Cost Estimators pay range in Columbia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $121,930 or more. The middle half of cost estimators in Columbia earn between $49,990 and $94,230.
- $41K10th
- $50K25th
- $69KMedian
- $94K75th
- $122K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,630 | $6,219 | $35.88 |
| Median | $68,610 | $5,718 | $32.99 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $49,990 | $4,166 | $24.03 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $94,230 | $7,852 | $45.30 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cost Estimators salary after taxes in Columbia
On the average salary of $74,630, a single filer in Columbia takes home about $58,762 a year, or $4,897 a month and $2,260 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is Columbia a good place for cost estimators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Columbia area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.4), so the average $74,630 buys what about $83,443 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbia ($47,260). A typical home costs $323,951, or 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Cost Estimators salary in other Missouri cities
Columbia ranks 6th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Louis pays the most ($85,130).
- St. Louis$85,130
- Kansas City$84,740
- St. Joseph$83,010
- Cape Girardeau$78,530
- Jefferson City$74,850
- Columbia$74,630
- Joplin$73,230
- Springfield$72,250
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 Columbia: questions
How much do cost estimators make an hour in Columbia?
$35.88 an hour on average, and $32.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cost estimators salary in Columbia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,990, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cost estimators take-home pay in Columbia?
About $58,762 a year ($4,897 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,630. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do cost estimators earn more in Columbia than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% 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 Columbia, MO (17860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- 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 (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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