Structural Engineer salary advice 1

[RobLo]

Hey all,

Year end reviews are about to come in my office, and I am thinking of asking for a raise (a big one). Before I do, I was wondering if I could get some ideas from fellow structural engineers about the going rate in our market.

I am located in Los Angeles, CA. I'm on my 11th year of experience (residential, industrial, and commerce). I graduated from a well respected UC for my BS and also have a MS from a UC. I also have a PE license. I work in a small office (20 people or so), and after the two principals, I am next in the pecking order. That means I am often tasked with having to oversee and lead the younger engineers in my office, project manage their projects, and run my own projects at the same time.

Currently I am paid $31 an hour, and I get a small bonus at the end of the year (about $2k to $3k). I feel like I am underpaid, but I am just not sure what the market rate is nowadays. What do you all think?

 

[glass99]

It is worthy of note that the LA construction market is very robust right now.

 

[macmet]

I am not a structural engineer nor do I live in LA, but I can tell you that almost none of the engineers spend more than 40 hours a week in the office. Most though will answer emails and such in the evening so I would give them credit for 45 hours on average. Some a little more some a little less. But I don't think 50 is crazy, although if it is every single week it can wear you down.

I agree with Ron about the hourly vs. salary. Your hourly rate is low and it is not reasonable that you should assume your OT makes up for the difference in pay. That is extra time you are putting in. You should be paid fair for the 40 hour week and if you have to work extra often you should be making more than those others, not the same.

 

[JedClampett]

Ron, I'm in kind of a salaried/hourly limbo. Been that way my whole career (38 years, two companies). I'm considered salaried for labor law reasons (if there's nothing to do they have to pay me, although they won't do it very long), but hourly for billing reasons.
My employer assigns me to projects. They expect to bill my time to the project. If I productively (not being on Eng-Tips.com) work for free, not billing my time, they don't get any benefit for it. And they can't charge for my hours, unless they pay me for them. The salaried part of it is that I get paid straight time (not time and a half) for these extra hours, or I can use this as compensatory time off.
I suspect there's many, many of us in this situation. I don't think it's unprofessional. I put in extra time and don't charge for it, doing adminstrative tasks or wrapping things up at the end of the day, but if I'm doing project work, I bill for it. And I instruct the engineers working for me to do the same.

 

[glass99]

Ron+Jed: There is an old school class distinction between those who wear boots vs those who wear shoes, otherwise thought of as those who get a salary vs those who get wages. But engineers are a rational bunch, and understand that an hourly rate protects the engineer from overwork in busy times and the employer from overhead in slow times. As a profession we are quick to recognize numerical efficiency, and slow to recognize social status.

I am personally favor the investment banking model, which is low salary and high bonus connected to the firm's profitability.

 

[CELinOttawa]

I work about 60 to 65hours a week, but own a taste (5%) and we are working to build a new firm.

I worked easily 50+ per week at other firms.

 

[IRstuff]

We're charging and being paid by the hour, but still considered as salaried, but we're very well compensated, so I have no complaints.

My wife isn't but she still works more hours than me, by far.

TTFN
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Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[ct27gt]

One thing I learned recently after changing jobs for the first time is KNOW YOUR WORTH. There is an overwhelming sense of comfort working at the same job for 11 years and that can sometimes fog the perception of being greatly underpaid.

It is easy to determine your worth using online sources by finding the pay scales of professionals in similar positions, with similar experience and job duties.

I wouldn't expect your company to give you a huge financial raise if you ask for it. They will just call your bluff. The only way that would happen is to obtain another job offer indicative of your worth, then either leave or leverage that for a large compensation increase.

As an example and in reference to my first sentence, I was offered a job about a month ago at a certain salary. It was way below market value and less than 10% above my compensation with my previous employer. I responded with a counter offer explaining my desired compensation and why I felt I deserved it based on market research and past employment achievements and duties. They raised their offer by 20% and it represented a 30% raise over my previous salary. Naturally I accepted without hesitation. In your case you could leave, or leverage that to get a substantial increase in pay. Essentially saying "They think I am worth this much, do you?".