PSMJ’s Director of A/E Industry Surveys Featured in ASHRAE Journal

The February issue of ASHRAE Journal, the leading source for engineers in the heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning industries, features original analysis on A/E compensation by PSMJ’s own Kate Allen, P.E., Director of A/E Industry Surveys.

Allen’s article, “Understanding Salaries in the A/E Industry,” looks at the industry’s current compensation strategy and philosophy in light of the economy’s slow, but steady, recovery. 

Acknowledging that the number one asset in a professional services firm is the staff, Allen posits that both understanding the industry’s financial position—as well as crucial benchmarking data—can help employers best determine how to maintain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top-notch talent.

Using data amassed from PSMJ’s 2013 Management Compensation Benchmark Survey Report and PSMJ’s 2013 Financial Performance Benchmark Survey Report, Allen demonstrates the correlation between a firm’s performance and salary ranges and analyzes current compensation trends. She concludes by outlining what the industry—and engineering firms, in particular—can expect for talent recruitment and financial health in the immediate future.

Allen became a member of ASHRAE in 1993.  Says Allen: “As a past member of ASHRAE and past president of my local chapter [in Denver, CO], I was honored when ASHRAE contacted me to write an article about engineering salaries.  I felt it was important to share the whole story – from the position of the employee as well as the employer.”

“Compensation is only one component of the cost of operations of a firm and engineers are not taught as part of their engineering education how to make sense of financials.  Some firms are performing better than the trends indicate which dramatically increases their options when it comes to compensation.”

For more about ASHRAE, visit ashrae.org.

To participate in PSMJ’s A/ E Industry Surveys:

• 2014 Management Compensation Survey, Click Here.
• 2014 Staff Compensation Survey, Click Here.
• 2014 Financial Performance Survey, Click Here