How Much of Pay Raise after PE Certification?

[Dexman1349]

Bring in a copy of your license and show him. "You know, now that I've received my P.E. I am able to increase my billable rate to our clients. I think that because I am now able to bring in more money to the company and am more valuble to the company..."

I would also suggest working more closely with PM's (if you're a consultant), to pickup what they do and to start training yourself to be a PM. This will only increase your value to the company. Conversely, I would also start working more with engineers would are working up to your position. Remember, you can't be promoted unless they can find a replacement for you.

 

[Moe_Eng_79]

OK guys, lets talk REAL $$. I have no PE or EIT. However that said, I bring in 75K here in Colorado in as an electrical designer. The pay is for what I know and can do. I have been in the industry for 30 years now, have a masters license and a contractors license, I QC EVERY P.E. drawings in the shop I work in, even the owners. Become an expert in the NEC, and learn ACADMEP or REVIT, and you will earn top dollar. Lets face it 100% of electricians getting their Journey license (5 years) know more about electrical engineering than anyone just graduating from college. In electrical its all about the code. Become an expert in the NEC and the rest will follow.
All this said, the big money will always be owning your own company and not working for someone else. Been there done that

Please take no offense to this but here I am going to make a point. You say you have been in the industry for 30 years and then you brag about making 75K????? Sir, any kid graduating from college tomorrow and getting serious about learning the business and passing the EIT and PE will be making more than you in about 6 years flat. Like I said, take no offense....

I guess that would be me, 6 years out of college making > 80K with no PE yet, just tried it for the first time and waiting for my results.

BTW, any one here knows if California updated the data base? I have to wait for my mail to get forwarded to my new mail, (last guy to know if he passed for October 2009 PE in the nation)

 

[Moe_Eng_79]

How about a congratulatory lunch and a pay cut. I was informed by my supervisor that since I am now a 'professional' I am no longer eligible for overtime, which I had anticipated, but I didn't get a raise, so effectively I just got bumped down in pay. Hooray.

WOWWW....this is new... This always happen when we are professional. Smetimes people will abuse us. I've been working for 4 years now yet my salary still the same since the 1st year.

regards,

kelly

_______________

Simulation pret

May be time to cut and run!

Cut and run Cut and run, please, you are here abusing other PEs for getting paid low.

Cut and run, shoot for a 100 K, I am serious...

 

[TBSS]

All expenses (books, travel, etc) covered.$2,500 spot bonus for passing the exam (Uncle Sam took a nice chunk out of it thought)

Probably the regular 5-6% raise. Given the market conditions, I am not complaining.

No expenses covered, no bonus (I did get a nice xmas bonus unrelated to PE), and no talk of any raise (yet?).

On the bright side, my seal is being used for all outgoing drawings now. :blink: Ummmm, am I getting hosed?

I love my company, I'm just a little surprised that compensation of any kind for the use of my seal has gone completely unmentioned. I just have to assume it won't last long.

 

[Santiagj]

That sucks!

I stamped about 6-7 drawing packages before I was given a raise. It did take a while for me to get the raise since HR was implementing a new promotion system. At first I didn't believe them but it was legit. I was pondering about not using my stamp and making them suck up the costing of farming that out. You can do that but it kind of burns the bridges down.

 

[TBSS]

That sucks!
I stamped about 6-7 drawing packages before I was given a raise. It did take a while for me to get the raise since HR was implementing a new promotion system. At first I didn't believe them but it was legit. I was pondering about not using my stamp and making them suck up the costing of farming that out. You can do that but it kind of burns the bridges down.

Yeah, I'm not gonna go there, it's not worth it in the end. They'll deliver I'm sure.

 

[alison]

My "congrats on passing the PE, now here's more responsibility" raise has finally gone through - of course, I had to bug the bossman about it after I noticed that my first paycheck of the year was identical to all of my paychecks before I passed the PE. There were no performance based raises company wide this past year, but I still had the opinion that I should receive at least the standard raise that folks get when they pass the PE, and he agreed completely. Long story short, I received word this past Friday that I've received a promotion that places me in a higher pay scale, amounting to a 20% raise. Not too shabby!

Mind you, the standard "congrats on passing the PE" raise is typically small (3-5%, depending on your current pay scale at the time of passing), so the raise is partially due to that, but mainly due to the fact that I've taken on a ton more responsibility over the past few months.

 

[TBSS]

My "congrats on passing the PE, now here's more responsibility" raise has finally gone through - of course, I had to bug the bossman about it after I noticed that my first paycheck of the year was identical to all of my paychecks before I passed the PE. There were no performance based raises company wide this past year, but I still had the opinion that I should receive at least the standard raise that folks get when they pass the PE, and he agreed completely. Long story short, I received word this past Friday that I've received a promotion that places me in a higher pay scale, amounting to a 20% raise. Not too shabby!
Mind you, the standard "congrats on passing the PE" raise is typically small (3-5%, depending on your current pay scale at the time of passing), so the raise is partially due to that, but mainly due to the fact that I've taken on a ton more responsibility over the past few months.

Congrats! I need to set up a certiain time by which I'll say something about it. I hate being made to feel that I'm greedy by asking for what I think I deserve because I worked hard to get it and we, the company and I, benefit from it.

 

[alison]

Congrats! I need to set up a certiain time by which I'll say something about it. I hate being made to feel that I'm greedy by asking for what I think I deserve because I worked hard to get it and we, the company and I, benefit from it.

By all means, speak up! While I didn't ask for a specific raise (I was honestly expecting the typical 3-5% that I originally mentioned), the "big bossman" who I spoke to is based out of another office (in another state), so he didn't even know that I had passed the exam. Color me silly for not sending out a mass "OMFG I passed!" e-mail to the entire company Once he heard that I passed, the paperwork was filed near immediately and I found out 2 weeks later that a far more significant raise went through.

 

[sac_engineer]

Congrats! I need to set up a certiain time by which I'll say something about it. I hate being made to feel that I'm greedy by asking for what I think I deserve because I worked hard to get it and we, the company and I, benefit from it.

By all means, speak up! While I didn't ask for a specific raise (I was honestly expecting the typical 3-5% that I originally mentioned), the "big bossman" who I spoke to is based out of another office (in another state), so he didn't even know that I had passed the exam. Color me silly for not sending out a mass "OMFG I passed!" e-mail to the entire company Once he heard that I passed, the paperwork was filed near immediately and I found out 2 weeks later that a far more significant raise went through.

Congrats alison!

My raise was 10% for passing the PE. My company kept cost-of-living and merit pay nearly to zero for everyone (or so I'm told), so most, if not all of the raise was promotional. Honestly, I was expecting something in the 12-15% range, but because of lean times, they obliged with 10%. Can't complain though - the raise covers daycare plus additional fun money.

 

[PA_Mining_Engr]

A promotion is in the works which would translate into 4%, however; I'll end up giving back that 4% since I would now be considered management. :smileyballs:

Why you ask: the lovely people in charge of PA's state gov't thought it nice to freeze managers pay (Dec. 2008 - June 2011). So, the 6.25% pay increase that still remains on the unions contract goes bye-bye for me once the promotion goes through........can someone please explain what my motivation was for getting a PE?! :brickwall:

I suppose the self-gratification thing and the ability to sell myself to the highest consulting firm!

 

[Dexman PE]

...the ability to sell myself to the highest consulting firm!

We really are whores. But I'm ok with it.

 

[_Gambit_]

$1.50/hr raise.....

 

[TBSS]

$1.50/hr raise.....

$.865 per hour for me! That barely covers what it cost to take a PE review course, buy study materials, application fee, exam fee, and set up NCEES record. However, I still feel like a greedy whore because I think I deserve a little more than that.

 

[Kephart P.E.]

The most important thing is you love what you do, and I love being a business owner for a fully licensed Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Co.
I'm confident my current business will be worth several million in 5 to 10 years (I sold my first business for nearly a mill in 97) -- I'd rather take business risk than be a dependent employee that usually gets downsized in their 50's.

You sound like an disgruntled dependent employee Mike :Locolaugh:

There. I fixed your post for you. Now it makes sense........

I must disagree, sure guys get downsized in their 50's -but the majority of engineers I have worked with of that age where really invaluable engineers. Heck some of the guys in their late 60's who have already retired we have called and begged them into working off and on over the years.

Basically if you are a good engineer in your 30-40's and continue to stay current with marketable skills I can't see why you couldn't find work in your 50's.

Let me preface my post with this though, I work as and engineering consultant and almost every engineer is a PE and we work in a large variety of Heavy Industrial Engineering.

 

[rppearso]

A promotion is in the works which would translate into 4%, however; I'll end up giving back that 4% since I would now be considered management. :smileyballs:
Why you ask: the lovely people in charge of PA's state gov't thought it nice to freeze managers pay (Dec. 2008 - June 2011). So, the 6.25% pay increase that still remains on the unions contract goes bye-bye for me once the promotion goes through........can someone please explain what my motivation was for getting a PE?! :brickwall:

I suppose the self-gratification thing and the ability to sell myself to the highest consulting firm!

I agree with that last sentence, im just buying my time until I can find a fatty opprotunity, I got a 0% raise but moving contractors it could result in a 130% raise so I am very anxious to see what happens. Also who here is working for something other than fun money lol, people talk down about fun money but thats the only reason I do what I do, otherwise I would have got a PhD in math.

 

[yatkins]

My company paid for my prep material and the exam and registration, but there is no raise involved and I didn't really expect there to be. I also won't be stamping any drawings any time soon since I am still the most junior around here. My small company is in need of more business and billable hours so I'm happy to be employed. If the rest of this year picks up, my bonus will be bigger.

Further, while passing a test is commendable, I don't think it has any bearing on being an engineer. This whole industry is based on experience and ability and I doubt anyone really gains any ability or experience just by passing the exam.

 

[buick455]

How much of a raise or bonus you get depends on your value to the company and if they need you to be a PE or not and how good a manager you have. The other factor is where you are in the pay scale for the position. A good company should at a minimum give you a bonus to recognize your achievement. I was told I would get a $500 award which is the same as what they give for a masters degree but at least for a masters they pay for your books and classes. They did not pay for any of this for the PE.

 

[TBSS]

$1.50/hr raise.....

$.865 $0.00 per hour for me! That barely covers what it cost to take a PE review course, buy study materials, application fee, exam fee, and set up NCEES record. However, I still feel like a greedy whore because I think I deserve a little more than that.

Correction made. Apparently the whopping $.865/hr. is being reconsidered. How that for a big effing thank you?! "You worked your ass off for years to get your PE and now we're going to use your seal but after thinking about it a little more, we're not going to pay you for it." I think it may be time to start the job search. What a great Monday!

 

[rppearso]

$1.50/hr raise.....

$.865 $0.00 per hour for me! That barely covers what it cost to take a PE review course, buy study materials, application fee, exam fee, and set up NCEES record. However, I still feel like a greedy whore because I think I deserve a little more than that.

Correction made. Apparently the whopping $.865/hr. is being reconsidered. How that for a big effing thank you?! "You worked your ass off for years to get your PE and now we're going to use your seal but after thinking about it a little more, we're not going to pay you for it." I think it may be time to start the job search. What a great Monday!

Just refuse to stamp, and start documenting email and get a voice recorder, if they fire you for failure to stamp something you sue them. Strong arming someone into stamping something is highly illegal you just have to make sure you rigoursly document all the cases where they asked you to stamp something and the negitive results when you refuse. You may want to talk to a lawyer before hand to see what you need to collect because they may do something sneaky like ask you to stamp and then try to find something unrelated to fire you for to avoid the law suite but good lawyers have seen this type of dodging before same thing for firing someone for being in the national guard they will try to find some non protected reason to get rid of you. In the mean time look for a new job and if you can find a new job for more money before issues start to arise from non stamping then you dont have to worry about it but no one should be strong armed into stamping something, its highly illegal and unethical.