Gitnux/Report 2026

Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics

With AI already deployed by 63% of respondents for engineering workflows, this page contrasts today’s adoption against the scale of what still needs solving, from a $4.5 trillion infrastructure gap to the $1.2 trillion projected spend on digital engineering solutions by 2028. It also maps where value is being won and risks are being managed, including 73% of clients prioritizing strategy work and a median data breach cost of $3.6 million for consulting firms globally.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics
Lars EriksenWritten by Lars Eriksen·Fact-checked by Rebecca Hargrove
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The engineering consulting industry at a glance

The U.S. engineering and design services industry is projected to reach $506.6 billion in revenue in 2026, supported by infrastructure, energy, data-center and other technically intensive investment.

$506.6B[3]
Industry revenue forecast, 2026
5.6%[3]
Revenue growth forecast, 2026
1.80M[32]
Architecture and engineering jobs, 2025
39%[63]
South revenue share, 2024
Market size
U.S. architectural, engineering and related services generated $481.4 billion in revenue in 2024. The broader engineering and design services industry generated $479.8 billion in direct revenue in 2025, according to ACEC’s latest assessment.[63][64]
Forecast & CAGR
ACEC projects engineering and design services revenue to rise 5.6% in 2026 to $506.6 billion, after 4.5% growth in 2025. A separate U.S. engineering services outlook estimates a 6.2% compound annual growth rate from 2025 through 2030.[3][65]
Market share & regions
The U.S. South accounted for $187.8 billion, or approximately 39% of 2024 revenue in architectural, engineering and related services, the largest Census region. The West generated $121.0 billion, the Midwest $97.7 billion and the Northeast $75.0 billion.[63]
Segmentation
The market spans engineering design and development, maintenance and support, consulting, construction and project management, specialized engineering services, and technology integration. NAICS 541330 covers advice, feasibility studies, plans and designs, construction-phase technical services, inspections and project evaluation.[65][66]
Key players & concentration
AECOM USA generated 1.5% of U.S. architectural and engineering services turnover in 2025, making it the largest company in Euromonitor’s market definition. This indicates a fragmented industry in which the leading firm holds a low-single-digit share.[67]
Pricing
Labor is a central cost driver: civil engineers earned a median $100,620 in engineering services in May 2025, while the overall civil-engineer median was $100,840. Engineering firms therefore typically price around specialized professional labor, project complexity and scope rather than standardized consumer-unit prices.[33]
Trends, drivers & challenges
ACEC identifies infrastructure, energy, data centers and other technically complex markets as key growth areas; engineering-intensive construction segments are forecast to grow 4.2% in 2026 even as total U.S. construction spending declines 1.3%. Financing costs, material-price pressure, policy uncertainty and shortages of specialized workers remain constraints.[3]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is overwhelmingly business-to-business: B2B spending represented 99.6% of U.S. architectural and engineering services demand in 2025. Competition is consequently based on technical credentials, sector expertise, delivery capacity, backlog and ability to support complex infrastructure and energy projects.[67][3]
M&A
Consolidation remains active in power, energy and infrastructure consulting. WSP acquired TRC Companies on February 24, 2026, for a total cash purchase price of $3.4 billion including assumed debt; TRC contributed approximately 8,000 employees.[22]
Regulation
Federal project-delivery requirements continue to shape consulting demand: the U.S. Department of Transportation issued 2026 final guidance on evaluating public-private partnerships under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Engineering services are also formally defined under NAICS 541330 to include feasibility studies, design, construction-phase technical services, inspection and evaluation.[68][66]
Latest news
WSP reported 5.1% organic net-revenue growth and 15.3% acquisition growth for the first nine months of 2026, with acquisition growth mainly attributable to TRC Companies and Ricardo. ACEC’s October 25, 2026 assessment projected industry revenue of $506.6 billion for 2026.[22][3]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Engineering Consulting Industry

The leading companies in the engineering consulting industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

WSP Global stands out thanks to C$18.3 billion 2025 revenue, while Burns & McDonnell stands out since its 2025 revenue growth was 19.4%, making their engineering and infrastructure consulting scale and growth profile distinct for evidence-minded comparisons.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in engineering design

    WSP Global

    CA

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Engineering design

    Why we picked it: Engineering and professional services scale is tied to C$18.3 billion 2025 revenue and international design coverage.

    See in ranking ↓Visit wsp.com ↗

  2. Leader in infrastructure & architecture

    Burns & McDonnell

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Infrastructure & architecture

    Why we picked it: Its engineering, architecture and infrastructure consulting model is reflected in 19.4% 2025 revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit burnsmcd.com ↗

  3. Leader in water & environment

    Tetra Tech

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Water & environment

    Why we picked it: Water and sustainable infrastructure consulting is sized by $5.44 billion record fiscal 2025 revenue.

    See in ranking ↓Visit tetratech.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the engineering consulting industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

WSP Global

Engineering design · CA

9.2
2

Burns & McDonnell

Infrastructure & architecture · US

9.0
3

Tetra Tech

Water & environment · US

8.9
4

Stantec

Sustainable design · CA

8.9
5

Arup

Built-environment consultancy · GB

8.8
6

GHD

Engineering, environment and advisory services · AU

8.6
7

Jacobs

Engineering, consulting and lifecycle services · US

8.5
8

Black & Veatch

Water, energy and infrastructure engineering · US

8.5
9

AECOM

Global infrastructure design and consulting · US

8.5
10

Ramboll

Architecture, engineering and sustainability consulting · DK

7.7

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the engineering consulting industry. In Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/engineering-consulting-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Total revenue of U.S. architectural, engineering, and related services establishments subject to federal income tax (NAICS 5413)

Total revenue of U.S. architectural, engineering, and related services establishments subject to federal income tax (NAICS 5413) grew from $407.6B in 2022 to $494.7B in 2025.

$407.6B
Start
+6.67%
CAGR · 3y
$494.7B
Projected
20222025
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption shows uneven embedding: 17% of U.S. AEC firms credited AI with reducing rework in 2026, but only 7% said they embedded AI across core workflows.

AI in the engineering consulting industry

  • 17% of U.S. AEC firms surveyed credited AI with reducing rework in 2026.[1]
  • 22% of architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms surveyed said they felt highly prepared for AI integration in 2026.[2]
  • 87% of engineering and design professionals surveyed said AI would enhance their job performance and satisfaction in 2025, according to an ACEC member-firm survey.[3]
  • 85% of engineering and design firms surveyed said AI is important to their firm’s success in 2025, according to a survey of ACEC member firms in the United States.[3]
  • 27% of global architecture, engineering and construction professionals surveyed said their organizations were using AI in operations in 2025.[4]
  • 7% of U.S. AEC firms surveyed said they embedded AI across core workflows in 2026.[1]

Digital Transformation in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 51% of U.S. technology executives reported no increase in performance or profitability from digital-transformation investments during the previous two years.[5]
  • 55% of business-services CEOs identified keeping pace with technology and AI transformation as their greatest concern in PwC’s 2025 global CEO survey.[6]
  • 40.4% of EU enterprises in professional, scientific and technical activities used at least one AI technology in 2025.[7]
  • 35.51% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to business-administration or management processes in 2025.[7]

Technology Adoption in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 22.32% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to research and development or innovation activities in 2025.[7]
  • 30.87% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to accounting, controlling or finance management in 2025.[7]
  • 18.55% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to ICT security in 2025.[7]
  • 27.33% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to production processes in 2025.[7]

Cloud Computing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77.7% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]
  • 90.7% of Australian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2022.[8]
  • 80.4% of Danish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]
  • 91.2% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]

Big Data in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 47.5% of German professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 57.5% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 46.8% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 45.4% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]

IoT in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 35.6% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[8]
  • 52.0% of South Korean professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2022.[8]
  • 36.3% of Irish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[8]
  • 42.6% of Austrian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[8]

Innovation in the engineering consulting industry

  • Two out of three projects were delivered on or ahead of schedule on average by AEC firms surveyed in 2025.[9]
  • 50% was the average bid-win rate reported by AEC firms surveyed in 2025.[9]
  • 77% of AEC firms surveyed had an optimistic outlook about the industry’s direction in 2025.[9]
  • 50% of AEC firms surveyed were working to improve adoption of resource-management tools in 2025.[9]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data-integration friction is measured by quality problems: 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting data-integration projects in 2024.

Business intelligence in the engineering consulting industry

  • 36% of UK architecture, engineering and consulting firms ranked cybersecurity among their top three organizational priorities in 2025.[10]
  • 85% of ACEC member-firm respondents said artificial intelligence was important to their engineering firm’s success in 2025.[3]
  • 48% of Canadian engineering firms using AI applied it to marketing and business development in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 17% of U.S. and Canadian architecture and engineering firms used generative AI for data summarization in 2024.[10]
  • 58% of Canadian engineering firms using AI applied it to data analysis and reporting in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 58% of UK architecture, engineering and consulting firms rated cybersecurity very important to business success in 2025.[10]

Data analytics in the engineering consulting industry

  • 3% of Canadian engineering firms had widespread AI implementation across multiple projects in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 32% of Canadian engineering firms had limited AI implementation across multiple projects in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 37% of Canadian engineering firms were experimenting with AI through pilot projects in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 87% of ACEC member-firm respondents expected artificial intelligence to enhance their job performance and satisfaction in 2025.[3]

Data Quality in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 67% of supply management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[11]
  • 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting their data-integration projects in 2024.[12]
  • 23% of supply management firms spent at least 21% of their time cleaning data in 2024.[11]
  • 87% of enterprise data leaders said traditional rules-based approaches to data quality did not scale to current needs in 2024.[13]
  • 49% of supply management organizations reported that their data quality was good or excellent in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[11]
  • 95% of enterprise companies with at least $1 billion in revenue had experienced a data-quality issue directly affecting business outcomes in 2024.[13]

Data Governance in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 81% of supply management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[11]
  • 61% of organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, according to a survey of more than 121 supply management professionals.[11]
  • 18.3% of organizations used a data-governance or catalog solution as part of their governance program in 2024.[14]
  • 33% of North American organizations had a formal data-governance organization in place in 2024.[14]
  • 71% of global organizations reported having a data-governance program in 2024, up from 60% in 2023.[12]
  • 32% of organizations in the 2024 governance study had a formal governance organization in place, while 68% had none.[14]

KPIs in the engineering consulting industry

  • 21.4% was the median operating-profit margin on net revenue for North American architecture and engineering firms in 2024.[10]
  • 11% was the year-over-year increase in net revenue per employee reported by North American architecture and engineering firms in 2024.[10]
  • 49% of U.S. engineering-firm executives reported backlogs of at least one year in the second quarter of 2026.[3]
  • 11 months was the median backlog reported by U.S. engineering-firm executives in the second quarter of 2026.[3]
  • 9.6% was the forecast net-revenue growth rate for North American architecture and engineering firms in 2025.[10]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Backlogs support continued competitive growth: 49% of U.S. engineering-firm executives reported backlogs of at least one year in the second quarter of 2026, with a median backlog of 11 months.

Growth in the engineering consulting industry

  • 65.4% of 185 ENR Top 225 firms reporting backlog status said their backlog was higher in 2024 than in the prior year.[15]
  • 2% was Arup’s global revenue growth in financial year 2023/24, when revenue reached £2.2 billion.[16]
  • 7.5% was Stantec’s acquisition-driven net-revenue growth in 2024.[17]
  • 7.4% was Stantec’s organic net-revenue growth in 2024, including 8.6% in the United States, 6.0% in Canada and 5.8% in Global operations.[18]
  • 93.6% of ENR Top 225 firms reporting profitability status recorded profit on international work in 2024.[15]
  • 15.8% was Stantec’s net-revenue growth in 2024, reaching $5.9 billion globally.[18]

Differentiation in the engineering consulting industry

  • 38% of EXP’s 2024 global design revenue came from transportation projects, its largest reported sector share.[19]
  • 39% of WSP Global’s 2024 international design revenue came from transportation projects, its largest reported sector share.[20]
  • 24% of Arcadis’s 2024 international design revenue came from hazardous-waste projects, its largest reported sector share.[20]
  • 77% of Worley’s 2024 international design revenue came from industrial and petroleum projects, its largest reported sector share.[20]
  • 39% of AECOM’s 2024 international design revenue came from transportation projects, tied for its largest reported sector share.[20]
  • 61.7% was the increase in telecommunications revenue among ENR’s Top 225 international design firms between 2023 and 2024.[15]

Mergers and acquisitions in the engineering consulting industry

  • 645 employees were at ZETCON Engineering when Stantec completed its acquisition of the German engineering firm in January 2024.[21]
  • US$1.78 billion was the purchase price WSP paid to acquire POWER Engineers in 2024.[22]
  • 1,150 employees were at Morrison Hershfield when Stantec completed its acquisition of the Canadian engineering and management firm in February 2024.[21]
  • US$837.8 million was POWER Engineers’ gross revenue in the year ended December 31, 2023, before its acquisition by WSP.[22]
  • At least $5.7 billion of revenue growth through acquisition was recorded between 2019 and 2024 by companies tracked in the global environmental and sustainability consulting market.[23]
  • 2,745 employees were added to Stantec through its acquisitions of ZETCON Engineering, Morrison Hershfield and Hydrock in 2024.[17]

Strategic partnerships in the engineering consulting industry

  • 1 joint venture between Arup and AECOM was appointed as a design and consenting service partner for National Grid’s Great Grid Partnership in 2024.[16]
  • 4 stations were included in Arup and Foster + Partners’ California High-Speed Rail Authority partnership covering planning, architecture and engineering services in the United States during 2023/24.[16]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Capacity constraints remain central, with labor scarcity affecting hiring: 67% of AEC firms surveyed said they struggled with hiring and retention in 2025.

Hiring in the engineering consulting industry

  • 76.5% of Prairie architecture and engineering firms expected headcount growth during the next 12 months in 2026.[24]
  • 64% of AEC firms surveyed used a human-resources information system or applicant-tracking system in 2025.[25]
  • 67% of AEC firms surveyed said they struggled with hiring and retention in 2025.[26]
  • 44% of AEC firms surveyed said their HRIS or applicant-tracking systems included AI capabilities in 2025.[25]
  • 62% of AEC leaders surveyed identified candidate quality as their top resource-management issue in 2025.[26]

Employee retention in the engineering consulting industry

  • 47% of consulting-engineering organizations with job architecture shared the documentation with all employees in 2026.[27]
  • 6.39 years was the average consultant tenure at professional-services firms in 2024, according to SPI Research’s talent benchmark.[28]
  • 6.9% was the annual voluntary employee-attrition rate at professional-services firms in 2024.[28]
  • 69.8% of Prairie architecture and engineering firms surveyed said offering an ESOP had a positive impact on employee retention in 2025.[29]
  • 4.8% was the annual involuntary employee-attrition rate at professional-services firms in 2024.[28]

Remote Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of U.S. professional-services firms reported having at least one paid work-from-home employee in November 2024–January 2025.[30]
  • About 45% of U.S. professional and business-services workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[31]
  • 37.21% was the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.[32]
  • 62.8% of U.S. professional and business-services employees who could work at home did so during 2024–2025, while 66.0% could work at home.[33]

Hybrid Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 38% of full-time employees worked hybrid schedules during January–April 2025.[34]
  • 61% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs preferred hybrid work in November 2025, compared with 33% preferring fully remote work.[35]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 22% of full-time employees worked fully from home during January–April 2025.[34]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 39% of full-time employees worked fully onsite during January–April 2025.[34]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in November 2025.[35]

Upskilling in the engineering consulting industry

  • 61.0 days was the average time for a new professional-services hire to become productive in 2024.[28]
  • Two thirds of AEC leaders cited promoting from within as a top staffing tactic in 2025.[26]
  • 9.2 guaranteed annual training days per employee was the professional-services average in 2024.[28]
  • AEC firms surveyed reported upskilling current employees to fill higher-level roles as a response to experienced-talent shortages in 2025.[29]

Employee Engagement in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, while 17% were actively disengaged.[35]
  • 34% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2022, while 16% were actively disengaged.[35]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 17% were actively disengaged.[35]
  • 33% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2023, while 16% were actively disengaged.[35]

DEI in the engineering consulting industry

  • 6 of 13 engineering firms in the ACEC DEI&B case study were designated small business enterprises in 2024.[3]
  • Diversity-roadmap scores ranged from 25 to 90 on a 0-to-100 scale among 13 engineering firms in the ACEC case study in 2024.[3]
  • 2 of 6 small-business engineering firms in the ACEC case study were designated woman-owned business enterprises in 2024.[3]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Project delivery alone does not guarantee repeat business: more than 20% of AEC clients did not return despite on-time project delivery in 2025.

Customer experience in the engineering consulting industry

  • Approximately 80% was the annual client-retention rate reported for the AEC sector in 2025.[36]
  • 75% of AEC firms said marketing championed client experience in 2025.[36]
  • 35.2% of AEC firms reported project-delivery or operations buy-in for client experience in 2025.[36]
  • More than 20% of AEC clients did not return despite on-time project delivery in 2025.[36]
  • 52.8% of AEC firms reported leadership buy-in for client experience in 2025.[36]

Customer acquisition in the engineering consulting industry

  • 51% of AEC firms relied primarily on a client-driven positioning strategy in 2026.[25]
  • 89% of AEC firms named principals or owners as primarily responsible for business development in 2026.[25]
  • 63% of AEC firms rated conferences and events as their most effective marketing channel in 2026.[25]
  • 12% of total business-development effort at AEC firms was attributed to principals and owners in 2026.[25]
  • 59% of total business-development effort at AEC firms was attributed to project managers in 2026.[25]

Lead generation in the engineering consulting industry

  • 42% of AEC marketers tracked lead generation and website traffic to assess marketing success in 2024.[37]
  • 58% of AEC firms identified their firm websites as an effective marketing channel in 2026.[25]
  • 19.6% of architecture, engineering and construction leads came from digital sources in 2024.[38]
  • Generating high-quality leads for new projects ranked among the top three marketing priorities for AEC marketers in 2024.[39]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Lead generation relies heavily on social channels: 94% of AEC marketers relied on social media for lead generation and brand awareness in 2024.

Marketing in the engineering consulting industry

  • 36% of AEC firms using outside marketing consultants used them for public media and relations in 2026.[25]
  • 47% of AEC firms using outside marketing consultants used them for video production in 2026.[25]
  • 69% of AEC marketing teams had fewer than 10 people in 2024, including teams at large and enterprise firms.[37]
  • More than half of AEC marketers were considering a job change in the near future in 2024.[37]
  • 36% of AEC firms using outside marketing consultants used them for strategic marketing planning in 2026.[25]

Digital marketing in the engineering consulting industry

  • 53% of A&E firms reported using artificial-intelligence tools in 2025, up from 38% in the prior year.[10]
  • 40% of AEC marketers spent less than 25% of their time creating new content in 2024.[39]
  • 38% of A&E firms rated themselves digitally mature or advanced in 2025.[10]
  • 35% of AEC marketers spent less than 25% of their time on long-term marketing and brand strategy in 2024.[39]
  • 94% of AEC marketers relied on social media as a key channel for lead generation and awareness in 2024.[37]

Branding in the engineering consulting industry

  • 88% of participating engineering and architecture firms reviewed marketing materials most of the time or always to avoid stereotypes or negative representations in 2025.[3]
  • 51% of AEC firms relied primarily on client-driven positioning to define their market position in 2026.[25]
  • Increasing brand visibility and recognition ranked second among AEC marketing priorities in 2024.[39]
  • 26% of AEC marketers used brand perception as a success measure in 2024.[37]
  • 56% of participating engineering and architecture firms included inclusion strategies when pursuing work in 2025.[3]

Social media in the engineering consulting industry

  • 62% of AEC firms rated social media as an effective marketing channel in 2026.[25]
  • 26% of AEC firms employed social-media managers in 2024.[40]
  • Strengthening social-media engagement and outreach ranked among the lower-tier marketing priorities for AEC marketers in 2024.[39]
  • 94% of AEC marketers relied on social media for lead generation and brand awareness in 2024.[37]

Influencer Marketing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners say finding the right talent is their single biggest collaboration obstacle, based on Q1 2026 research.[41]
  • 86% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners and creators prefer co-creating content with brands rather than amplifying finished brand content, based on Q1 2026 research.[41]
  • 74% of B2B influencers use artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation, based on Q1 2026 research.[41]
  • 78% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners identify brand awareness and lead generation as their joint top challenges, based on Q1 2026 research.[41]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Delivery performance is high but variability persists: 73.8% of professional-services projects were delivered on time in 2025, while the average project-overrun rate was 10.7%.

Process optimization in the engineering consulting industry

  • 27.1% of professional-services projects used generative AI in 2025, up from 19.3% in 2024, indicating broader technology integration into service delivery.[10]
  • 37.7% was the average project margin in 2025, up from 35.9% in 2024.[10]
  • 73.8% of professional-services projects were delivered on time in 2025, compared with 73.4% in 2024.[10]
  • 10.7% was the average project-overrun rate in 2025, down from 11.3% in 2024 but still above the 10% threshold identified as damaging to margins and client relationships.[10]
  • 88.8% of professional-services firms achieved their annual project-margin targets in 2025, up from 86.9% in 2024.[10]

Operational efficiency in the engineering consulting industry

  • 57.5% was the median labor-utilization rate reported by architecture and engineering firms for year-end 2025.[42]
  • $168,000 was professional-services revenue per employee in 2025, up 6% from 2024.[10]
  • 10.4% of professional-services revenue came from subcontractors in 2025, down from 10.9% in 2024.[10]
  • 66.4% was the billable-utilization rate for professional-services firms in 2025, the lowest level recorded by SPI Research.[10]
  • $195,224 was net revenue per total staff member for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025.[42]

Quality management in the engineering consulting industry

  • 68.2% of clients were referenceable at professional-services firms in 2025, indicating the proportion willing to support business development with references.[10]
  • 73.8% of professional-services projects were delivered on time in 2025, a direct project-delivery indicator for consulting firms.[10]
  • 70.9% on-time delivery was reported by firms with less than 20% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]
  • 11.5% was the project-overrun rate among firms with less than 20% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]
  • 88.8% of professional-services firms met their annual margin targets in 2025, up from 86.9% in 2024.[10]

Supply chain in the engineering consulting industry

  • 11.1% was the five-year average share of professional-services revenue generated through subcontractors in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]
  • 31.0% of firms in the 2025 SPI benchmark obtained under 20% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work.[28]
  • 10.9% of firms obtained more than 50% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]
  • 25.7% of firms obtained 20%–30% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]
  • 14.8% of firms obtained 40%–50% of project margin from subcontractor or offshore work in the 2025 SPI benchmark.[28]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 39% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad outsourced business functions to external providers during 2021–2023, while 72% used affiliated-group insourcing.[7]
  • 65% of U.S. CPA firms participating in the 2025 National MAP Survey that offshored used India, followed by 33% using the Philippines.[43]
  • 29% of U.S. CPA firms responding to the 2025 National MAP Survey utilized offshoring, rising to 74% among firms with at least $10 million in net client fees.[43]
  • 47.5% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced administrative and management functions internationally during 2021–2023.[7]
  • 60% of EU business-services enterprises sourcing abroad were in the business-services sector, compared with 40% in industry and construction, during 2021–2023.[7]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Billing practices are shifting under scrutiny: 83% of AEC firms updated billing rates annually in 2026, down from 90% in the prior report.

Pricing strategy in the engineering consulting industry

  • 33% was the increase in engineering hourly consulting fees over four years reported in the 2024 IEEE-USA Consultants Fee Survey.[44]
  • 39% of senior executives surveyed in 2024 expected consulting and professional-services prices to fall.[45]
  • 83% of AEC firms updated billing rates annually in 2026, down from 90% in the prior report.[25]
  • 488 engineering-industry survey responses informed ACEC Research Institute’s 2026 study of moving from hourly billing toward value-based pricing.[3]
  • 79% of AEC firms allowed broad internal visibility of billing rates in 2026, up from 75% previously.[25]

Cost reduction in the engineering consulting industry

  • 15.3 days was average work-in-process at architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025, down 15% from 17.9 days.[42]
  • $123.26 was total hourly cost per direct labor hour for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025.[42]
  • $46.41 was direct labor cost per direct labor hour for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025.[42]
  • 155.1% was the engineering or E/A overhead rate excluding bonuses in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity study.[46]
  • 42.5% was return on overhead for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025, a 13% increase from the prior edition.[42]

Profitability in the engineering consulting industry

  • 11.8% was operating profit on net revenue for all participants in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]
  • 16.9% was EBITDA on net revenue for high-performing firms in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]
  • 88.8% of professional-services firms achieved their annual margin targets in 2025.[10]
  • 8.0% was EBITDA on net revenue for all participants in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]
  • 9.9% was EBITDA as a percentage of revenue for professional-services firms in 2025, compared with 9.8% in 2024.[10]

Financial planning in the engineering consulting industry

  • 9.5% was the net-revenue change for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025, compared with 10.0% in the prior edition.[42]
  • 7.4% was staff-size growth for architecture and engineering firms at year-end 2025.[42]
  • 75 days was the average accounts-receivable collection period for all participants in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]
  • 2.44 was the current ratio for all participants in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]
  • 6.5 months was average year-end backlog for all participants in the 36th annual Deltek Clarity A&E study.[46]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

AI use inside service delivery is measurable: 53% of North American architecture and engineering firms reported using AI tools in 2025.

Product development in the engineering consulting industry

  • 38% of North American architecture and engineering firms rated themselves digitally mature or advanced in 2025.[10]
  • 53% of North American architecture and engineering firms reported using artificial-intelligence tools in 2025.[10]
  • 23.0% of U.S. architectural, engineering and related-services companies reported a product or business-process innovation during 2020–22.[47]
  • 62% of U.S. and Canadian architecture and engineering firms expected artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency in 2024.[10]
  • 5.0% of U.S. architectural, engineering and related-services companies reported a goods innovation during 2020–22.[47]

Product lifecycle in the engineering consulting industry

  • 14% of U.S. and Canadian architecture and engineering firms used generative AI for data analysis in 2024.[10]
  • 9% of Canadian engineering firms using AI applied it to predictive maintenance in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 27% of U.S. and Canadian architecture and engineering firms used generative AI for project planning in 2025.[10]
  • 18% of Canadian engineering firms using AI applied it to project management in the second half of 2024.[3]
  • 27% of Canadian engineering firms using AI applied it to design optimization in the second half of 2024.[3]

Value proposition in the engineering consulting industry

  • 85% of ACEC member-firm respondents said artificial intelligence was important to their firm’s success in 2025.[3]
  • 19 engineering executives were interviewed for ACEC research on moving engineering firms from hourly billing toward value-based pricing in 2026.[3]
  • 87% of ACEC member-firm respondents said artificial intelligence would enhance their job performance and satisfaction in 2025.[3]
  • 488 engineering-industry professionals contributed survey responses to ACEC research on value-based pricing in 2026.[3]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability targets are quantified through emissions cuts: WSP reported a 68% reduction in total market-based Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from its 2018 base year by 2024.

Sustainability in the engineering consulting industry

  • 200 gigawatt-hours per year was the potential output increase identified by Stantec’s infrastructure assessment and improvement plan.[17]
  • 68% was WSP’s reduction in total market-based Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from its 2018 base year by 2024.[22]
  • 20% was the 2023 growth rate of the global environmental and sustainability consulting market, reaching $54.7 billion.[23]
  • 17% was WSP’s reduction in Scope 3 GHG emissions from its 2018 base year by 2024.[22]
  • $4.63 billion was Stantec’s 2024 revenue from global architecture, engineering and environmental consulting activities.[17]

ESG in the engineering consulting industry

  • 3.7% was WSP’s approximate increase in global average employee retention from 2023 to 2024.[22]
  • 22 impacts, risks and opportunities were mapped to WSP’s 12 material ESG topics in its 2024 assessment.[22]
  • 78% of WSP global leadership positions and direct-report roles were filled internally in 2024.[22]
  • 14 of the 30 leading engineering and construction companies studied by EY published ESG disclosures in 2024.[48]
  • 52,000 employees worldwide were reported by AECOM in its 2024 sustainability reporting.[49]

Ethics in the engineering consulting industry

  • 94% of UK engineers surveyed agreed that serious adverse safety impacts should be reported regardless of career consequences.[50]
  • 84% of UK engineers and technicians said they were mindful of how their work affects the environment.[50]
  • 78.4% of surveyed engineering firms often or always informed employees about the firm’s ethical guidelines.[51]
  • 83.8% of surveyed engineering firms in a 2025 study often or always prioritised ethical standards in engineering practices.[51]
  • 80% of UK engineers and technicians surveyed said their organisations had a strong ethical culture and treated responsible operation as a priority.[50]

CSR in the engineering consulting industry

  • $4.63 billion was Stantec’s 2024 revenue while reporting sustainability contributions to employees, clients, investors and communities.[17]
  • 20% was AECOM’s achieved target for women’s representation in senior leadership in its social-impact reporting.[49]
  • Nearly $300,000 was raised by AECOM employees through a donation-match programme supporting conflict refugees and relief funds.[49]
  • Four consecutive years was AECOM’s period of strong employee engagement and sustainability-training completion reported in 2024.[52]
  • Eighth overall was Stantec’s 2025 ranking in Corporate Knights’ Global 100, and first among its industry peers.[17]

Carbon footprint in the engineering consulting industry

  • 437 metric tons of CO2e was AECOM UK’s Scope 1 emissions in FY2025.[49]
  • 11,051 metric tons of CO2e was AECOM UK’s FY2025 footprint, down from its 16,757-ton FY2018 baseline.[49]
  • 16,757 metric tons of CO2e was AECOM UK’s total baseline emissions in FY2018.[49]
  • 4,003 metric tons of CO2e came from AECOM UK business travel in FY2025.[49]
  • 1,043 metric tons of CO2e was AECOM UK’s Scope 2 emissions in FY2025.[49]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International revenue share is high for many firms: 85% of WSP Global’s total revenue was international revenue in 2024.

Globalization in the engineering consulting industry

  • 21.7% was the increase in international design revenue generated in Asia by ENR’s Top 225 firms between 2024 and 2025.[15]
  • 48% of AECOM’s total revenue was international revenue in 2024, according to ENR’s international design-firm ranking.[20]
  • 85% of WSP Global’s total revenue was international revenue in 2024, according to ENR’s international design-firm ranking.[20]
  • 92% of Arcadis’s total revenue was international revenue in 2024, according to ENR’s international design-firm ranking.[20]
  • $12.1 billion was U.S. cross-border exports of architecture and engineering services in 2023, including scientific and technical services.[62]

Key questions about the Engineering Consulting Industry

What is the U.S. engineering and design services market size in 2026?
In 2026, the U.S. engineering and design services industry is projected to reach $506.6 billion in revenue.
How fast is the industry expected to grow in 2026?
ACEC projects 2026 engineering and design services revenue growth of 5.6% to $506.6 billion.
Which companies lead the engineering consulting industry?
WSP Global stands out thanks to C$18.3 billion 2025 revenue, while Burns & McDonnell stands out since its 2025 revenue growth was 19.4%, making their engineering and infrastructure consulting scale and growth profile distinct for evidence-minded comparisons.
What technology shift is measurable in 2026 for engineering and design work?
In 2026, 17% of U.S. AEC firms surveyed credited AI with reducing rework, while 22% said they felt highly prepared for AI integration.
What does industry concentration look like among major firms?
AECOM USA generated 1.5% of U.S. architectural and engineering services turnover in 2025, indicating a fragmented industry where the leading firm holds a low-single-digit share.
How are firms pricing and what is changing versus earlier billing approaches?
Engineering hourly consulting fees increased by 33% over four years reported in the 2024 IEEE-USA Consultants Fee Survey, and ACEC Research Institute collected 488 engineering-industry responses for its 2026 study of moving from hourly billing toward value-based pricing.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/engineering-consulting-industry-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/engineering-consulting-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Engineering Consulting Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/engineering-consulting-industry-statistics.

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