Cost Estimators pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $145,110 or more. The middle half of cost estimators in Merced earn between $58,230 and $96,830.
- $46K10th
- $58K25th
- $73KMedian
- $97K75th
- $145K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $81,290 | $6,774 | $39.08 |
| Median | $72,880 | $6,073 | $35.04 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $58,230 | $4,852 | $28.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $96,830 | $8,069 | $46.55 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cost Estimators salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $81,290, a single filer in Merced takes home about $62,550 a year, or $5,212 a month and $2,406 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for cost estimators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $81,290 buys what about $82,717 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Cost Estimators salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 22nd of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($109,520).
- San Francisco$109,520
- San Jose$108,990
- Santa Rosa$101,290
- Santa Cruz$97,200
- San Diego$95,670
- Sacramento$95,520
- Fresno$94,070
- Napa$93,830
- Vallejo$93,660
- Merced$81,290
Highest-paying cities for cost estimators
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,520).
- San Francisco, CA$109,520
- San Jose, CA$108,990
- Boston, MA$108,390
- Amherst, MA$102,520
- Santa Rosa, CA$101,290
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Cost Estimators salary in Merced: questions
How much do cost estimators make an hour in Merced?
$39.08 an hour on average, and $35.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cost estimators salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $58,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cost estimators take-home pay in Merced?
About $62,550 a year ($5,212 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $81,290. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cost estimators earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($86,152).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 13-1051; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.79, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.79).
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