Structural EIT Compensation 2

[theisland808]

Hi all,

I'm approaching my 2 year anniversary working as a structural EIT in Hawaii. I'm trying to get a raise and wondering what would be a reasonable number to ask for.. I read that the national average for an entry level structural engineer is around $65-67k but wondering how accurate that is.

To give some background..

Education:
Graduated with BS in Civil Engineering 2019
Structural Courses Taken: RC Design, Steel Design, Grad Level Steel Design (composite members), Masonry Design, Class on ASCE 7.

Previous Employment:
Land Surveyor Intern
Bridge/Culvert Inspector Intern
Undergrad Earthquake Response and Recon Researcher

Programs used:
ETABS,SAP2000,STI BEAM,AUTOCAD,ENERCALC,EXCEL,WORD,BLUEBEAM

My first ever task which caught me off guard was to design a 3 story building consisting of CMU walls, steel framing, and a concrete over metal deck floor system. This was a bit overwhelming as I just got out of school but the courses I took paired with late nights of trying to understand the code kept me alive... Now that the project is in construction, the engineer who was above me (not the DOR) but someone who designed another building on the project quit.. so now I am dealing with all coordination items, RFIs, submittals, site visits, etc. On this project I have already coordinated items with architect, mechanical, and the contractor with just 1.5 years of experience.

Other projects I've worked on:
- Concrete formwork design
- Evaluation of prestressed planks for building renovation
- Evaluation of hollow core planks for additional Hospital roof equipment
- Roof equipment frames, cable tray systems, and MRI equipment anchorage
- Schematic Design preparation for new Junior School (2000sf) as well as proposed retrofitting of existing elementary building (2000sf)
- 36' Diameter Water Tank Foundation Design
- 40' tall SRMF (RC) canopy consisting of two 60' bays using prestressed double tees for the roof
- Couple smaller guard shack type structures consisting of RC wall and roof systems
- Inspection and evaluation of existing wood truss warehouse to support new roof and added fan loads (25000sf)
- Evaluation of restaurant deck area to accommodate new quartz flooring
- Seismic Evaluation of Existing buildings using ASCE 41-13(1 to 2 story buildings/warehouses)

Miscellaneous tasks:
- Help generate small Fee Proposals for jobs <$7000
- Help review submittals for coworker's past projects
- Bridge/Culvert inspection
- Rebar/Concrete/Grout inspection on site
- Coordinate/conduct site visits with contractors

Every year, my company performs an annual evaluation in July. We sit with supervisors and decide if we exceed expectation, meet expectation, or need improvement.

My first year, I met all expectations for the criteria and only exceeded in communication. Here is how I rank this year...

Meets Expectations for the following criteria:
- Understanding of Job Knowledge & Skills
- Performance of Additional Duties
- Demonstration of Job Skills
- Leadership
- Self development & Growth

Exceeds Expectations for the following criteria:
- Performance of Essential Duties
- Communication
- Quality & Quantity of Work (Supervisor said that it was more so that I was handling and producing higher quantity of work than my peers but roughly the same quality)
- Attitude
- Accountability, Responsibility & Personal Pride


Now.. for the compensation. I accepted an initial offer from my current company for $26.25 ($54,600/yr with 40hr weeks although I often put a lot of effort in off the clock...) I feel that this initial offer was a bit low but I really wanted to work for this company as they worked on projects I recognized in the area, and the interview with my now supervisor went really well so I did not negotiate at all. On top of that, I really wanted to try out private design work before defaulting to government jobs like most in the area.

What do you guys think would be a fair raise to ask for? Considering the national average for an entry level structural engineer is $67k, and my evaluation says that I am exceeding expectations on half of the areas I'm evaluated on, I'd honestly like to end up at $70k/year or ~$34.00/hr. I know this may seem like a huge increase (28% increase) but that's considering I came in at such a low starting pay. Had I come in at the market entry level structural engineer, this would only be a 4% increase. Any thoughts, comments, etc are appreciated.

 

[NorthCivil]

Early in your career, worry more about quality of experience than pay.

Never feel scared to ask for more money. Or ask twice, ask all the time, or even badger the boss about it. These guys talk money all day every day, and the conversation doesnt phase them. If you are useful, they will not judge you for it, and likely will respect you for it.

Employees make a bigger deal of the money question in their own heads than it really is. Dont ask, dont get.

and for christ' sakes, if you want to make more money, bill the boss for all your time! You "exceed expectations for quality and quantity of work". yeah, cause you arent billing your boss for it! you are lucky to be paid hourly. bill the guy. especially if he is charging you out at 5x, there is some room for a bit of float in there.

 

[theisland808]

NorthCivil - Yeah I hear you for sure. I try not to make bigger deal of the money question but I know how quick it is to get word spread about your reputation in Hawaii. All the employers know each other, and I think the workers have less bargaining power.

Yeah.. 5x is pretty wild I think but idk the breakdown behind that. Office overhead is wild in Hawaii, and we have a huge office. We got a lot of workers too but that's kind of why it's hard to get a reference because Hawaii prices are insane. Not sure if you heard, I got a raise without asking so they charge me at 4.5x now hahaha. Thanks for your input NorthCivil

 

[JoshPlumSE]

My advice will be a little more general to a young engineer than to your specific situation:
1) Your goal early in your career should be to soak up experience like a sponge. If you're getting really good experience that's going to help you down the road, then it might be worth staying in a lower paying job.

2) When was the last time someone at your company gave you an "annual review"? If you haven't had one, or if it's been more than a year, then you should request one.

3) When you have your review, be prepared.... Tell your boss what your short term and medium term goals are. You probably want to work towards your PE license, right? So, ask him/her what kind of experience he/she thinks you need in order to accomplish this goal. What you can for the company that will benefit both the company and your goal. Identify one or two weak points in your background or experience that you would like to work on and ask if there is someone there that can help mentor you on those things.

4) If you have not yet received a raise in your two years, bring that up as well. Something like, "I've been here for two years working at this salary. I think that salary was fair when I first started, but I hope that I've demonstrated that I'm more valuable than that now. If a raise isn't coming soon, then are there any specific things that you're looking for from me before I earn my next raise or promotion?"

 

[skeletron]

Josh gives some great advice above!
You can nickel-and-dime your way up the experience gauntlet, but you are wasting valuable time and energy. Soak up all the knowledge, methods, solutions, etc. you can get so that you can: (a) work for yourself further down the line; (b) lead others in the future; (c) eventually have the ultimate perpetual payoff of being confident and competent.

 

[8thStreet]

Another item to keep in mind is that pay varies widely between firms with hourly compensation with 1.5x overtime and firms with salary where overtime is typically expected part of the job.

Typically the hourly firms will pay less because they know that you will clock in overtime.

I recommending billing for all of the hours that you work. If you work over time, bill those hours at 1.5x to get your salary up. If the bosses ask about eating up fee, tell them that you could have met the fee if you didn't have to work over time and that you are overworked. The employers need to do better at staffing up or pricing the job. It is not your position as a young EIT to worry about the project fee.