For engineering and design firms under 200 people
Engineering salary survey and engineering compensation survey prices, ACEC, Zweig, ASCE and Mercer compared
An engineering salary survey costs $239 to $1,500 from an ACEC state chapter, $995 a region from Zweig Group, $469 from ASCE for members, and $3,450 to $10,350 for Mercer's engineering module. The real choice is the peer group. ACEC and Zweig compare you with other engineering firms. Mercer compares you with every employer that hires engineers, and for electrical engineers that gap is 12 percent.
Posting a project engineer, an EIT or a CAD drafter this month? Price the role on the right and get a band and a range you can paste into the job ad.
- P25
- $0
- P50 ยท Median
- $0
- P75
- $0
Suggested posted range
Built from public U.S. BLS OES wage data (May 2025 release), adjusted for market, seniority and company stage by the multipliers published in our methodology.
Get bands for your whole team
Get started
Engineering firms against every other employer, May 2025 federal medians.
- Electrical engineers at engineering firms vs all industries
- −12.3%
- Architectural and civil drafters at engineering firms vs all industries
- +8.9%
- Civil engineers at engineering firms vs all industries
- −0.2%
Which engineering compensation survey a firm under 200 people should buy
Start with your ACEC state chapter survey and submit your own data, because participation makes it free or cuts the price by more than half. Add Zweig Group if you need a regional cut by firm size or architecture roles. Buy Mercer only for the roles you lose to utilities, manufacturers and tech companies, which in practice means electrical, controls and software engineers.
Engineering is unusual among industries because most of its surveys are run by the firms themselves, through ACEC chapters, and sold at association prices. A 60-person civil firm in Portland can get a three-state report on 9,202 employees for nothing more than an afternoon of payroll exports. The same firm buying Mercer's engineering module as a non-participant would pay $10,350.
The cheap survey is not a compromise. It answers a narrower question: what do other consulting engineering firms pay? For civil, structural, geotechnical and environmental engineers, that is the right question, because those people move between firms like yours. For an electrical engineer who could take a job at the local utility tomorrow, it is the wrong peer group, and the federal numbers in section 04 show exactly how wrong.
Which peer group for which role
- Civil, structural, geotechnical
- Other engineering firms
- Environmental engineers, scientists
- Other engineering firms
- Electrical, controls, software
- All employers
- Surveyors, technicians, drafters
- Your state and metro
- Principals and owners
- Firms your revenue size
Engineering salary survey prices from lowest to highest
Each bar is the price a firm pays for one copy, quoted from the publisher's own store or the chapter page that sells the report, checked September 2026. Where one survey has several tiers, the darker segment is what you pay if you submit your own data and the full bar is the non-participant price.
ACEC Alaska, Oregon, Washington
$0 participating member, $400 member, $1,000 participating non-member, $1,500 non-member
ACEC Colorado (2026 report)
$239 participating member, $559 member, $949 non-member
ACEC Louisiana
Free to participants, $399 member, $699 non-member
ACEC California (2025, with raw data)
$700 listed, member pricing shown after sign-in
ASCE Salary Report bundle
$469 member, $769 non-member, one year of the calculator and search tool
Zweig Group 2026 Salary Report of AEC Firms
$995 one region, $3,499 all three regions, 50 percent off for survey participants
Mercer MBD Engineering and Design
$3,450 participant, $10,350 non-participant, three users
| Survey | Peer group | Coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACEC Alaska, Oregon and Washington Salary and Benefits Survey | Consulting engineering and land surveying firms in three states | 2025 edition: 121 firms, 9,202 employees. 25th, median, 75th and average for engineers, scientists and planners (ASCE grades 1 to 8), surveyors, technicians, admin, management, marketing and IT. Small, medium and large firm cuts. Out mid-October | Pacific Northwest and Alaska firms |
| ACEC Colorado Salary, Benefits and Business Practices Report | Colorado consulting engineering firms | Collected by an outside firm, with an Excel file of salaries and bonuses you can load into your own sheet. Free highlights PDF | Colorado firms, especially those also posting ranges under the Colorado law |
| ACEC Louisiana Salary Survey | Louisiana firms only | Salaries and benefits for engineering and associated positions, compiled by an independent consultant. Report in the fall | Louisiana firms |
| ACEC California Salary Survey | California member firms | 2025 survey sold with raw data at $700, member pricing after sign-in | California firms |
| Zweig Group Salary Report of AEC Firms | Architecture, engineering, planning and environmental firms nationwide | The 2025 edition drew 29,000 records from 321 firms. Base, bonus and bonus percent by title, five technical levels, cut by firm size and state or region. 2026 edition $995 a region, $3,499 all regions | A national or regional cut, and architecture roles |
| ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report | Individual ASCE members, not employers | Salary calculator with 12 criteria, searchable survey data and the full report. 2025 average base reported at $148,000 | A second opinion on civil engineers by license and experience |
| Mercer Benchmark Database, Engineering and Design module | 2,632 employers across industries | 1,145 positions, base pay plus short and long term incentives, regional and national cuts, delivered online with three users | Roles you lose to utilities, manufacturers and tech companies |
| Federal wage survey (BLS OEWS) | All employers, with an engineering services cut (NAICS 541330) | May 2025 medians and percentiles by occupation, base wages only, no bonus | A free, defensible anchor for any role, section 04 below |
| WageList | Federal data adjusted for your market tier | A band and a postable range for engineers, technicians and drafters, any month, $99 a month or $588 a year | Pricing roles between annual survey cycles |
ACEC salary survey prices by chapter, and why participating pays
People search for "the ACEC salary survey" as if there were one. There is not. ACEC's national office points members to Zweig Group's reports at a discount, and each state chapter runs or commissions its own survey. That is good news for a small firm, because a state survey compares you with the firms your engineers actually leave for. It also means the price and the rules depend on where you are.
Alaska, Oregon, Washington
$0 to $1,500
Free to participating members, $400 to other members, $1,000 to participating non-members, $1,500 otherwise. Participating saves a non-member $500 and a member the full $400.
Colorado
$239 to $949
$239 for a participating member, $559 for other members, $949 for non-members. The Excel file of salaries and bonuses comes with it, which saves retyping.
Louisiana
$0 to $699
Free to anyone who completes the survey. $399 for members and $699 for non-members who do not. Louisiana firms only, which is the point.
California
$700
The 2025 survey with raw data lists at $700, with member pricing shown once you sign in to the chapter store.
The cost of participating is the time it takes to match your people to the survey's job ladder and export their pay. Most chapter surveys use the ASCE grade descriptions 1 through 8 for engineers, so if your firm already levels engineers that way it is a short job. If it does not, the leveling work is worth doing anyway, because a salary band only makes sense against a defined level. Our job leveling framework guide shows how to set one up.
One caution on small cells. The Alaska, Oregon and Washington report suppresses any figure based on fewer than three employees or fewer than two firms. A Grade 7 structural engineer in Anchorage may simply not appear. That is where a national source fills the gap: Zweig's regional cut, or the federal median for the occupation adjusted to your metro, which is what the builder at the top of this page does.
Engineering firm pay vs all employers, May 2025
The federal wage survey publishes a separate cut for engineering services firms, NAICS 541330. Put it next to the all-industry figure and you can see which roles your firm competes for inside the industry and which it competes for against everybody. That is the whole case for, or against, a cross-industry survey.
| Role | Engineering services firms | All industries | Engineering firms vs all |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical engineers | $105,780 | $120,630 | -12.3% |
| Civil engineering technicians | $63,340 | $64,950 | -2.5% |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $169,610 | $171,270 | -1.0% |
| Mechanical engineers | $103,670 | $104,110 | -0.4% |
| Civil engineers | $100,620 | $100,840 | -0.2% |
| Environmental engineers | $109,040 | $107,110 | +1.8% |
| Surveyors | $77,300 | $75,440 | +2.5% |
| Architectural and civil drafters | $72,010 | $66,150 | +8.9% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates for NAICS 541330 (engineering services) and for all industries. Median annual wage, base pay only.
Electrical engineers, a cross-industry market
An engineering firm's median electrical engineer earns $14,850 less than the all-industry median. A firm that benchmarks only against other engineering firms will look fairly paid and still lose people to the utility. This is the role where Mercer's cross-industry module earns its price.
Civil and mechanical, an industry market
Within half a percent of the all-industry median. Engineering services firms employ 192,850 civil engineers, so the market for them is largely made by firms like yours. The ACEC chapter survey is the right peer group.
Drafters, where firms pay more
Engineering firms pay drafters $72,010, 8.9 percent above the all-industry $66,150. A drafter coming from a manufacturer or a builder will expect less than you are likely to offer, which is room to hire well without overpaying.
Salary bands for engineering firm roles, 25th to 75th percentile
These are May 2025 federal percentiles at engineering services firms, national, with the hourly equivalent at 2,080 hours. The blue block is the middle half of the market. The gold line is the median.
Architectural and engineering managers
$137,030 to $211,120, median $169,610 ($65.88 to $101.50 an hour). Spread 54 percent.
Electrical engineers
$82,840 to $145,460, median $105,780 ($39.83 to $69.93 an hour). Spread 76 percent.
Environmental engineers
$84,810 to $138,430, median $109,040 ($40.77 to $66.55 an hour). Spread 63 percent.
Mechanical engineers
$82,460 to $132,870, median $103,670 ($39.64 to $63.88 an hour). Spread 61 percent.
Civil engineers
$79,680 to $130,050, median $100,620 ($38.31 to $62.52 an hour). Spread 63 percent.
Surveyors
$61,260 to $99,120, median $77,300 ($29.45 to $47.65 an hour). Spread 62 percent.
Architectural and civil drafters
$56,880 to $83,520, median $72,010 ($27.35 to $40.15 an hour). Spread 47 percent.
Civil engineering technicians
$49,460 to $80,400, median $63,340 ($23.78 to $38.65 an hour). Spread 63 percent.
The spreads tell you where a single survey figure is least useful. Electrical engineers run 76 percent from the 25th to the 75th percentile, because the title covers a new graduate doing lighting layouts and a senior protection engineer. A band for that role has to be built by level, not taken from one market number. Turning percentiles into grades is covered in salary bands, and the structure around them in salary structure.
ASCE says $148,000 and the federal median says $100,620, which one to use
Both figures are real. They measure different people. ASCE's 2025 report puts the average base salary of responding civil engineers at $148,000. The federal median for civil engineers at engineering firms is $100,620. A candidate who has read the first number will quote it in the offer conversation, so it helps to know why they differ.
ASCE surveys its own members, who choose to respond. Members skew toward licensed engineers with long careers, and an average is pulled up by the highest earners. The federal survey asks employers about every civil engineer on payroll, including the EIT hired last June, and reports the middle person.
ASCE Salary Report
$148,000
Average base. Individual members who chose to answer. Civil only. Best used for a specific license and experience profile.
Federal wage survey
$100,620
Median base at engineering services firms. Employer reported, every level. Best used as the market midpoint.
The practical answer: anchor the band on the employer-reported number and use ASCE's calculator to check where a specific PE with 15 years of experience should sit inside it. The BLS salary data page explains what the federal figure includes and leaves out, and is Glassdoor salary data accurate covers the same self-selection problem in crowd-sourced numbers.
Which engineering salary survey fits which firm
Civil and site firm, 15 to 60 people
Your ACEC chapter survey, submitted. That covers engineers, surveyors and technicians against local firms for $0 to $400. Federal data plus your metro for everything else.
Multi-office firm, 60 to 200
Chapter surveys in your main states, plus Zweig's regional report at $995, or $497.50 after the participant discount, for offices outside chapter coverage.
MEP, power or controls firm
Your chapter survey for the rest of the staff, and Mercer's Engineering and Design module at $3,450 if you participate, for the electrical engineers you keep losing to utilities.
Architecture and engineering
Zweig covers architecture, engineering, planning and environmental roles in one report. Chapter surveys usually do not cover architects.
Every one of these arrives once a year. Your hiring happens every month, and in a pay transparency state every posting needs a range the day it goes live. WageList covers that gap: pick the role and the metro and get a band and a postable range in under a minute, all year, for less than a non-member chapter report.
Engineering job postings, pay ranges and exempt status
State salary range laws cover engineering firms like any other employer. Once you meet the headcount threshold in Colorado, Washington, New York, California, Illinois or the other pay transparency states, a posting for a project engineer needs a good faith salary range, and a posting for a survey technician needs an hourly one. Our pay transparency law guide covers each state, and salary ranges in job postings shows the wording that holds up.
Licensed engineers usually qualify for the learned professional exemption. Drafters, CAD technicians, survey crew members and inspectors often do not, even on a salary, because the duties test turns on advanced knowledge in a field of science acquired through a prolonged course of study, not on job title. Check the exempt vs non-exempt rules and the current exempt salary threshold before you salary a technician.
Engineering salary survey questions firms ask
How much does an engineering salary survey cost?
Most engineering salary surveys cost $239 to $3,500. ACEC chapter reports run $239 to $1,500 depending on membership and participation, and are free to participating members in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana. Zweig Group sells its 2026 AEC salary report at $995 a region or $3,499 for all regions. Mercer's cross-industry engineering module costs $3,450 or $10,350.
How much does the ACEC salary survey cost?
ACEC has no single national survey. Each state chapter runs its own. ACEC Colorado charges $239 to participating members, $559 to other members and $949 to non-members. ACEC Alaska, Oregon and Washington charge $0, $400, $1,000 and $1,500 across the same tiers. ACEC Louisiana charges $399 and $699 and gives the report free to participants.
What is the best salary survey for engineering firms?
For a consulting engineering firm under 200 people, your ACEC chapter survey is the best value because it compares you with firms in your state, and participating usually makes it free or nearly free. Add Zweig Group for a national or regional cut by firm size. Add Mercer only if you compete with utilities, manufacturers or tech companies for electrical and software engineers.
How much does the Zweig Group salary survey cost?
On Zweig Group's store, the 2026 Salary Report of AEC Firms costs $995 for one region (Northeast and South Atlantic, Central, or Mountain and Pacific) and $3,499 for all regions. The Compensation Data Platform alone is $1,595. Firms that take the salary survey get 50 percent off any Zweig publication.
How much do civil engineers make at engineering firms?
The May 2025 federal median for civil engineers at engineering services firms is $100,620, with the middle half between $79,680 and $130,050. That is almost identical to the $100,840 median across all industries. ASCE's member survey reports a higher average base of $148,000 because its respondents skew toward licensed, senior engineers.
Do engineering firms pay less than other employers?
For most roles, no. Engineering services firms pay civil and mechanical engineers within half a percent of the all-industry median. Electrical engineers are the exception: the engineering services median is $105,780, 12.3 percent below the $120,630 all-industry figure, because utilities, chip makers and aerospace pay more. Drafters run 8.9 percent above.
Is the ASCE salary survey worth buying for an employer?
It is useful as a second opinion on civil engineers, especially by license and years of experience. The full bundle costs $469 for members and $769 for non-members. It is a survey of individual ASCE members, not of employers, so it describes the people who answered rather than what firms pay, and it covers civil engineers only.
Do engineering firms have to post salary ranges?
Yes, in pay transparency states once you pass the headcount threshold. Colorado, Washington, New York, California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Jersey and others require a good faith pay range in the job posting. Engineering has no exemption, so every posted engineer, technician and drafter role needs a range you can defend.
Post the project engineer role with a range you can defend
Pick the role and the market, get a band and a range you can paste into the posting. Plans from $99 a month, no sales call.
Other sector salary surveys and pricing guides
-
Construction salary survey
PAS, AGC and Pearl Meyer prices, with pay by contractor type.
-
Mercer Benchmark Database pricing
Every MBD module price, participant and non-participant.
-
Salary survey providers
The general-market publishers and what each one charges.
-
Manufacturing salary survey
Plant surveys compared, with federal pay for 19 floor roles.