PSMJ Releases 2018 Compensation Benchmark Surveys

The need to attract and retain high performing employees is at an all-time high, yet reliable architecture and engineering industry compensation data is difficult to find.

Consequently, PSMJ Resources, Inc. announces the official release of two important compensation surveys, thus enabling members of the architecture and engineering community access to comprehensive, compelling benchmark data specific to the industry.

PSMJ has launched its 2018 A/E Management Compensation Survey Report, 36th Edition and 2018 A/E Staff Compensation Survey Report, 5th Edition, each of which include the participation of 270 architecture and engineering firms.

“We developed our benchmark surveys in response to the specific needs of A/E industry firms,” says PSMJ’s Senior Principal Dave Burstein, P.E. “Together, these two surveys provide key compensation benchmark data for professional and technical staff,” he says  “This is not simply competitive research but a way to align a firm’s compensation objectives with known, reachable goals.”

Trend information from PSMJ’s 2018 A/E Management Compensation Survey Report, for example, indicates that base salaries for most management positions have increased slightly or held relatively steady this year. With a median increase of 2.4% across all 18 positions, this year’s results seem to be an indication that salaries may be leveling off.  Similarly, total direct compensation for most management positions remained relatively flat. With a median increase of 3.4% across all 18 positions, firms are just
about keeping up with the cost of living.

PSMJ’s 2018 A/E Management Compensation Survey Report reflects the compensation of nearly 7,500 individual design managers. This information was collected in January and February 2018, and reflects the most current salary, bonuses, and total compensation measures for 18 design management titles. The survey provides breakdowns of these compensation measures within important peer groups reflecting different firm sizes, types of service, and types of client.

Meanwhile, PSMJ’s 2018 A/E Staff Compensation Benchmark Survey Report  finds that that the median increase for professional staff positions with less than 10 years of experience was 3.8% across all disciplines — somewhat more than what most firms believed. The largest percentage increase was for professional staff with 2-5 years of experience, with a median 5.7% increase in base salary. 

PSMJ's 2018 A/E Staff Compensation Survey Report provides detailed compensation data for 48 professional staff and technical positions based simply on discipline and years of experience. Data are also analyzed by peer group such as firm size, region, and source of work for each position. This information was collected in March and April 2018.

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