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Project Cost Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

SummitHR

Senior Project Cost Analyst

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90 - $95/hr

Advanced proficiency with program management software including e-Builder, DELTEK, Proliance, and ... for complex cost management, project tracking, and data reporting.Expertise in business ...

AECOM

Cost Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Services include setting up and managing project controls systems (including setup of work ... Experience with cost management on infrastructure (transportation, water, roadways, sports ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... Our core expertise is in Project Controls which includes Scheduling, Cost Controls, Document ...

Linesight

Senior Cost Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$108K - $145K/yr

Oversee project spend by creating valuations and cost reports, and clearly communicate variations to your team * Support nimble project management and clear decisions through excellent cost ...

AECOM

Cost Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Services include setting up and managing project controls systems (including setup of work ... Experience with cost management on infrastructure (transportation, water, roadways, sports ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Estimator

Los Angeles, CA

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... WE ARE HIRING A PROJECT COST ESTIMATOR TO JOIN OUR TEAM. THIS ROLE REQUIRES EXPERIENCE IN THE ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Estimator

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... WE ARE HIRING A PROJECT COST ESTIMATOR TO JOIN OUR TEAM. THIS ROLE REQUIRES EXPERIENCE IN THE ...

AECOM

Cost Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Services include setting up and managing project controls systems (including setup of work ... Experience with cost management on infrastructure (transportation, water, roadways, sports ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Estimator

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... WE ARE HIRING A PROJECT COST ESTIMATOR TO JOIN OUR TEAM. THIS ROLE REQUIRES EXPERIENCE IN THE ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... Our core expertise is in Project Controls which includes Scheduling, Cost Controls, Document ...

PM2CM

Project Cost Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

PM2CM, Inc., (Project Management to Construction Management) is a professional services company ... Our core expertise is in Project Controls which includes Scheduling, Cost Controls, Document ...

Curtin Maritime

Project Cost Analyst

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$90K - $100K/yr

Right now, project cost data lives across multiple systems with inconsistent speed and accuracy -- and Project Managers are stuck chasing it down on top of running their jobs. This role changes that.

OCMI, Inc.

Senior Cost Manager

San Jose, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

We're excited to welcome a Senior Cost Manager to our team in Northern California with experience in HCAI healthcare projects. This is a fantastic remote opportunity where you'll play a key role on ...

OCMI, Inc.

Senior Cost Manager

San Jose, CA · On-site +1

$170K - $200K/yr

We're excited to welcome a Senior Cost Manager to our team in Northern California with experience in HCAI healthcare projects. This is a fantastic remote opportunity where you'll play a key role on ...

Cumming Group

Senior Cost Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

We are one of the fastest-growing project and cost management consultancies in the United States, as reflected in our top 10 rankings in ENR. With over 60 offices globally, an extremely diverse ...

Rider Levett Bucknall

Senior Cost Manager

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$111K - $148K/yr

The Senior Cost Manager should have the ability to identify opportunities within a project that will add value and help successfully accomplish the client's desired project outcome. Truth. Trust.

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsProject Cost JobsProject Cost Manager JobsProject Cost Manager Jobs in California

Project Cost Manager information

See California salary details

$38.5K

$105.6K

$145.1K

How much do project cost manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for project cost manager in California is $105,605.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $90,300.00 and $119,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a project cost manager do?

A Project Cost Manager is responsible for overseeing and controlling the budget and costs associated with a construction or development project. Their main duties include estimating project costs, preparing budgets, monitoring expenses, and ensuring that the project remains within financial constraints. They work closely with project managers, engineers, and contractors to analyze costs, identify potential savings, and report on financial progress. By managing resources efficiently, they help prevent cost overruns and contribute to the overall success of the project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a project cost manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Project Cost Manager, you need strong analytical skills, a background in finance or quantity surveying, and typically a relevant degree or professional certification such as RICS or AACE. Familiarity with cost estimating software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and project management tools like MS Project or Primavera is common. Excellent communication, negotiation, and attention to detail help build trust and ensure accurate reporting. These skills are crucial to control budgets, minimize financial risks, and deliver projects on time and within scope.

What are some common challenges faced by project cost managers when working on large-scale construction projects?

Project Cost Managers often encounter challenges such as managing budget overruns due to unexpected site conditions, fluctuating material costs, and changes in project scope. Coordinating with multiple stakeholders—like architects, engineers, and contractors—requires strong communication and negotiation skills to ensure costs remain within agreed limits. Maintaining up-to-date cost forecasts and reporting can be demanding, especially when timelines are tight and project details evolve rapidly. Successfully navigating these challenges is key to ensuring a project's financial health and client satisfaction.

What cities in California are hiring for Project Cost Manager jobs?

Cities in California with the most Project Cost Manager job openings:

Project Cost Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Project Cost Manager job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 81% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,605 per year, or $50.8 per hour.

Project Cost Analyst

Curtin Maritime, Corp

Long Beach, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago

Job description

For 25 years, Curtin Maritime has been an industry leader in quality maritime solutions. We're a dynamic Marine Construction and Marine Transportation company experiencing rapid growth, giving our team the chance to work on unique projects in some of the most amazing places on earth. Efficiency, Innovation, and Integrity aren't just words on a wall here - they're how we run our fleet and our projects.


The Opportunity

Curtin Maritime is looking for a Cost Analyst to own day-to-day cost tracking and reporting for our dredging projects. Right now, project cost data lives across multiple systems with inconsistent speed and accuracy - and Project Managers are stuck chasing it down on top of running their jobs. This role changes that. You'll bring that data together, make it accurate and fast, and hand leadership clean, decision-ready numbers - building the reporting infrastructure that doesn't fully exist yet. It's a chance to build something real, not just maintain a spreadsheet.


What You'll Own

  • Aggregate and validate project costs daily across labor, charters, rentals, lodging, travel, consumables, services, stores, and fuel.
  • Confirm dredges and projects are coding activity to the correct cost code so spend lands where it belongs.
  • Produce a recurring cost package per project comparing actuals to budget - flagging variances before they compound, not after.
  • Build and maintain the weekly rollup that ties site-level spend back to the project budget and reconciles cleanly with monthly FP&A actuals.
  • Track bid-to-actuals on rentals and charters; monitor commitments against budget in real time.
  • Review and approve (or route) expenses, credit card spend, and POs against project budgets.
  • Partner with Payroll on weekly labor audits, flagging discrepancies between budgeted and actual hours.


What You'll Build

You'll design a fast, repeatable way to pull cost data out of our existing platforms - including Procurify, Power BI, Dayforce, Egencia, and our production reporting tools - so recurring reporting is automated rather than manually rebuilt every cycle. You'll partner with IT to close the gaps where systems don't yet talk to each other, and document the process so it's consistent across projects and survives staff turnover.


Cross-Functional Impact

  • Become the go-to person Project Managers, Site Admins, and the Travel Manager route weekly cost inputs through.
  • Surface cost trends and risk areas to FP&A and Dredge Operations leadership proactively.
  • Support multiple concurrent dredge projects, scaling your coverage to project size and complexity.


What You Bring

  • 3+ years in cost analysis, project controls, FP&A, or similar - marine/dredging, construction, or heavy-asset industry experience strongly preferred.
  • Strong Excel skills, plus hands-on experience with Power BI or a comparable BI/reporting tool.
  • Comfort pulling and reconciling data from multiple, non-integrated systems into one clean, consistent report.
  • A detail-oriented mindset with real follow-through on variances - you're not satisfied with "close enough."
  • Ability to work directly with field and site staff without disrupting their day-to-day operations.
  • Experience with procurement/expense platforms (e.g., Procurify) and payroll/labor systems is a plus.


Curtin Maritime is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

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