$4k flat. Plus paid for the exam, review course and all review materials.
Got a $10k raise to stay a month later as I handed in my notice to make a jump to another firm.
I got $0 also. Was told it wasn’t really that big of a deal even though I’m only one of 4 in the office now. Two have said they won’t seal anything from my division and the 3rd will probably retire next year.
I don’t think that of the case everywhere. We encourage PEs to start S&S plans within 2 years of getting their license. Usually smaller projects but it gives the engine a sense of pride. I sealed my first set of plans when I was 28.
That is not my experience in the least. Water and sewer engineers here in rural America are in small shops and cut their teeth by the time they are 30.
Im curious, where are you at and what type of work does your office do?
In all seriousness, alot of engineers, operators, and techs out here have to take on more responsibility than they should have because we just don't have the staff or expertise. City folks don't get it, and I get that, having worked in both places.
The one good thing that I can say is that alot of those young folks stamping in their 20s turn out to be great engineers in their 30s and 40s - With the acknowledgement that individual results may vary.
Jumping from my one comment to this one as well - assuming responsibility and risk makes you grow. There are tons of people here and at firms who are pigeon holed into one task for years and will never grow as engineers. I would much rather have larger responsibilities and be stamping younger with a diverse and encompassing work load than be stuck in a box waiting to get seniority through age.
I would make the point that wages are controlled by the regulators by-and-large in water and sewer. If the State that you are in supports State Revolving Fund (SRF) monies going to design, you get good engineers doing water and sewer. The reverse is true as well.
So in rural 'Muerica where SRF money was historically limited, the amount that folks could pay for design was limited. The State had a hard time increasing wages for design because folks getting the infrastructure upgrades would scream murder if engineering design was more than 10% of the project.
Even Washington D.C. hates rural engineers via the 6% engineering limit via the Brooks Act - Which forces engineers to pay inflated prices to inflate engineer's wages to "retain good engineers" to do complicated designs.
My point is just that your experience may not be representative for all of 'Muerica.
At my firm you can be a project engineer at 26… better yet you can get paid like a project engineer at 26. There are guys there who are 40 and never got their PE and make less. Why? Because my boss understands that 4 years of a degree and a cert that takes 5 years doesn’t deserve fuck all pay. Tell me that’s a bad place to be at. No retainment issues, East Coast as well. Put in the work and get paid for it. That’s how it is with us and should be everywhere.
I would disagree with that, but it depends on where you work and what you do. I earned my PE in 2007 as a bridge engineer, but I didn't sign/seal plans until 2009. The organizational structure didn't change in that time, but some jobs had less people working on them, so you'd be more likely to sign/seal drawings on them.
Just wondering when they asked you your salary expectation in your 48% raise job, did you say you wanted a 50% raise or something? Or you let them offer you and it turned out to be 48%? 48% is lots!(unless your previous pay was real shit of cos)
Yikes seeing some of these comments I’m starting to think our profession isn’t being taken more seriously I feel like the PE stamp should have some tremendous value
After only 2-3% cost of living raises in the 4.5 years I was an EI, I negotiated a 17% pay raise in the period after I took the exam but before I got my results. I was told that this included my PE pay bump so not to assume I would be getting anything more… and oh, I BETTER have passed.
Are you actually taking on more responsibility afterwards? Unless you're bringing more productivity to the table, has anything changed? You will, however, be taken more seriously on future job applications, and can get a better bump that way.
Well, if you want motivation, I'll tell you there's no other way forward in this industry without a PE. Not really motivation, you don't have a choice 😛
When I got my PE that's pretty much how my employer looked at it. You weren't really going to get awarded for passing, but you'd hit a ceiling around year 6 if you didn't.
I generally agree with what you said about level of responsibilities, but in this specific situation, say if you take on responsibilities before you get PE the companies will use the ‘you are not PE’ excuse to not increase your pay. So even if your responsibilities do not increase immediately (your technical abilities don’t increase the night you pass your PE), just by becoming a PE should give you a higher salary.
Not to mention that your company can now charge clients more now with a PE
I was allowed to continue getting my regular yearly pay increase. In that particular office, no one had ever failed to get a PE on their first try and even with a PE you weren't stamping anything for at least 5 more years.
Frankly getting a PE license was treated less as an achievement and more as a minimum requirement to continue working at that office. Much like a bachelor's degree being a minimum requirement to get a job.
I hardly trust plan sets from structural engineers with 10 years of experience. A new PE with three years of experience stamping a bridge? I'd quit before being involved in that project. None of us are that good and if I was that engineer I wouldn't want the liability. In our group of 12 (all PEs) there were typically only 2 or 3 people actually stamping drawings as the EOR.
Depends on the project really. A concrete high rise? No way. A small steel framed commercial building? Yeah, for sure. I'm not saying that a fresh PE should be stamping everything but there are small/simple things they are more than capable of designing and sealing. Also, nothing should be sealed without a second set of eyes on it anyway. Every firm I've worked at has often had the senior and junior engineers seal the set together; this makes the junior engineer think long and hard about what they are designing. It's a whole other mindset when it's your seal on the drawings.
The first thing I sealed was a grading plan for a house, they are simple.
Does your firm not QC their designs? When I wasn’t a PE everything I did was QC by a PE and they stamped it. When I became a PE everything I did was QC by a PE and then I stamped it. The liability is carried by the firm not the individual. If you don’t trust the plans coming out of your office I wouldn’t trust any plan set coming from your office. I started stamping bridge plans (the portions I did direct design of) as soon as I had a PE.
0% Though, I work for a state DOT. Our HR did reorganize the engineer classifications a year or two after I passed and I was able to argue to be a level higher than I was initially placed. My argument was mostly based upon my license.
About 40%. My overall project responsibility list increased from about 15 to 40, as well as, becoming a supervisor managing 3 people. My advice: ask high, you’ll never get a yes to something you don’t ask for. Good luck
Zero, though they did give me a week of time to study for the exam.
One of the company owners joked that I would get an increase when my having a PE proved to be of any value to the company. They never followed through, though I'm sure that the PE added to my credibility and help to get contracts.
Know your worth and understand your value. 3,000. I negotiated a 12,000 raise before I even took it because I was doing the work better than licensed engineers and actually helped train a PE. I wanted the 3000 bump ( which was negotiated by me during the same meeting) to at least signify to me that I made it and provide a reward.
However, small company. This will not be the same for most of you.
I also want to be very clear for some of the younger guys here (im 35). Cliff notes version: I clawed and fought for new responsibility ( and then held on to that responsibility with a death grip), I performed my current duties very well with little errors (while doing this), wrote my own proposals/acquired clients, attended city council meetings/etc alone and uncoached, handled the clients that I was responsible for, and also started managing the survey department because I thought they were not being used effectively. I tracked my own design time vs the proposals I wrote and saw my profit (billable rate btw not what they paid me) . I used all of these metrics in my negotiation.
Time in a company does not mean you deserve more pay. Profitability does. I also negotiated to take over the company. The boss didn't hold up his end of the negotiation. The moment I put in my two weeks, our biggest competitor called me and wanted me to run the city branch for his office (what I had fought to negotiate at my current company). Offered me way more money than I was making, profit sharing, and other benefits.
Long story. Turned it down. Went out on my own. It's ok. More money, even more stress. Eh.
No pay increase, and cut back to part time.
I left as soon as I found a new engineering job. The new job didn't pay me any more hourly than the old job, but at least it was back to full time. Took a few years to get any substantial raise.
I am in Canada and went through this last year when I got my P.Eng.
I asked for an 8% raise ($5k) and they said no. I asked again 6 months later and they said no again. So I started applying to other firms and soon got an offer for a 35% raise. My company matched.
I realize I am lucky and a 35% raise is a once in a lifetime type thing for me. But my company was also stupid for not even considering a raise initially. I told many of my coworkers and I know of at least 4 others who have received large raises as a result of this.
I made a post about it in this sub last year.
Mine was 8k or about 10%. You are increasing your marketability but not necessarily your value to a company. If they value you, they will likely give you a bump so you don't go elsewhere. If not, I think the writings on the wall. Either way you'll get more money.
Got a 7.4% raise automatically (they said it’s be an automatic 4%) and they paid for all prep stuff, my time to take the test, and all of my licensing things and stamps for the states I’m licensed in
$500 bonus and they let me expense the CERM and exam fee. No raise. Gotta leave to get a raise. Now I'm making more than double from when I got licensed by jumping a few times.
When I got my PE, I was at a stupid cheap company. After asking my boss, I got paid time to take the test and got a measly $2,500 bonus subject to tax, no raise.
My current company will give a $10k bonus, pay for study materials/classes (with a capped $$) , time to take the exam, and a merit increase in salary
You should ask your boss what the incentives are.
Back in the day $0. Ultimately this was the catalyst of me starting my own company. For guys who get a PE under us it is about 10-15%. For those who say your personal liability is greater this is really untrue unless you hurt someone due to faulty design. For example say an architect changes the plan and you miss a greater load on a beam and it sags. If an inlet is moved and you didn't catch it on the grading plan and water now ponds and you have to remove and replace concrete. It will come back on your employers e&o insurance not you. You are going to look like an idiot in your office and you are going to have to answer to your boss but that's it a lawsuit won't get filed against you personally.
Currently it’s $0 at the municipality I work at. All engineers are union represented and the current agreement doesn’t distinguish between EITs and PEs. We expect this to change around 2026, around the same time I’ll be able to sit for the exam
Like 2%, but they paid study books, hotel reservation, exam fees, etc….however, since I did not have any good raise, I started to look for jobs. I started a month ago in another company making 30% more and working only 40 hours per week.
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At my firm it’s a pathetic 2.5% They don’t even pay for your study materials
Okay, that’s too bad. Not incentivized at all.
That’s what I’m saying. Like the amount of liability my stamp would carry for 2.5%?? We’ve had a huge turnover this year.
You going to follow the pattern?
Most likely
Good. Fuck them.
Yas
$4k flat. Plus paid for the exam, review course and all review materials. Got a $10k raise to stay a month later as I handed in my notice to make a jump to another firm.
Okay, nice move👍🏼
$0 Or as a percentage, 0%
1st time I’ve seen that. Sorry to hear.
I got $0 also. Was told it wasn’t really that big of a deal even though I’m only one of 4 in the office now. Two have said they won’t seal anything from my division and the 3rd will probably retire next year.
I also got $0. I expected *something* but nope.
So what was the incentive, to find a new job?
For me the incentive was to have another feather in my cap and to add to my professional credibility, which it did.
Same here. I didn't want the PE to get a raise, I wanted it for my future.
I want it for my future raise.
12.5% raise, $5,000 bonus, and they paid for my eet courses and exam
Wow, nice!
Did you ask for bonus or automatically given?
It’s automatically given!
Small firm? Consulting?
Public engineering firm, 500+ employees
12 to 13% seems to be the norm based on the salary survey. You should do some analysis and let us know!
Thanks for the answer! I am not very familiar. That is nice to see.
$2/hr then another $8/hr when I got a new job a month later
Nice!
I’m getting mine soon and my boss told me I’ll get a 10,000 raise but I won’t be paid overtime anymore. Tbh though, I never worked overtime anyways.
Consulting firm? Small or large size
Consulting LD, medium sized
Nice, I’d take it!
I got a $1 an hour raise
Okay, so over 2k difference a year unless you have a lot of overtime 👍🏼
Just part of the job expectations for me.
That's crazy considering the personal liability of being the design professional
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I don’t think that of the case everywhere. We encourage PEs to start S&S plans within 2 years of getting their license. Usually smaller projects but it gives the engine a sense of pride. I sealed my first set of plans when I was 28.
That is not my experience in the least. Water and sewer engineers here in rural America are in small shops and cut their teeth by the time they are 30. Im curious, where are you at and what type of work does your office do?
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In all seriousness, alot of engineers, operators, and techs out here have to take on more responsibility than they should have because we just don't have the staff or expertise. City folks don't get it, and I get that, having worked in both places. The one good thing that I can say is that alot of those young folks stamping in their 20s turn out to be great engineers in their 30s and 40s - With the acknowledgement that individual results may vary.
Jumping from my one comment to this one as well - assuming responsibility and risk makes you grow. There are tons of people here and at firms who are pigeon holed into one task for years and will never grow as engineers. I would much rather have larger responsibilities and be stamping younger with a diverse and encompassing work load than be stuck in a box waiting to get seniority through age.
I will assume that you aren't saying rural America is a red flag to me. 😀.
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I would make the point that wages are controlled by the regulators by-and-large in water and sewer. If the State that you are in supports State Revolving Fund (SRF) monies going to design, you get good engineers doing water and sewer. The reverse is true as well. So in rural 'Muerica where SRF money was historically limited, the amount that folks could pay for design was limited. The State had a hard time increasing wages for design because folks getting the infrastructure upgrades would scream murder if engineering design was more than 10% of the project. Even Washington D.C. hates rural engineers via the 6% engineering limit via the Brooks Act - Which forces engineers to pay inflated prices to inflate engineer's wages to "retain good engineers" to do complicated designs. My point is just that your experience may not be representative for all of 'Muerica.
At my firm you can be a project engineer at 26… better yet you can get paid like a project engineer at 26. There are guys there who are 40 and never got their PE and make less. Why? Because my boss understands that 4 years of a degree and a cert that takes 5 years doesn’t deserve fuck all pay. Tell me that’s a bad place to be at. No retainment issues, East Coast as well. Put in the work and get paid for it. That’s how it is with us and should be everywhere.
I would disagree with that, but it depends on where you work and what you do. I earned my PE in 2007 as a bridge engineer, but I didn't sign/seal plans until 2009. The organizational structure didn't change in that time, but some jobs had less people working on them, so you'd be more likely to sign/seal drawings on them.
60% jumping to another firm
Wow! Nice move👍🏼
$2000 bonus, 20% raise. But I was paid pretty dogshit before that.
7% (promo) +$2k bonus. Took that then left for a 48% raise + 14% bonus lol
Haha, nice 👍🏼
Just wondering when they asked you your salary expectation in your 48% raise job, did you say you wanted a 50% raise or something? Or you let them offer you and it turned out to be 48%? 48% is lots!(unless your previous pay was real shit of cos)
10K increase AT LEAST at my firm. They take the exam seriously and reward for passing
W firm?
Great!
$5k flat
Yikes seeing some of these comments I’m starting to think our profession isn’t being taken more seriously I feel like the PE stamp should have some tremendous value
Completely agree!
It doesn’t trust me lol
Just a one-time $1,000 bonus, this was back in 2009
5% but it qualifies me for the next promotion, which is quite a bit more.
Dinner at Brazzalian Steakhouse, but I was on vacation, so nadda. As a percentage 0%.
I’m surprised as many people responded that they didn’t receive a bigger bump than I expected.
I've only worked for big firms. No way to know how much it allowed me to advance or make more year over year.
$5k….almost 15 years ago
$4000 bonus, no salary increase with a lot of responsibility increase. Got two job offers, ultimately my company game me $20k more.
Nice way to increase is have multiple offers. Good for you👍🏼
0% I actually really enjoyed working for this company
After only 2-3% cost of living raises in the 4.5 years I was an EI, I negotiated a 17% pay raise in the period after I took the exam but before I got my results. I was told that this included my PE pay bump so not to assume I would be getting anything more… and oh, I BETTER have passed.
Are you actually taking on more responsibility afterwards? Unless you're bringing more productivity to the table, has anything changed? You will, however, be taken more seriously on future job applications, and can get a better bump that way.
Just trying to use this as motivation for now.
Well, if you want motivation, I'll tell you there's no other way forward in this industry without a PE. Not really motivation, you don't have a choice 😛
Ha, true.
When I got my PE that's pretty much how my employer looked at it. You weren't really going to get awarded for passing, but you'd hit a ceiling around year 6 if you didn't.
I generally agree with what you said about level of responsibilities, but in this specific situation, say if you take on responsibilities before you get PE the companies will use the ‘you are not PE’ excuse to not increase your pay. So even if your responsibilities do not increase immediately (your technical abilities don’t increase the night you pass your PE), just by becoming a PE should give you a higher salary. Not to mention that your company can now charge clients more now with a PE
I was allowed to continue getting my regular yearly pay increase. In that particular office, no one had ever failed to get a PE on their first try and even with a PE you weren't stamping anything for at least 5 more years. Frankly getting a PE license was treated less as an achievement and more as a minimum requirement to continue working at that office. Much like a bachelor's degree being a minimum requirement to get a job.
So you would be almost a decade out of school before you would stamp something? I used my stamp within hours of getting it.
I hardly trust plan sets from structural engineers with 10 years of experience. A new PE with three years of experience stamping a bridge? I'd quit before being involved in that project. None of us are that good and if I was that engineer I wouldn't want the liability. In our group of 12 (all PEs) there were typically only 2 or 3 people actually stamping drawings as the EOR.
Depends on the project really. A concrete high rise? No way. A small steel framed commercial building? Yeah, for sure. I'm not saying that a fresh PE should be stamping everything but there are small/simple things they are more than capable of designing and sealing. Also, nothing should be sealed without a second set of eyes on it anyway. Every firm I've worked at has often had the senior and junior engineers seal the set together; this makes the junior engineer think long and hard about what they are designing. It's a whole other mindset when it's your seal on the drawings. The first thing I sealed was a grading plan for a house, they are simple.
Does your firm not QC their designs? When I wasn’t a PE everything I did was QC by a PE and they stamped it. When I became a PE everything I did was QC by a PE and then I stamped it. The liability is carried by the firm not the individual. If you don’t trust the plans coming out of your office I wouldn’t trust any plan set coming from your office. I started stamping bridge plans (the portions I did direct design of) as soon as I had a PE.
Since I was at a city, I got bumped up to the next pay grade which got me like a $6-8k raise. They had also paid for my review class and my test.
0% Though, I work for a state DOT. Our HR did reorganize the engineer classifications a year or two after I passed and I was able to argue to be a level higher than I was initially placed. My argument was mostly based upon my license.
10% raise for passing the test. Additional 10% once I became licensed.
Nice!
About 40%. My overall project responsibility list increased from about 15 to 40, as well as, becoming a supervisor managing 3 people. My advice: ask high, you’ll never get a yes to something you don’t ask for. Good luck
Thanks for the advice👍🏼
Zero, though they did give me a week of time to study for the exam. One of the company owners joked that I would get an increase when my having a PE proved to be of any value to the company. They never followed through, though I'm sure that the PE added to my credibility and help to get contracts.
Know your worth and understand your value. 3,000. I negotiated a 12,000 raise before I even took it because I was doing the work better than licensed engineers and actually helped train a PE. I wanted the 3000 bump ( which was negotiated by me during the same meeting) to at least signify to me that I made it and provide a reward. However, small company. This will not be the same for most of you. I also want to be very clear for some of the younger guys here (im 35). Cliff notes version: I clawed and fought for new responsibility ( and then held on to that responsibility with a death grip), I performed my current duties very well with little errors (while doing this), wrote my own proposals/acquired clients, attended city council meetings/etc alone and uncoached, handled the clients that I was responsible for, and also started managing the survey department because I thought they were not being used effectively. I tracked my own design time vs the proposals I wrote and saw my profit (billable rate btw not what they paid me) . I used all of these metrics in my negotiation. Time in a company does not mean you deserve more pay. Profitability does. I also negotiated to take over the company. The boss didn't hold up his end of the negotiation. The moment I put in my two weeks, our biggest competitor called me and wanted me to run the city branch for his office (what I had fought to negotiate at my current company). Offered me way more money than I was making, profit sharing, and other benefits. Long story. Turned it down. Went out on my own. It's ok. More money, even more stress. Eh.
Thank you for sharing your story!
My bonus was getting laid off…then I found another job with a $6k pay increase. Just having the PE whole job searching put me at an advantage.
That’s right, it is of value to you first, the employer second.
No pay increase, and cut back to part time. I left as soon as I found a new engineering job. The new job didn't pay me any more hourly than the old job, but at least it was back to full time. Took a few years to get any substantial raise.
I am in Canada and went through this last year when I got my P.Eng. I asked for an 8% raise ($5k) and they said no. I asked again 6 months later and they said no again. So I started applying to other firms and soon got an offer for a 35% raise. My company matched. I realize I am lucky and a 35% raise is a once in a lifetime type thing for me. But my company was also stupid for not even considering a raise initially. I told many of my coworkers and I know of at least 4 others who have received large raises as a result of this. I made a post about it in this sub last year.
Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
0% don’t expect a immediate pay upgrade, it’s not video games
I know a raise is given but not sure how much at this time.
5.5% raise. Reimbursed for Review course only if it’s at a 4yr University. Also only way to qualify to promote. (I’m at Municipal Utility)
Mine was 8k or about 10%. You are increasing your marketability but not necessarily your value to a company. If they value you, they will likely give you a bump so you don't go elsewhere. If not, I think the writings on the wall. Either way you'll get more money.
Very good point!
2%. Not even paying for professional fees... Being an engineer in Canada sucks
Dang, sorry to hear.
I've had 8% pay raises year over year with a 5k bonus for the past 3 years.
Nice!
17.5% and my study materials were paid. But I was underpaid before so take it with a grain of salt
Got a 7.4% raise automatically (they said it’s be an automatic 4%) and they paid for all prep stuff, my time to take the test, and all of my licensing things and stamps for the states I’m licensed in
5.6%
$500 bonus and they let me expense the CERM and exam fee. No raise. Gotta leave to get a raise. Now I'm making more than double from when I got licensed by jumping a few times.
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Yeah seems pretty dumb. And they wonder why people leave after they pass the test. Um hello....?
My company does automatic 10k raise and reimbursement for study materials.
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Dang, that’s wild!
10%
0%, but makes you eligible for promotions.
Internal raise: $7,500 upon state licensure. External raise: 25% to 40%
When I got my PE, I was at a stupid cheap company. After asking my boss, I got paid time to take the test and got a measly $2,500 bonus subject to tax, no raise. My current company will give a $10k bonus, pay for study materials/classes (with a capped $$) , time to take the exam, and a merit increase in salary You should ask your boss what the incentives are.
Thanks for sharing. I hope to pass soon and then have the discussion and see where it goes.
If your firm won’t pay for your PE then someone else will. It’s worth it. You should be able to swing at least a 10k increase no problem right now.
3k cash incentive + 10% raise
Back in the day $0. Ultimately this was the catalyst of me starting my own company. For guys who get a PE under us it is about 10-15%. For those who say your personal liability is greater this is really untrue unless you hurt someone due to faulty design. For example say an architect changes the plan and you miss a greater load on a beam and it sags. If an inlet is moved and you didn't catch it on the grading plan and water now ponds and you have to remove and replace concrete. It will come back on your employers e&o insurance not you. You are going to look like an idiot in your office and you are going to have to answer to your boss but that's it a lawsuit won't get filed against you personally.
Got a $500 bonus and went from $77k to $80k
Currently it’s $0 at the municipality I work at. All engineers are union represented and the current agreement doesn’t distinguish between EITs and PEs. We expect this to change around 2026, around the same time I’ll be able to sit for the exam
I just gave my main guy 20%
Nice!
50k raise
Like 2%, but they paid study books, hotel reservation, exam fees, etc….however, since I did not have any good raise, I started to look for jobs. I started a month ago in another company making 30% more and working only 40 hours per week.
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65k (switched companies)
Getting mine in a few months - already passed exam. Was told they weren't planning on giving me a raise. Sad.
Dang.
There’s a door.
yeah I know. Just started here around a year ago. Just gonna wait and leave after PE