The ACEC Research Institute commissioned a series of studies – the Industry Impact Series – to profile and analyze performance in the Engineering, Architectural, and Surveying Services Industry (A/E). The study was conducted by Rockport Analytics, an independent market and economic research firm using both publicly and privately available data, as well as proprietary analysis. The study aims to describe, measure, and demonstrate the indispensable partnership between engineering, architects, and other related professional services to deliver the built environment of the U.S.

The overarching goals of this research are to:

Establish a definition of the A/E sector based upon publishing recurring data that can be continuously updated and called upon to track performance for ACEC’s many constituencies.

Provide a comprehensive view of the size, growth, and composition of the A/E Services sector.

Measure the economic contribution of the A/E industry using established metrics found in virtually all industry economic impact analysis.

Analyze the key economic drivers of the A/E sector, build a statistical model using the strongest correlations between A/E performance and those drivers, and construct a recurring industry outlooks. The outlook and modeling assets can be used to forecast future A/E performance and evaluate scenarios surrounding policy, geopolitical, and other future conditions.

This research is intended to be of value to ACEC members and their constituents. It will provide industry insight to members and can be leveraged as a planning and educational resource. It will also assist ACEC advocacy, communications, and other outreach efforts. This initial phase of the work focuses on developing a definition of the industry from a data perspective, then profiling its size, growth, and regional performance.

The full report, 2020 Engineering Economic Contribution, is available for download by clicking here.

*Note: The Engineering Industry Economic Contribution was updated on 2/10/21 to reflect updated state tax information. This does not impact the total tax contribution number for the industry, but individual state data has changed.  See the state map on page 24 and in Appendix II on pages 30-31 of the report.