ACEC Research Institute Releases Landmark Industry Profile Study

ACEC News / Industry Statistics

January 7, 2021

ACEC Research Institute Releases Landmark Industry Profile Study

Earlier today, the ACEC Research Institute released the first-ever industry profile of the Engineering and Architectural Services sector. This landmark study measured the significant contribution engineering makes to good-paying jobs and overall economic activity. Specifically, the Engineering and Architectural Services sector directly employs more than 1.5 million Americans and supports an additional 3 million indirect jobs—that makes up 3 percent of all U.S. jobs—and drives $386 billion in annual revenue.

Additional key findings include:

• The engineering and architectural services sector pays an average annual salary of $88,000, far exceeding the national average of $60,300.
• The engineering services sector was significantly larger than the architectural services sector last year, with engineering services comprising about two-thirds of the jobs.
• California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, and New York comprise more than 40 percent of total U.S. engineering and architectural services industry employment.
• Engineering and architectural service activity generates nearly $45 billion worth of tax revenue for various local, state, and federal government agencies – more per company and employee than most other U.S. sectors.

“We have always innately understood that our industry was a critical player on the economic main stage, but now we know—and have numbers to show—what a crucial role we play in the national economy,” said Linda Bauer Darr, ACEC president and CEO.

“We employ more than 1.5 million workers. Our impact on the American workforce and the U.S. economy cannot be underestimated,” said Charlie Gozdziewski, ACEC Chair.

“We are very pleased to launch the Engineering Industry Profile,” said ACEC Research Institute Chair John Carrato of Alfred Benesch and Company. “It provides us with the most comprehensive look at our industry within the context of the larger engineering and architectural industry – an incredible benefit for our membership. This is the first in a series of three studies that will tell the story of our industry, beginning by showing the full view of the size, growth, and composition of the engineering and architectural services sector. Our next study will focus on the economic contributions our industry has made to the U.S. economy, and the final study will be a five-year industry forecast.”

The ACEC Research Institute will conduct a public education campaign on the importance of the industry in the following days. The full report, 2020 Engineering Industry Profile, is available for download by clicking here.

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