Salary · Structural engineering
Structural senior associate or department lead salary in 2026
A structural senior associate or department lead earns $165,000 to $225,000 base at a US mid-market AEC firm, according to 2026 recruiter placement bands. The 48 structural senior associate or department lead postings in our database that list pay have a median of $164,000, and the middle half run $142,000 to $193,000.
Recruiter band
$165–225kbase
Posted median
$164k48 postings with pay
Middle half of postings
$142–193ka quarter post below, a quarter above
The ladder
Where this sits in structural engineering
One rung up, a structural engineering principal or partner earns $225k to $360k.
| Role | Chart | Recruiter band | Posted median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural EIT0 to 3 yrs | $72k to $92k | $84k142 postings | |
| Structural engineer (PE)3 to 6 yrs | $92k to $122k | $103k219 postings | |
| Senior structural engineer6 to 10 yrs | $120k to $158k | $128k481 postings | |
| Structural project manager | $135k to $178k | $150k37 postings | |
| Structural senior associate or department leadThis role | $165k to $225k | $164k48 postings | |
| Structural engineering principal or partner | $225k to $360k | $195k30 postings | |
$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k$350k$400k | |||
- What moves it
- Steel, concrete, mass timber, seismic, data center and bridge work. An SE license, or PE licenses in several states, pushes pay to the top of every band.
- Bonus
- Bonus typically adds 5 to 15% for senior roles and up to 25% at principal and partner level.
- Basis
- Base salary at US mid-market AEC firms (40 to 400 people), before bonus, equity and project incentive pay.
Posted now
Recent structural senior associate or department lead jobs with pay
From employer career pages, newest first, one per firm. Each link opens the firm's own posting.
- $205k to $234k / yr
- $175k to $175k / yr
- $101k to $177k / yr
- $130k to $150k / yr
- $188k to $188k / yr
BLS benchmark
What all employers pay
The May 2025 federal wage survey covers every level of the occupation at once, so its median sits near the middle of the ladder. BLS counts structural engineers inside civil engineers (SOC 17-2051), so the BLS figures here are the civil ones. City medians are on the structural engineering page.
- 10th percentile
- $68,240
- 25th percentile
- $79,930
- Median
- $100,840
- 75th percentile
- $129,680
- 90th percentile
- $163,220
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual wages, all employers, before bonus and overtime.
Questions
Questions about this pay
How much do structural senior associates and department leads make?
A structural senior associate or department lead earns $165,000 to $225,000 base at a US mid-market AEC firm, according to 2026 recruiter placement bands. The 48 structural senior associate or department lead postings in our database that list pay have a median of $164,000, and the middle half run $142,000 to $193,000.
How does a structural senior associate or department lead earn more?
One rung up, a structural engineering principal or partner earns $225k to $360k. An SE license, or PE licenses in several states, pushes pay to the top of every band.
Does this include bonus?
No. Base salary at US mid-market AEC firms (40 to 400 people), before bonus, equity and project incentive pay. Bonus typically adds 5 to 15% for senior roles and up to 25% at principal and partner level.
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