Labor Benchmarks
Cost Estimator Mean and Median Wage Gap in May 2025
A BLS-based analysis of why national mean and median cost estimator wages answer different planning questions.
By HireConstructionEstimator Editorial Team | Published August 19, 2026
5 primary + 14 reader context sources | Verified August 19, 2026
Cost Estimator Mean and Median Wage Gap in May 2025
Key stats
The May 2025 mean was $41.06 per hour, $3.20 above the $37.86 median.
Contents
Key takeaways
- The hourly mean was about 8.5 percent above the median when the median is the base.
- The mean annual wage was $85,390; annualizing the hourly median at 2,080 hours gives about $78,749.
- Neither measure includes payroll burden, benefits, overtime, software, supervision, or markup.
Calculate the gap
Subtracting the $37.86 median from the $41.06 mean gives $3.20. Dividing by the median produces about 8.5 percent.
The mean responds to every wage value, while the median marks the midpoint. The gap does not reveal one worker’s pay or the full distribution.
Keep annual and hourly conventions visible
BLS reported an $85,390 annual mean. Multiplying the hourly median by 2,080 gives about $78,749, an editorial conversion rather than a separately published annual median in this table.
State whether a model uses hourly pay, annual pay, productive hours, or paid hours. Silent conversion can obscure the intended benchmark.
Do not turn wages into billable rates
Employee pay excludes payroll taxes, benefits, leave, equipment, software, management, facilities, and other overhead.
Document every layer separately. Public wages can challenge compensation assumptions but cannot replace a governed rate build-up.
Key data table
Use this table as a review aid. The headline statistic is sourced directly; the interpretation rows explain how to apply it without treating a market benchmark as a project quote.
| Data point | What it says | Estimator control |
|---|---|---|
| Primary statistic | The May 2025 mean was $41.06 per hour, $3.20 above the $37.86 median. | Source 1. Validate the project basis. |
| Interpretation 1 | The hourly mean was about 8.5 percent above the median when the median is the base. | Source 1. Validate the project basis. |
| Interpretation 2 | The mean annual wage was $85,390; annualizing the hourly median at 2,080 hours gives about $78,749. | Source 1. Validate the project basis. |
What the data can and cannot do
Public labor, spending, productivity, and price series provide a common baseline. They can reveal direction, scale, and unusual movement. They cannot identify the exact labor crew, subcontractor coverage, waste factor, access constraint, or escalation risk on a specific project.
A responsible estimate keeps the public benchmark separate from local bid history. Record the source date, geography, units, seasonal treatment, and any conversion before using the number in an estimate review.
How estimators should use it
- Label mean and median consistently so they are not treated as interchangeable.
- Build a cost rate from local compensation and explicit burdens; use national measures only as a reasonableness check.
Add a source note beside every adjusted rate. If the benchmark and recent quotes disagree, do not average them automatically. Investigate geography, scope, timing, units, and market segment first.
Data sources and methodology
The primary statistic is transcribed from the source identified in the source notes below. The additional links are a consistent reader reference set for broader labor, construction volume, productivity, and regional context. They do not support or alter the headline figure and are not presented as article-specific evidence.
- OEWS estimates describe wage and salary workers and exclude self-employed workers. The cost estimator occupation spans construction, manufacturing, and services.
- Survey estimates are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. Rounded values support only the displayed precision.
- Employment projections and OEWS estimates have different reference periods. Ratios joining them are editorial planning calculations, not BLS forecast rates.
Conservative convention: retain the published unit and date, avoid false precision, and treat national or sector data as a planning signal until local project evidence confirms it.
Frequently asked questions
Can this statistic set a project unit rate?
No. It can challenge or frame an assumption, but a project rate still needs current scope, geography, crew, productivity, supplier, and subcontractor evidence.
How often should the source be checked?
Check the primary release before a major estimate update and record the release or access date in the estimate notes.
Why are reader context sources included?
They give readers a consistent path to broader official construction and labor series. They are not evidence for the headline statistic and do not replace or alter its primary source.
Conclusion
The May 2025 mean was $41.06 per hour, $3.20 above the $37.86 median. Use the figure as a documented benchmark, preserve the source date and units, and require project-specific evidence before changing a bid assumption. Review our construction estimating process for the control sequence. If you need production capacity around that review process, see our construction estimator VA service.