Average Cost Engineer Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Cost Engineer salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Cost Engineer Make in United States?

A Cost Engineer working in United States will typically earn around 81,300 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 44,700 USD to the highest average salary of 123,800 USD.

Average Annual Salary
81,300 USD
Average Monthly Salary
6,775 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
44,700 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
3,725 USD

Highest Annual Salary
123,800 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
10,316 USD

These are average salaries for a Cost Engineer in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Cost Engineer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Cost Engineer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Cost Engineer Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Cost Engineer will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Cost Engineer can earn between 44,700 USD and 123,800 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Cost Engineer in United States is 76,800 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 76,800 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 76,800 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Cost Engineer salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 54,700 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 54,700 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 92,100 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 92,100 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Cost Engineer Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average cost engineer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Cost Engineer in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 52,000 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Cost Engineer salary would increase to 64,400 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Cost Engineer, the average salary would be 87,700 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 103,600 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Cost Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 114,600 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Cost Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 119,700 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
52,000 USD
2-5 Years +26%
64,400 USD
5-10 Years +32%
87,700 USD
10-15 Years +18%
103,600 USD
15-20 Years +11%
114,600 USD
20+ Years +6%
119,700 USD

Cost Engineer Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Cost Engineer in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Cost Engineer in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 66,200 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Cost Engineer in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 102,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
66,200 USD
Master's Degree +53%
102,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Cost Engineer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male cost engineer will earn an average of 83,700 USD, while a female cost engineer will earn around 79,500 USD.

This means that a male cost engineer earns approximately 5% more than a female cost engineer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
83,700 USD
Female -5%
79,500 USD

Cost Engineer Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Cost Engineer in United States is around 12% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that a Cost Engineer in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Cost Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Cost Engineer is a moderate bonus based job, with 52% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

48% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 4% to 5%.

Received Bonus
52%
No Bonus
48%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Cost Engineer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Cost Engineer in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Yard Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 90,000 USD
Associate Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 95,400 USD
Associate Landman Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 41,100 USD
Auxiliary Equipment Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 38,100 USD
Biomass Plant Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 40,200 USD
Biomass Power Plant Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 121,800 USD
Chemical Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 73,100 USD
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 96,500 USD
Completions Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 83,800 USD
Cost Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 66,700 USD
Crude Oil Marketing Representative Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 96,400 USD
Dispatcher Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 39,500 USD
Distribution Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 124,500 USD
Dragline Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 45,100 USD
Driller Offsider Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 33,600 USD
Dump Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 36,500 USD
Electric and Gas Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 210,600 USD
Energy Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 134,700 USD
Energy Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 125,400 USD
Energy Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 112,700 USD
Energy Dispatch Director Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 147,900 USD
Energy Technical Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 54,700 USD
Energy Technical Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,600 USD
Energy Technical Support Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,600 USD
Energy Technical Trainer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 75,000 USD
Engineering Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 160,600 USD
Exploration Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 152,900 USD
Field Safety Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 103,600 USD
Fluids Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 84,600 USD
Fuel Cell Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 91,600 USD
Fuel Cell Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 46,400 USD
Fuels Handler Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 43,200 USD
Gas Compressor Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 36,500 USD
Gas Distribution Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 72,000 USD
Gas Supply Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 128,200 USD
Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 153,700 USD
Geophysicist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 163,800 USD
Geothermal Production Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 146,700 USD
Geothermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 62,100 USD
HSE Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 86,100 USD
HSE Officer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 54,100 USD
HSE Supervisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 66,900 USD
HSEQ Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 65,400 USD
Inspector Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 86,100 USD
Instructor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 71,900 USD
Instrument Designer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 70,000 USD
Lead Technical Field Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 116,400 USD
Logistics and Tool Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 78,700 USD
Maintenance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 93,800 USD
Maintenance Superintendent Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 78,200 USD
Material Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 59,000 USD
Mine Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,500 USD
Mine Surveyor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 96,600 USD
Mining Project Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 80,400 USD
Mining Project Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 63,900 USD
Mining Project Controls Consultant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 95,100 USD
Mining Project Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 78,700 USD
Mining Project Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,800 USD
Mining Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,300 USD
Mining Site Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,900 USD
Mining Team Leader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,400 USD
NDT Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 54,300 USD
Oil Service Unit Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 42,700 USD
Oil Trader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 115,600 USD
Oilwell Pumper Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 33,000 USD
Petroleum Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 98,800 USD
Petroleum Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 152,900 USD
Petroleum Pump System Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 49,400 USD
Petroleum Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 50,100 USD
Pipeline Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 33,500 USD
Power Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 54,700 USD
Power Plant Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 175,100 USD
Power Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 73,300 USD
Radio Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 37,900 USD
Reliability Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 86,600 USD
Reservoir Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 83,200 USD
Risk Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 112,700 USD
Roughneck Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,500 USD
Scaffolder Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 57,000 USD
Shutdown Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 76,600 USD
Solar Energy Installation Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 128,200 USD
Solar Energy Systems Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 94,100 USD
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 61,400 USD
Solar Thermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 53,300 USD
Supply Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 140,200 USD
Sustainability Specialist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 139,100 USD
System Development Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 105,800 USD
Tanker Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 35,500 USD
Utility Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 48,600 USD
Wind Energy Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 119,700 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 80,200 USD
Austin 100,200 USD
Baltimore 87,500 USD
Boston 85,800 USD
Bristol 69,200 USD
Chicago 107,300 USD
Cincinnati 73,700 USD
Cleveland 78,500 USD
Dallas 93,100 USD
Denver 92,300 USD
Detroit 86,600 USD
Honolulu 70,700 USD
Houston 95,400 USD
Indianapolis 95,100 USD
Iowa City 68,400 USD
Jacksonville 90,900 USD
Kansas City 86,100 USD
Kent 71,200 USD
Las Vegas 83,800 USD
Long Beach 84,600 USD
Los Angeles 99,900 USD
Memphis 89,200 USD
Miami 84,600 USD
Minneapolis 75,400 USD
New Orleans 79,800 USD
New York 97,300 USD
Oakland 78,100 USD
Oklahoma City 91,000 USD
Orlando 73,500 USD
Philadelphia 100,700 USD
Phoenix 99,700 USD
Sacramento 80,800 USD
San Antonio 99,700 USD
San Diego 100,900 USD
San Francisco 98,800 USD
San Jose 94,900 USD
Seattle 90,300 USD
Tampa 73,800 USD
Vancouver 71,200 USD
Washington D.C. 91,900 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 89,900 USD
Alaska 73,300 USD
Arizona 93,600 USD
Arkansas 81,900 USD
California 100,700 USD
Colorado 89,300 USD
Connecticut 83,700 USD
Delaware 80,000 USD
District of Columbia 74,200 USD
Florida 99,700 USD
Georgia 93,600 USD
Hawaii 76,900 USD
Idaho 81,400 USD
Illinois 92,500 USD
Indiana 94,900 USD
Iowa 83,000 USD
Kansas 90,600 USD
Kentucky 86,100 USD
Louisiana 83,800 USD
Maine 83,300 USD
Maryland 90,000 USD
Massachusetts 95,100 USD
Michigan 95,300 USD
Minnesota 87,300 USD
Mississippi 87,300 USD
Missouri 88,400 USD
Montana 81,700 USD
Nebraska 80,500 USD
Nevada 80,700 USD
New Hampshire 79,600 USD
New Jersey 91,900 USD
New Mexico 86,800 USD
New York 97,200 USD
North Carolina 88,300 USD
North Dakota 78,500 USD
Ohio 92,100 USD
Oklahoma 90,600 USD
Oregon 84,800 USD
Pennsylvania 99,700 USD
Rhode Island 77,000 USD
South Carolina 83,700 USD
South Dakota 80,800 USD
Tennessee 89,200 USD
Texas 103,600 USD
Utah 82,200 USD
Vermont 71,900 USD
Virginia 96,000 USD
Washington 88,500 USD
West Virginia 85,400 USD
Wisconsin 89,900 USD
Wyoming 72,400 USD

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