Consulting Engineering Salaries - 2004

The composite highest-income practitioner in thisnorth central states falling in the middle. As to
field (salary plus cash bonus and/or cash profitmetropolitan areas alone, the highest median
sharing) is the President "A" (defined as a chiefannual incomes are found in: San Diego; Inland
executive officer who is the owner of, a fullEmpire (CA); Los Angeles; Oakland/East Bay;
partner in, or a major stockholder in the firm) ofPhiladelphia; and Cherry Hill (NJ). The lowest median
a consulting engineering firm. The firm providesannual incomes are found in Corpus Christi;
services in civil (general, structural, and/or landJacksonville; Anchorage; Orange County (CA);
development), or geotechnical engineering;Atlanta; and Orlando.Type of Service Provided by
receives in excess of $25,000,000 in gross annualEmployerOverall, supervisory/managerial personnel
fees for services rendered; has 500 or moreare paid best in architectural, civil (general), and
employees; and is headquartered in or nearenvironmental engineering firms, and worst in land
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, St. Louis, Oakland/Eastsurveying firms and electrical/electronics
Bay, Milwaukee, Portland (OR), Lincoln (NE),engineering firms. Engineering and scientific jobs
Chicago, Middlesex-Essex Counties (MA), orpay best in electrical and highway/traffic
Sacramento. This individual has a BS in engineeringtransportation engineering firms, and worst in
or higher, and 20 or more years of experience.environmental, surveying, and geotechnical
While the median President "A" has a total annualengineering firms. CADD/designing/drafting jobs
income of $112,000, the highest-income individualspay best in highway/traffic/transportation and civil
reported in this group make over $1,000,000.Far(general and primarily land development)
toward the other end of the income spectrum,engineering firms, and worst in surveying and
Field Technicians have a median income ofenvironmental engineering firms. Laboratory, land
$27,400. Sometimes earning under $18,000, thesurveying, and technician jobs pay best in highway
lowest-paid employees in this group usually aretraffic/transportation and civil (general or primarily
located in or near St. Louis, Corpus Christi,structural) engineering firms, and worst in
Milwaukee, or Richmond/Petersburg (VA), orsurveying and geotechnical engineering
outside metropolitan areas studied in Missouri;firms.Annual FeesOverall, this factor is not a good
work for firms providing services in surveying orindicator of the median total annual cash
general civil or geotechnical engineering; havecompensation received by all types of employees
under three years of experience; and have noin the consulting engineering/land surveying field,
college training.These composites represent theexcept at the highest levels.Number of
briefest possible "boil-down" of the voluminousEmployeesThis factor is also not a good overall
data provided regarding current salaries and cashpredictor of median total annual cash
bonuses and/or profit sharing, and numerouscompensation in the consulting engineering/land
demographic variables provided by 216 consultingsurveying field, again except at the highest
engineering and land surveying firms on more thanlevels.Type of Work PerformedFor supervisory
5,300 employees in 152 benchmark jobs. The endmanagerial personnel, median total annual cash
results of the survey appear in Compensation incompensation is highest in computer science and
Consulting Engineering and Land Surveying Firms,civil engineering (general), and lowest in CADD
10th Edition - 2004, an 888-page, four-volumedesign, land surveying, and electrical/electronics
statistical analysis of compensation in thisengineering. For engineering and scientific jobs, it is
field.Copies of the entire report are available forhighest in aeronautical/aerospace and chemical
$1,200.00 from Abbott, Langer & Associates, Inc.,engineering, and lowest in ecology and land
Dept. ART, 548 First St., Crete, IL 60417surveying. Among CADD/design/drafting
(telephone 708/672-4200; fax 708/672-4674;personnel, designers (excluding CADD) are paid
The volumes may be purchased separatelymost and drafters (excluding CADD) are paid
(Volume 1 - supervisory & managerial jobs andleast. For laboratory, land surveying, and technician
Volume 2 - non-supervisory engineers & scientistsjobs, annual compensation is highest in civil
for $495.00 each; and Volume 3 - CADD/designengineering (primarily land development) and land
draftings jobs and Volume 4 - laboratorysurveying, and lowest in laboratory and earth
surveying/technician jobs for $395.00 each).Itsciences.ExperienceIn most areas surveyed, this is
would be an exercise in futility to attempt morean excellent predictor of median total annual cash
than a superficial overview of the survey resultscompensation: Typically, the more years of
in this summary. However, some overall dataexperience, the higher the
regarding compensation can be presented herein,compensation.EducationThis is a major indicator of
and some comments can be made.Overallmedian total annual cash compensation in all areas
CompensationIn addition to the incomes of thesurveyed. For supervisory/managerial personnel
benchmark jobs already discussed, the medianand those in the engineering/scientific field, a
total cash compensation nationally of some of thedoctorate brought the highest compensation. An
other 150 benchmark jobs included in the surveyadvanced degree resulted in the highest
report is:compensation for both CADD/designing/drafting
Engineering Branch Managers "B" - $105,562and laboratory, land surveying, and technician
Senior Mechanical Engineering Project Managers -jobs.Experience Versus EducationA combination of
$95,500experience and education is a better predictor of
Senior Environmental Engineering Projectcompensation than either area alone. While dealt
Managers - $89,322with in detail in the report, space does not allow
Chief Financial Executives - $89,018an analysis of the data herein.Managerial
Senior Electrical/Electronic Engineers - $77,700Supervisory ResponsibilityMedian total annual cash
Chief Marketing/Sales Executives - $66,200compensation varies greatly according to the level
Senior Scientists - $66,000of supervisory responsibility. Compensation is
Chief Human Resources Executives - $65,780highest for supervisory/managerial personnel who
Project Highway/Traffic/Transportation Engineerssupervise 50 or more professional employees
- $61,168(with little or no responsibility for supervising
Lead Designers - $55,000technicians and/or drafters). For engineering and
Design/Drafting/CADD Managers - $52,000scientific jobs, compensation is lowest with no
Staff Civil Engineers - $48,240consistent supervisory responsibility and highest
Survey Party Chiefs - $40,120when supervising 10 or more professional and
Engineering Technicians - $37,000subprofessional employees. For CADD/designing
Associate Field Technicians (Inspection -drafting jobs, supervising three or four
construction) - $36,360subprofessionals brings the highest compensation,
Junior CADD Operators - $31,840while no consistent supervisory responsibility
Associate Drafters (drafting) - $27,874results in the lowest incomes. For laboratory, land
Laboratory Technicians - $27,190Naturally, thesesurveying, and technician jobs, supervising five to
nation-wide pay rates vary by region, state &nine technicians and/or drafters results in the
metropolitan area, type of services provided andhighest compensation; no consistent supervisory
annual fees received by the firm, size of firm,responsibility results in the lowest pay.Dr. Steven
type of work performed/supervised/managed,Langer is a Licensed Psychologist with 35 years of
level of education, length of experience, andexperience in business, industry, government,
supervisory/managerial responsibility involved - allacademe, and consulting. As a Visiting Professor
demographic variables for which data are providedof Management at Loyola University of Chicago
in the complete report.Geographic AreaTheand Community Professor of Behavioral Sciences
median total annual cash compensation forat Purdue University, he has taught at both the
supervisory/managerial personnel is highest in theundergraduate and graduate levels, teaching such
southern and southwestern states and lowest insubjects as statistics, wage & salary
the midwestern and north central states. Theadministration, human resources management,
Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and northeastern statespersonnel selection, and industrial/organizational
fall in the middle of the range. Regardingpsychology.Dr. Langer is President of Abbott,
metropolitan areas only, the highest median annualLanger & Associates, Inc., consultants in human
incomes are found in: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill;resources management and industrial
Charlotte/Gastonia; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Orlando; andorganizational psychology and publishers in the
Daytona Beach/Melbourne/Titusville. The lowesthuman resources field. He has directed and/or
median annual incomes are found in Eugeneparticipated in a variety of compensation, human
Springfield (OR); Great Falls; Des Moines; Butte;resources administration, psychological, and training
and Pittsburgh.Median total annual cashprojects for numerous business, industrial, and law
compensation for engineering and scientific jobs isfirms, periodicals, governmental jurisdictions and
highest in the Pacific and north central states andhuman relations commissions, professional
lowest in the northeastern and southern states.societies and trade associations, and organizations
The southwestern, Rocky Mountain, andin the not-for-profit sector. He holds the B.A.
midwestern states are in the middle. Regardingdegree in Psychology from California State
metropolitan areas only, the highest median annualUniversity at Sacramento, the Master of
incomes are found in: Houston; Las Vegas; MolinePersonnel Service degree from the University of
Rock Island/Davenport; Denver/Boulder; Chicago;Colorado at Boulder, and the Ph.D. degree in
and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The lowest median annualEducational Psychology from Walden University.He
incomes are found in: Harrisburg/Lancaster/York;is past chairman of the Personnel Research
Glenwood Springs (CO); Albany/SchenectadyAward Committee of the Society for Human
Troy; Charleston (WV); Rockford (IL); and EauResource Management and recipient of their
Claire (WI).Median total annual cash compensationSenior Professional in Human Resources
for CADD/designing/drafting jobs is highest in thecertificate; member of WorldAtWork (formerly
Pacific and midwestern states. The southwesternthe American Compensation Association); past
and southern states are lowest, with the Rockymember of the Board of Directors of the Chicago
Mountain, north central, and northeastern statesCompensation Association; past president of the
falling in the middle. Treating metropolitan areasPueblo Personnel Association; past chairman of the
alone, the highest median annual incomes areSection of Industrial Psychologists of the Illinois
found in: Oakland/East Bay; Detroit; Davenport;Psychological Association; and past president of
Champaign/Urbana; and Seattle/Everett. Thethe Chicago Psychological Association.Dr. Langer
lowest median annual incomes are found in:has conducted or directed studies in and/or
Harrisburg/Lancaster/York; Raleigh/Durhamserved as an expert witness in such areas as
Chapel Hill; Louisville; Kansas City; andemployee recruitment and selection; employee
Austin.Median total annual cash compensation forcompensation, fringe benefits, and working
laboratory, land surveying, and technician jobs isconditions; prevailing rates; loss of and anticipated
highest in the Pacific and Rocky Mountain statesearnings; job discrimination; and employee
and lowest in the southwestern and southernattitudes and morale.
states with the midwestern, northeastern, and