Talent Maps / Atlanta / Structural Engineers

Atlanta Structural Engineer Talent Map (2026)

Georgia’s licensed structural engineer pool is small and barely growing. Here is what structural engineers earn in Atlanta, which firms employ them, where they work and what is driving demand.

Hiring structural engineers in Atlanta?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers structural engineers in metro Atlanta. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts structural engineers as civil engineers, so this page combines Georgia license records, salary surveys and 2026 market data. For the full license breakdown, see our statistics on structural engineers in Georgia. See also our Atlanta civil engineer talent map.

Structural engineer salaries in Atlanta

Federal wage data files structural engineers under civil engineers, whose Atlanta median is $88,000. Salary surveys that track structural titles separately show structural engineers earning well above that once they pass entry level.

Salary survey figures are base pay averages for the titles shown. BLS has no separate category for structural engineers.

What the numbers mean in practice: an employer that prices a structural role against the federal civil median will lose candidates to firms that price against structural salary surveys. Licensed SEs with a decade of experience are a small, mostly employed group, and they know what they are worth.

Why Atlanta’s licensed structural pool is so small

Georgia issues a separate Structural Engineer (SE) license, and only an SE can design “designated structures.” Under Georgia board rules, a building is a designated structure if it meets any one of these tests:

• Risk Category III or IV under the building code, such as hospitals, schools and large assembly buildings.
• 100,000 square feet or more of covered area.
• An occupied floor 45 feet or more above average ground level.
• A lateral system height-to-width ratio of 7 or more.
• Designed using nonlinear time-history analysis or special seismic energy-dissipation systems.

Complex bridges, such as spans over 300 feet or cable-stayed designs, also require an SE. The Georgia board proposed changes to these rules in 2026, so check the current rules on the Georgia PELS Board site before relying on them.

Of the 525 active SEs with Georgia addresses, 434 were licensed by affidavit when the credential opened, a door that closed in January 2021. Only 58 came through comity from other states and 33 by exam. Large Atlanta buildings, hospitals and data centers all need SEs, but the in-state pool grows slowly.

Who employs structural engineers in Atlanta

Where the talent sits: Atlanta submarkets

What’s driving demand for structural engineers in Atlanta

• Data centers. CBRE counts 2,882 MW of data center capacity under construction in Atlanta, the most in North America in the first half of 2026. Many data center buildings are large enough to cross the 100,000 square foot threshold that requires an SE. See our Atlanta data center engineer talent map.
• Industrial. JLL counted 12.3 million square feet of industrial space under construction in metro Atlanta in the second quarter of 2026, including the first 1 million square foot speculative start since 2023.
• SR 400 Express Lanes. The roughly $11 billion project, under construction since 2026 and opening in 2031, includes new bridges and work at the SR 400 and I-285 interchange.
• Downtown redevelopment. Centennial Yards is redeveloping 50 acres of the Gulch downtown, starting with two 19-story towers and an entertainment district.

The talent pipeline

• Georgia Tech. The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s structural engineering, mechanics and materials group runs an 18,000 square foot structures lab, and undergraduates can take a structural concentration.
• Kennesaw State University. Offers a BS and an MS in civil engineering, with structural engineering in the master’s program.
• University of Georgia. Offers a BS in civil engineering with a structural emphasis.
• Licensing. Senate Bill 125, effective July 1, 2025, lets Georgia candidates sit for licensing exams before they finish their required experience, which may speed up new SEs over time.
• Professional groups. The Structural Engineers Association of Georgia (SEAOG) runs a job board and member directory, and ACEC Georgia’s 200-plus member firms employ more than 9,500 people in the state.

What this means if you’re hiring

• Price against structural surveys, not the civil median. Senior structural pay in Atlanta averages around $120,000 or more in base pay.
• Decide whether you need an SE or a PE. Only designated structures need an SE. Hiring a PE with structural experience and a path to the SE is often faster.
• Recruit from out of state. Most Georgia SE licenses belong to engineers outside Georgia, mainly in Florida, the Carolinas and Texas, so relocation candidates are a real option.
• Grow your own. Pay for SE exam prep and hire EITs two years from the exam. That is how firms get around a fixed pool.

Frequently asked questions

How much do structural engineers make in Atlanta?

Entry-level structural engineers in Atlanta earn about $76,000, mid-career engineers about $102,000, and senior engineers about $120,000 to $123,000 in base pay, according to 2026 Salary.com and Indeed data.

How many structural engineers are licensed in Georgia?

As of September 2026, 525 people held an active Georgia Structural Engineer license with a Georgia mailing address, out of 1,756 active SE licenses in total.

Which structural engineering firms are in Atlanta?

Atlanta firms include Uzun + Case, Walter P Moore, EM Structural, PES Structural Engineers, KSi Structural, Stanley D. Lindsey & Associates, DeVita & Associates, WJE and SGH.

Do I need an SE license to work in Georgia?

Only to design designated structures, such as Risk Category III or IV buildings, buildings of 100,000 square feet or more, or buildings with an occupied floor 45 feet or more above ground. Other structural work can be done under a PE license.

Sources (15)

• Georgia PELS Board: License lookup
• Georgia Rules 180-2: Designated structures
• SEAOG: The Georgia SE license
• Salary.com: Structural Engineer I, Georgia
• Indeed: Structural engineer salaries, Georgia
• O*NET OnLine: Civil engineer wages (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
• Uzun + Case
• Walter P Moore: Atlanta
• EM Structural: About
• Wallace Design Collective: KSi joins Wallace
• SGH: Atlanta expansion
• Tindall: Acquisition of Atlanta Structural Concrete
• JLL: Atlanta industrial market
• CBRE: North America Data Center Trends H1 2026
• Georgia Tech: Structural engineering, mechanics and materials