Zweig Group, provider of advisory services, research, and education for the AEC industry, has released its 2024 Salary Report of AEC Firms for all regions of the U.S., diving into compensation in the industry.
These reports are based on a comprehensive salary survey of hundreds of industry individuals and firms and are presented in three separate regional editions: North and South Atlantic, Central, and Pacific-Mountain.
Here are some key findings from the report:
- General observations—Salaries have increased across the board. On average, firms raised salaries by approximately 6.6 percent. There is significant salary growth for professionals with more than 15 years of experience, particularly in the construction sector, where there was an 11.9 percent rise. Experienced non-licensed technical roles also experienced a significant increase, with senior level civil engineering technicians seeing a 12.7 percent increase.
- Regional differences—Firms in the Central U.S. only raised salaries by 3.75 percent, while firms in the Eastern U.S. and Mountain-Pacific regions increased salaries by 6.7 percent and 6 percent respectively. The average project manager in the Mountain-Pacific region with 17 years of experience made $125,000. For the same role in the Central region, the average project manager with 15 years of experience made $111,000. In the Eastern region, a manager with 14 years of experience made $122,000. Engineering firms with more than 500 employees saw the highest year-over-year increase in base compensation—8.7 percent versus 3.7 percent for firms with less than 500 employees.
- A focus on architecture and interior design—The reports highlight increases in salaries for architecture and interior design professionals. Architects in project manager roles have salary increases by 9.4 percent to $116,000, while interior designers in associate or department manager roles have seen an 11 percent increase with base salaries now at $110,000. This rise in compensation corresponds with industry shifts toward sustainable design, collaborative project delivery methods, and digital transformation with advanced tools such as business information modeling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR).
In addition, the industry is adapting to flexible work arrangements, prompting firms to revise compensation and benefits to attract top talent. These changes reflect an evolving landscape where skilled professionals in sustainable practices and digital technologies are increasingly valued.
Based on data gathered between January and December 2023, these reports are an industry standard for firm leaders and human resources directors looking to benchmark their staff’s compensation. Click here for the complete report.
