Cost Estimators pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $167,780 or more. The middle half of cost estimators in San Francisco earn between $76,640 and $133,140.
- $59K10th
- $77K25th
- $102KMedian
- $133K75th
- $168K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $109,520 | $9,127 | $52.65 |
| Median | $101,630 | $8,469 | $48.86 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $76,640 | $6,387 | $36.85 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $133,140 | $11,095 | $64.01 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cost Estimators salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $109,520, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $79,784 a year, or $6,649 a month and $3,069 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% 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 San Francisco a good place for cost estimators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $109,520 buys what about $94,730 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 10.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cost Estimators salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 24 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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
- Salinas$93,330
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 San Francisco: questions
How much do cost estimators make an hour in San Francisco?
$52.66 an hour on average, and $48.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cost estimators salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,640, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cost estimators take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $79,784 a year ($6,649 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $109,520. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cost estimators earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% more 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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