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