SOC 13-1051 · Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro

Cost Estimators Salary in Watertown, NY

The average salary for cost estimators in Watertown, New York is $79,950 a year ($38.44 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $80,020: half of the 60 people in this job in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($86,152).

$79,950average per year

$38.44 / hourMedian $80,020Take-home ≈ $61,283

  • $38K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $98K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#11 of 12New York metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cost Estimators pay range in Watertown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,990 or more. The middle half of cost estimators in Watertown earn between $58,520 and $98,090.

  • $38K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $98K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$79,950$6,662$38.44
Median$80,020$6,668$38.47
Entry level (25th percentile)$58,520$4,877$28.13
Experienced (75th percentile)$98,090$8,174$47.16

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Cost Estimators salary after taxes in Watertown

On the average salary of $79,950, a single filer in Watertown takes home about $61,283 a year, or $5,107 a month and $2,357 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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Is Watertown a good place for cost estimators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Watertown area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.7), so the average $79,950 buys what about $91,173 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Watertown ($47,600). A typical home costs $230,401, or 2.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $79,950 is worth in another city

Cost Estimators salary in other New York cities

Watertown ranks 11th of 12 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($92,640).

All Cost Estimators salaries in New York

Highest-paying cities for cost estimators

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,520).

Cost Estimators salary by city

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Cost Estimators salary in Watertown: questions

How much do cost estimators make an hour in Watertown?

$38.44 an hour on average, and $38.47 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cost estimators salary in Watertown?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $58,520, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cost estimators take-home pay in Watertown?

About $61,283 a year ($5,107 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,950. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

Do cost estimators earn more in Watertown than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (48060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
  • 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.97, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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