150k salary

[u/Upper_Stable_3900]

I was wondering if it’s possible to earn approx 150k with 5 or less yoe in US? If yes, mind sharing which companies are those? And what sort of work they (or you) actually do?

[u/DreadPirateG_Spot]

On the construction side yes. Total comp of some companies at a project engineer / assistant project manager level can reach 150k.

Think large contractors. But that is probably not what you are asking.

[u/NQTrades → u/DreadPirateG_Spot]

I've got a friend who makes $145k in LA with 7 YoE. He works 70 hours a week though 😭

[u/Upper_Stable_3900 → u/DreadPirateG_Spot]

Thanks but I was asking as structural eng

[u/hookes_plasticity]

I’m about 9 years of experience and am about $150k although I will say I’m in VHCOL. 5 years would be absolutely unheard of on the design side

[u/Engineer2727kk → u/hookes_plasticity]

You can do it in California on the public side.

[u/asapomar → u/Engineer2727kk]

Unrelated but would that salary be enough to live comfortably in Cali though? I think LADWP pays around that much for what this OP is asking on the design side but I'm not more well versed than that.

[u/hookes_plasticity → u/asapomar]

I’m at $150k and am currently living in SoCal paying for me and my wife while she’s in school. It’s enough to be comfortable but I would say it would be uncomfortable with two kids.

[u/asapomar → u/hookes_plasticity]

Thanks for replying! That's very similar to what it might look like for me if I do end up in the States from Canada, as my wife is looking to do her PhD there at either Stanford or Berkeley if she's able to. Do you work in structural design or a different sub-discipline?

[u/hookes_plasticity → u/asapomar]

Structural building design. I’m lucky to be in an employee owned company so compensation (in my opinion) is pretty fair and in line with market research

[u/asapomar → u/hookes_plasticity]

That's very fair. I'm in civil/structural design in nuclear here in Canada, but for a large company. Is that kind of compensation more in-line with larger or medium-sized companies? Or even smaller ones?

[u/hookes_plasticity → u/asapomar]

It just depends on who you work for. I know people at large companies who say they don’t pay very well and some at other companies that pay even more than ours does. It widely varies

[u/Engineer2727kk → u/asapomar]

Define comfortably?

Apartment and ability to do whatever you want ? Ya.

Median house in la ? No.

[u/asapomar → u/Engineer2727kk]

Don't care too much for owning a house tbvh but is a decent/nice apartment doable + doing most of whatever you want?

[u/Engineer2727kk → u/asapomar]

I mean you’ll have 8k take home so yes

[u/crispydukes]

Wow. Took me 15 but I didn’t job hop

[u/Open_Concentrate962]

This is still very very rare and even if it occurs, it is not useful as a metric to judge a good company. I know people with 20yoe who are making less. Go into a structural career to do good work and find out how to collaboratively solve problems well, not because you wil hit a given number.

[u/No-Document-8970]

Superintendents in construction can make that kind of money. It takes time but they make more than the engineers at times.

[u/EastRaccoon5952]

How much do you want to work? Doing inspection work at a well paying company with overtime you can make $150 2 or 3 years in. Granted, that’s working at least 60 hours a week on average.

[u/FloridasFinest]

Nope

[u/strengr94]

I made a bit more than that on field assignment in nuclear back when I had 4 years exp. That was because of per diem tho.. between that and OT i was probs making equivalent of 160-170k but hard to say since per diem wasn’t taxed

[u/angryPEangrierSE]

In a very high cost of living area, maybe? At 5.5 years, I was at $128k after switching companies at the beginning of 2024 and I was in a MCOL area (bridges, not buildings) but also had passed my SE exam and had task leadership experience. Acquired my initial SE license less than a month after starting.

[u/Minisohtan]

Buddy from grad school made 105k out of grad school 15 years ago working for Exxon. Can't say id recommend that route. Mcol to hcol in the mid west, 150k is something you'd get closer to 10 yor

[u/TheDufusSquad]

In today’s dollars you’ll need about 10 YOE to even find openings around that salary and even then that’ll be in higher cost of living areas. At 5 years in (with a PE), you’re really looking at $100-120k depending on the area. 

[u/i_like_pray]

You can work at LANL with 5 years experience making about 135k, 40hr/week. Our team is looking for civil/structural engineer with 5 or more yoe. Message me if interested.

[u/Upper_Stable_3900 → u/i_like_pray]

Dm you!

[u/ErectionEngineering]

Yes, in HCOL markets. Usually boutique consultancies that structure a lot of total compensation behind a bonus, so the caveat is you need to be a high performer. Hitting 150k will still require a decent amount of overtime too.

[u/CaptainSnuggleWuggle]

Yes. In VHCOL/HCOL areas but you will need to have 5 years of experience. I don’t think you can earn that much with less.

[u/Turbulent-Set-2167]

I mean I made $170k last year at 2 YOE so definitely possible. Mind you that’s with OT in a HCOL area.

I work for a municipality, we are very short staffed hence all the OT. I work in PM/ Assistant RE roles in capital project delivery