Overall

• Cost estimators in the heating and air conditioning industry made an average of $31.40 per hour as of May 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Those who worked full-time, 40-hour work weeks, received an average of $65,300 per year. The lowest-paid 10 percent of all air conditioning project estimators earned $17.85 per hour and $37,130 per year, or less. For the highest-paid 10 percent, wages were $46.73 per hour and $97,200 per year, or more.
  
  

Comparison to General Wages

• Project cost estimators across all industries earned an average of $29.84 per hour and $62,060 per year as of May 2010, explains the BLS. At that rate, project estimators in the heating and air conditioning industry made five percent more than the national average. In the building equipment contracting sector of the economy, of which air conditioning and heating is a subset, cost estimators received an average of $31.23 per hour and $64,970 per year. Air conditioning project estimators earned just $330 more than the sector-wide average annually.
  
  

Comparison to Other Industries

• One of the highest paid fields for cost estimators was oil and gas extraction, where workers determine how much expense would be involved with drilling in a new area. Estimators in this industry made an average of $95,970 per year, approximately 47 percent above the mean rate of pay for air conditioning cost estimators, as of May 2010, according to the BLS. Air conditioning project estimators made just $450 less per year than the average of $64,850 earned by those working in electrical contracting, another major industry in the building equipment contracting sector of the economy.
  
  

Comparison to Other Jobs

• Project cost estimators were the third-highest paid workers in business and financial occupations in the heating and air conditioning industry. Estimators made 11 percent less than the average of $73,430 earned by management analysts, the highest-paid business and financial occupation in air conditioning. Wages for air conditioning project estimators were 6 percent below those for accountants, who earned $69,300 per year in the air conditioning industry. The lowest-paid of the business and financial occupations in the air conditioning industry were buyers. These workers made an average of $43,170 per year, approximately 38 percent less than estimators.