Estimator Salary in Virginia

$39/hr

Virginia estimator wages provide a starting point for discussing takeoff duties, bid ownership and construction experience with employers.

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What Estimators Earn in Virginia

Virginia cost estimators earn $23.95–$62.18/hr across industries, with annual employee wages spanning $49,820–$129,330 a year. Construction estimating sits within this broader occupation. The figures exclude premium pay and benefits. Match an offer to the quantities, trade packages and bid decisions you will own, then discuss expected hours and review support with the employer. Include responsibility for site surveys, supplier follow-up and late drawing changes in that conversation about compensation.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$23.95–$30.10/hr
▲ 6.02% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$30.10–$48.47/hr
▲ 6.02% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$48.47–$62.18/hr
▲ 6.02% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Estimator
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$39.29
+ PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)$8.62
+ PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)$1.38
+ AACE Certified Estimating Professional (CEP)$0.30
Effective hourly$49.58
Straight · 40 hrs$1,983
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$595
Weekly gross$2,578
Annualised · 50 weeks
$128,921
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These construction sectors give Virginia applicants national pay context for different estimating workloads and responsibilities. Discuss package responsibility and bid review when comparing employers.

01 / 03$48.99/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Road estimates combine earthwork, pavement and bridge quantities. Ask Virginia employers who prices traffic staging, haul distances and changing construction sequences. Discuss how those assumptions reach the final estimate and review meeting.

+ Civil specialization
+ Measurable quantities
– Staging complexity
– Quantity revisions
02 / 03$46.53/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building bids require coordinated subcontractor scopes. Discuss how the Virginia contractor divides takeoff, quote comparison and final scope review responsibilities. Ask how unresolved quote exclusions are recorded for the bid reviewer.

+ Broad packages
+ Team review
– Scope gaps
– Deadline pressure
03 / 03$41.21/hr

Building Equipment Contractors

Mechanical and electrical packages involve equipment selections and installation allowances. Ask local firms how estimators reconcile supplier exclusions with drawings and specifications. Discuss who updates allowances when equipment choices alter the installation scope.

+ Technical depth
+ Trade focus
– Design changes
– Supplier exclusions

Which states pay estimators the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01California$41.09/hr
  2. 02Virginiathis page$38.72/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)+$8.62$17,930$6752 weeks
PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)+$1.38$2,870$3006 weeks
ASPE Certified Professional Estimator (CPE)+$0.72$1,498$79028 weeks
AACE Certified Estimating Professional (CEP)+$0.30$624$69058 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $38.72/hr.

40 hr week
$1,549
No OT
50 hr week
$2,130
+$29,040/yr
60 hr week
$2,710
+$58,080/yr
70 hr week
$3,291
+$87,120/yr

Questions workers ask

Can I earn freelance estimating fees without a DPOR license?▾
Yes, if you only prepare estimates and do not bid or contract for the construction work yourself. Virginia Code § 54.1-1100 treats offering to perform construction for a price as contracting, which needs a DPOR license above $1,000.
Does a salary remove overtime rights during bid weeks?▾
No. Overtime exemption turns on actual duties and applicable pay tests, not salary alone. Virginia applies federal overtime provisions, and DOLI enforces them for covered nonexempt employees after 40 weekly hours. Record required evening revisions and remote bid work.
Should public works craft rates determine my salary?▾
No. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry sets prevailing wage rates by craft and classification for covered public works, and those rates belong in the project's labor estimate. Discuss your estimating scope, expected hours and benefits alongside the Virginia employee range of $23.95–$62.18/hr.

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Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Cost Estimators, SOC 13-1051; construction estimating is a subset of this cross-industry occupation, and wages exclude premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 29, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.