Surveys
2026 Financial Performance Report of AEC Firms and Benchmarking Tool
Released On:
June 16, 2026
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What's Included
Comprehensive data on the financial performance, financial departments, challenges, methodology, and financial practices of AEC industry firms.
Select the "Benchmarking Tool" Option to get this data in an interactive, excel-based tool that allows for greater detail in demographic comparisons and various scenario planning.
- Regular price
- $1,295.00
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This report provides insight into the 2025 fiscal year and will allow firm financial leaders to gain a unique perspective on where they stand relative to the industry. For more insights or questions regarding the report, please contact Zweig Group's research department at research@zweiggroup.com
Start Date
04.01.26
End Date
05.15.26
Age of Data
2 m 29 d
Industry
Architecture, Engineering, Planning, and Environmental Consulting
More about 2026 Financial Performance Report of AEC Firms and Benchmarking Tool
Recruiting & Staffing Policies
Retention & Compensation
Leave Policies, Career Development and more
What's New
This section covers the full recruiting and hiring lifecycle in the AEC industry, including in-house hiring vs. outside recruiting firms, online recruiting, referral bonuses, open positions, candidate qualities, and hiring time. It also includes data on offer/counter offer practices, hiring processes, HR spending, background checks, employee relocation, new employee probation, performance review policies, layoff assistance, and exit interviews.
This section analyzes what firms are doing to retain talent and how they structure compensation, including data on bad hires, voluntary/involuntary turnover rates, employee termination, staff training, and revenue/profit data distribution. Compensation topics include budgeting for pay increases, formal compensation programs, cost of living increases, raises, bonuses, overtime pay, and 401(k) plans, along with data on service awards, company credit cards, memberships, and time sheet collection and pay schedules.
This section covers firms' approach to paid time off, including vacation policies, sick leave, holidays, FMLA, paternity leave, bereavement leave, and military leave. It also includes data on career development, such as tuition/fee and books/supplies reimbursement, professional registration and society memberships, career tracks, and training.
This study examines the workforce policies and practices shaping today's AEC firms, providing actionable benchmarks that allow firms to understand how they compare in the market. Data was collected through a 205-question survey answered by AEC firm leaders, HR professionals, operations leaders, and those responsible for workforce strategy, hosted on Zweig Insights for a more streamlined benchmarking experience. All responses were collected confidentially and are reported only in aggregate.