Scoping out the competition

It is a good to be to be a principal, partner, or owner in the architectural, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting industry! In its 2015 Best Jobs rankings, U.S. News & World Report lists Architect as its No. 2 Best Creative Job, No. 19 Best STEM Job, and No. 81 Top 100 Job. Engineering also makes the list: Civil Engineer is the No. 7 Best Technology Job, No. 10 Best STEM Job, No. 17 Best Paying Job, and No. 22 Top 100 Job; and Mechanical Engineer is the No. 5 Best Technology Job, No. 7 Best STEM Job, No. 16 Best Paying Job, and No. 18 Top 100 Job. Additionally, in its most recent Compensation Report, the American Institute of Architects shows average principal, partner, and owner compensation between $100,000 and $150,000, regardless of geographic region and firm size. It has been nearly 25 years since Zweig Group’s Principals, Partners & Owners Survey was developed to assess A/E/P and environmental consulting leaders. Though the basic compensation package components remain the same – base salary, bonuses, and overtime; stock options; retirement plans; and health, life, and disability insurance – a lot has changed. It is not unusual for today’s organizations to offer perks such as company cars and cell phones, telecommuting or flex-time options, and reimbursement for educational programs or health club memberships. This year’s Principals, Partners & Owners Survey, which was released May 4, allows readers a glimpse into other companies to assess how they recruit and maintain talented principals. It offers points of comparison: How does your firm stack up to its peers? What are the companies that you aspire to imitate doing? Are there things you can do to level the field or make strides toward your goals? Along with an executive summary, the publication includes a workbook for readers to track where their firm is and where they would like for it to be. The Survey provides comprehensive data on A/E/P and environmental consulting ownership, management, and leadership broken down by firm type, size, and headquarter region. The pages lay out all you could need to know about the types of compensation, work, and perks that principals, partners, and owners can expect, and it goes even further, outlining the backgrounds and attitudes that principals express and the conflicts and challenges that they typically face.