Engineering Services
See A Full Sample Profile
What you're seeing is just a taste! The full profile contains:
- 30 - 50 Call Prep Questions
- Business Challenges
- Trends and Opportunities
- And much more...
Get Information Now
Rest assured, your information will not be shared with anyone else (see our privacy policy for details).
Industry Overview
The US engineering services industry is highly fragmented, comprising 45,000 mainly small companies with combined annual revenue of $90 billion. Large companies include Jacobs Engineering Group and URS Corporation, as well as the engineering divisions of large construction companies like Fluor and Bechtel. Almost half the firms in the industry are small, with fewer than five employees. The 50 largest firms account for only 35 percent of industry revenue. About 100 firms have more than $100 million of annual revenue.
Competitive Landscape
Demand is driven largely by the construction needs of companies and governments and the desire of industrial customers to improve the efficiency of their operations. Profitability depends on the ability to accurately predict costs for a project. Small firms, which can effectively compete with larger ones by having expertise in a particular field, are often hired as consultants on larger projects if they have special expertise. Large firms have the advantage in designing and managing large projects. Average revenue per employee is about $150,000 for large firms, $110,000 for small ones.
Products, Operations & Technology
Engineering services include a wide variety of activities, including product design, industrial process design, construction design and management, systems engineering, and maintenance and operations. Engineering companies may be involved in projects that require skills in analysis, design, project management, operations, or all four. Most firms specialize in a particular type of engineering. Most engineering work is of a project nature, such as designing and constructing a highway, or formulating an environmental plan for a wetlands area.
Engineering firms basically sell the knowledge of their employees. The work is labor-intensive. Attracting and retaining qualified engineers is an ongoing concern. Due to the complexity of many jobs, engineering firms often hire subcontractors and consultants to perform specialized work.
Computer systems are used extensively for analysis, design, budgeting, project planning and control, accounting, and communications.