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After a difficult year in the building design and construction markets, compensation for structural engineers has reached a plateau or in some cases declined. The Structural Engineering & Design annual 2010 Compensation Survey has revealed that structural engineers’ level of satisfaction regarding total compensation (earnings and benefits) has fallen to 53 percent, continuing a two-year downward trend; this is an 11 percent decrease in respondents who reported being satisfied or very satisfied with total compensation (see Figure 1). While slighty higher satisfaction levels were reported when respondents were asked separately about benefits received (61 percent reported very satisfied or satisfied), industry professionals’ happiness with the current earnings received — including salary, bonus, and raise — has plunged to just barely half of all respondents (only 51 percent reported being satisfied or very satisfied with current earnings); read more details in “The 10th annual compensation survey: Earnings flatlined while raises and benefits shrunk” on page 22.
Additionally, respondents reported more of the following earnings reductions that were not based on merit: salary freeze/no raise, 57 percent (which more than doubled from the 21 percent reported last year); decrease or elimination of annual bonus, 39 percent (increased from 28 percent one year ago); pay cuts, 22 percent (up from 7 percent last year); and furlough, 11 percent.
Interestingly, 58 percent of practicing structural engineers who completed the online survey agreed with the statement, “My level of compensation accurately reflects my workload.” Furthermore, 52 percent agreed with the statement, “My level of compensation accurately reflects my job performance.”
While satisfaction rates are declining, salary and bonuses remain stable. And despite the fact that raises are plummeting, employees seem to understand that firm leaders are doing what they can considering the economic climate of the past two years. When asked about the following statement, “My firm makes an effort to improve its compensation structure to remain competitive,” 58 percent agreed.
Jennifer Goupil, P.E.,
jgoupil@stagnitomedia.com
