Cost engineer refers to a professional who has passed the national unified examination for the qualification of cost engineer or mutual recognition of qualification, obtained the qualification of People's Republic of China (PRC) cost engineer, registered in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Registered Cost Engineer, obtained the registered practice certificate and practice seal of People's Republic of China (PRC) cost engineer, and engaged in engineering cost activities.

1996 according to the notice of the Ministry of personnel and the Ministry of construction on printing and distributing the interim provisions on the qualification system of cost engineers (No.77 [1996]), the state began to implement the qualification system of cost engineers. 1998 1, the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Construction issued the Notice of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Construction on Relevant Issues Concerning the Implementation of the Qualification Examination for Cost Engineers (No.Zi Zi Fa [1998]8), and the qualification examination for cost engineers was first implemented in China that year. The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Construction are jointly responsible for the examination. The personnel department is responsible for examining and approving the examination syllabus, examination subjects and examination questions, and organizing or authorizing the implementation of various examinations. In conjunction with the Ministry of Construction, supervise, inspect, guide and determine the examination standards. The daily work is undertaken by the Standard and Quota Department of the Ministry of Construction, and the specific examination work is entrusted to the Personnel Testing Center of the Ministry of Personnel to organize and implement.