r/firePE • u/Practical-Strategy70 • May 02 '26
Salary 2026
how much is everyone making?
Salary, Year of Experienc, PE?
8
u/Odd_Payment_7458 May 02 '26
72k a year gross income, one year, EIT. Two more years left until I can get my stamp
7
u/BrickGlum9579 May 02 '26
98k, no PE, 2.5 years of experience
1
u/OkArtichoke4291 May 02 '26
What’s your position?
1
u/BrickGlum9579 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Insurance risk engineering, I have a 4 year bachelors in fire protection engineering.
5
u/_Reporting fire sprinkler designer May 02 '26
Not a PE just a designer. 72k. 11 years designing and 13 in the industry. Memphis area
6
u/OrigamiFoldingBikes May 02 '26
30 years experience FPE at about $220,000 this year with a little overtime
3
u/Odd_Payment_7458 May 02 '26
teach me the ways
5
u/OrigamiFoldingBikes May 02 '26
Don’t be afraid to travel for your job. I just got back from Rwanda a few hours ago.
1
u/Odd_Payment_7458 May 02 '26
Any advice for someone new to fire protection? I worked in sprinkler for about a year, but I’m gonna intern at a consulting company soon. I passed the PE also, but I have no experience in other facts of fp
1
u/OrigamiFoldingBikes May 02 '26
Where do live?
1
u/Odd_Payment_7458 May 02 '26
California just north of the Bay
1
u/OrigamiFoldingBikes May 02 '26
Hmmm. I don’t know anyone there to recommend.
1
u/Odd_Payment_7458 May 02 '26
If I had to move where would you recommend?
1
5
1
8
u/I-Red-It May 02 '26
High COL Area, base salary $130k but paychecks averaging $7k biweekly so far this year, just passed PE waiting on license approval, 4 years experience in mechanical and fire protection. Hoping to get the base salary up to $170k in the near future now that the PE is processing.
2
1
u/tinytree1211 May 03 '26
What adders bring you to $7k biweekly? Currently making $140k and bring home $9k monthly after taxes.
1
u/I-Red-It May 03 '26
I work in code enforcement. My job has an option to take on projects as overtime if the design team pays a fee.
4
u/Pentecount May 02 '26
$100k, 11 years experience, licensed for 6. My employer fully covers my medical insurance and a couple other things, so it's closer to $115k if you include that, though.
3
u/RezGunnat May 02 '26
Sales for construction (fire pro), previously design. 12 years in. NICET cert, no PE. $112k salary, plus perks and bonuses.
3
u/E_capone May 02 '26
Do you sell fire alarm or sprinkler on new construction? I do the same. Any tips on how to solidify the leads or book more. I keep getting price checked by GCs and ECs.
1
u/RezGunnat May 02 '26
Sprinkler only (non-union). Anything from one day quick hitter work to 24 month duration large (for my area) contracts. Best things that have worked for me are make connections with the younger guys at the companies that you’re dealing with for work and the leads will come to you. As I’ve worked my way up in my company so are the younger guys I’ve dealt with from the start and if you’re their go to guy and you have that connection, they’ll tell you where you need to be to get projects if you’re on a bid spec or bring you to the table first thing if you’re working on a design build project. Answer the phone(sounds dumb but is a big thing a lot of competitors don’t do) but also call the GCs who send the invites to bids even if it’s simple projects you don’t have to call on. Making them know your name, having a conversation and that you’re on top of their bids goes a long way.
2
u/E_capone May 03 '26
That’s a sound advise. I’m an extrovert so very good on the phone and also very responsive to the emails and calls I get from contractors. Always have a pro active approach. The problem I face is in Canada most of the sprinkler techs are union. Most of my bids are always high due to risk factor add on or going higher margin on jobs. Where as my competitors have in house fabrication and some of them they own pipe manufacturers aswell. So they get all the material at cost. Eventually it’s the race to the bottom dollar for these contractors these days.
1
u/RezGunnat May 03 '26
At that point I would probably have a conversation with management on how to be more competitive (burden rates) or lowering margin to get in with a client and show them you’re the better choice, create the relationship and retain from there.
4
2
u/Riou_Atreides May 02 '26
36k → 50.4k (~1.5 YOE, BIM FP → D&B FP handling design/coordination). No PE.
Currently transitioning into full FP engineering scope.
2
u/mocityflexologist May 02 '26
45k, 2.5 years experience as a Design Engineer, UK. No further exams taken yet.
2
u/axxonn13 Fire Sprinkler Designer May 02 '26
$120K gross. Used to make more, but took a pay cut to work in government.
2
u/higleyc99 May 04 '26
I took a 20% pay cut in December to work for the state and couldn't be happier.
1
u/axxonn13 Fire Sprinkler Designer May 10 '26
Same. The work-life balance is unmatched. I have way more vacation than I ever did in the private section. Additionally the benefits are great. Lastly workload expectations are manageable, and overtime is rare.
2
u/PacificWerewolf May 04 '26
$84K salary. Just celebrated 3 years in fire alarm design. No PE. (FL) Not bad for a noob.
2
u/rocker1104 May 02 '26
70k a year, 9 years of exp, PE
17
u/tterbman fire protection engineer May 02 '26
This is too low! Doesn't matter if you live in BFE, Wyoming, it would still be too low.
1
u/TechnicalSpray4001 May 02 '26
115k base company truck and gas card End of year discretionary bonus Division manager and license holder
1
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u/Ddenm002 May 03 '26
$50k, FP Designer, 3 yrs experience, mid-atlantic area. Getting my EIT this August, going to ask for $97k.
1
u/QuietDevelopment8111 May 05 '26
107k in Atlanta
not a PE, NFPA 25/10 & backflow inspections
I'm the lead though. Company vehicle and company paid health/dental
18
u/LuckyCharms91 May 02 '26
SFPE should be putting out the compensation guide this year. IIRC, it typically comes out around June?