Cost estimator
Figures out how much it will cost to make a product, build something, or provide a service, to help set prices or bids.
Will AI replace cost estimator jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: High. More AI overlap than 81 in 100 jobs. AI can help with many tasks. The job is changing fast, and people who use AI well will lead it. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Set up ways to track and report costs
- Study blueprints to estimate time, cost, materials, and labor
- Prepare estimates to help choose vendors or subcontractors
What stays human
- Meet with engineers, architects, and contractors about changes to cost estimates
- Collect past cost data to estimate costs for new products
- Judge if projects are worth the cost and compare costs to bids
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: -3.1%. Typical pay: $78,740 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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