
Entry-level cost estimators (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $61K 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 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cost estimator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 31.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,345/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cost estimators in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cost estimators typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,404/month. At HUD’s $1,345/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $66K here vs. $79K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Daphne-Fairhope-Foley compare to the national average for cost estimators?
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do cost estimators make in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL?
The median is $65,670 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,060, and experienced cost estimators can clear $100,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,289/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,345/month, which eats 31.4% 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 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley?
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley has a Regional Price Parity of 94.69 (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 $69,353 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.