How to become an Estimator
Also called: Costing Officer
Calculates and investigates the cost of wages, materials, overheads and other operating expenses.
Main tasks
- Calculates, analyses and investigates the costs of proposed expenditure, wages and standard costs
- Prepares records of standard costs and values for items such as raw materials and packaging supplies
- Prepares quotes and contracts on jobs, materials and services
- Records cost variations and contract price movements
Ways in
- TAFE and VET: Certificate IV in Building Project Support (CPC40320)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $74,984 a year
- About 138,700 people work in this job group now, and about 146,900 are projected by 2035. (+5.9%)
- Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an Estimator?
Ways in include: Certificate IV in Building Project Support.
How much does an Estimator earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $74,984 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is an Estimator a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 138,700 to about 146,900 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become an Estimator?
Not always. 32% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate IV in Building Project Support.
Will AI change the work of an Estimator?
Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04