SalaryExplorer

SOC 13-1051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Cost Estimators — Morgantown

Morgantown, WV · 6 metro areas compared

$76,690 /year
$36.87per hour
−2.6%vs US median

At $76,690, median pay for Cost Estimators in Morgantown, WV tracks the national median of $78,740 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $78,74010TH$46,890MEDIAN$76,69075TH$90,69090TH$117,510

How pay has moved

$80,965$55,3152019202020212022202320242025$76,690
$62,640 in 2019 to $76,690 in 2025, +22.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-4.2%
Openings per year
16,900
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Morgantown, WV.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $76,690, median pay for Cost Estimators in Morgantown, WV tracks the national median of $78,740 closely. Pay ranges from under $46,890 at the tenth percentile to more than $117,510 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $54,620 to $90,690.

Within the state, Charleston records the highest median at $79,300. Of the 244 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 54th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Morgantown, WV · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$46,890−40.4%
25th$54,620−30.6%
Median (50th)$76,690−2.6%
75th$90,690+15.2%
90th$117,510+49.2%
Mean$75,920−3.6%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in West Virginia

Median annual wage for Cost Estimators, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Charleston$79,300110
2Huntington$75,350170
3Parkersburg$74,99030
4Weirton$71,64040
5Wheeling$64,24090
6Beckley$53,47040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Morgantown run 6.7% below the national average, so the median of $76,690 goes as far as $82,197 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.4% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$76,690as reported by BLS

Local price level

93.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$82,197US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $76,690 a year, 2.6% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $46,890 to $117,510 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Charleston, at $79,300.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Cost Estimators in Morgantown, WV?

The median annual wage is $76,690, or $36.87 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $78,740, so pay in Morgantown, WV is 2.6% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Morgantown, WV earns more than $117,510 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $46,890 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Charleston, at $79,300 per year.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Cost Estimators Salary in Morgantown, WV (2025): $76,690 Median | Salary Explorer