Talent Maps / Austin / Structural Engineers

Austin Structural Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What structural engineers earn in Austin, how Texas licenses them, which building and industrial firms employ them and the high-rise, medical, convention center and airport projects competing for them.

Hiring structural engineers in Austin?

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 the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts structural engineers as civil engineers, so we pair its May 2025 wage data with real pay ranges from Austin job postings in 2026. Our civil and structural engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Austin civil, architect and CAD designer talent maps.

$100,470Median pay for civil engineers, the BLS group that includes structural engineers, in AustinBLS, May 2025

$128,890The 75th percentile, where licensed structural engineers usually sitBLS, May 2025

1,025 ftHeight of Waterline, now the tallest building in TexasDPR Construction, 2026

$5BPlanned UT Dell Medical Center, built with MD AndersonCommunity Impact, 2026

$1.6BAustin Convention Center expansion, reopening in spring 2029KUT, 2026

$1.031BAuthorized to build the 26-gate Concourse B at AUSAustin-Bergstrom

Structural engineer salaries in Austin

BLS does not publish a separate figure for structural engineers. The civil engineer figures below include them, but structural engineers with a PE and building, bridge or industrial experience usually earn at or above the 75th percentile ($128,890).

Annual pay percentile	Austin metro	Texas	United States
10th percentile	$65,380	$63,240	$68,240
25th percentile	$80,070	$77,200	$79,930
Median	$100,470	$96,860	$100,840
75th percentile	$128,890	$127,340	$129,680
90th percentile	$162,770	$164,330	$163,220

Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051), which includes structural engineers. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

What Austin structural jobs are posting in 2026

Role	Experience	Posted base pay
AECOM, Structural Engineer (heavy industrial and power), hybrid Austin	2+ years	$85,000 to $115,000
SSOE Group, Senior Structural Engineer, Commercial Projects	PE, 8+ years	$115,000 to $140,000 plus bonus

Postings live in 2026. Both roles are open to more than one location. Few Austin structural postings list pay.

How Texas licenses structural engineers

Texas does not license engineers by discipline and has no separate structural engineering (SE) license. Structural work is sealed under a Texas PE license from the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, which accepts NCEES exam results, including the 16-hour structural exam. Candidates must also pass the Texas Ethics exam.

Where Austin’s structural engineers work

Building structural firms

Datum Engineers, founded in 1937, has an Austin office on North MoPac and offices in Chicago, Dallas and San Antonio. Walter P Moore’s Austin office has worked on Q2 Stadium, the Moody Center, Circuit of the Americas and the Dell Med Health Learning Building.

Brockette Davis Drake, based in Dallas and Austin, was structural engineer of record on Waterline.

Austin firms now in national groups

JQ, which dates to 1984, joined IMEG at the end of 2023, giving the combined firm more than 200 Texas staff, including an Austin office.

Architectural Engineers Collaborative, founded in Austin in 1998 with 35 staff in Austin and San Antonio, was acquired by TYLin in August 2023.

Industrial, power and semiconductor

AECOM is hiring structural engineers in Austin for heavy industrial and power generation work. SSOE Group hires senior structural engineers for commercial projects.

Samsung’s Taylor fabs add industrial structural work. See our Austin semiconductor engineering recruiters.

Senior roles open now

Walter P Moore is hiring a Senior Engineer, Structural, in Austin, asking for 6 to 11 years, a PE and a master’s degree.

Black & Veatch has posted a Senior Registered Engineer, Structural, for hydropower work, asking for 11+ years. Neither posting lists pay.

Where the talent sits: Austin submarkets

Downtown

High-risePublic buildings

Waterline at 98 Red River Street, the tallest building in Texas, and the Austin Convention Center rebuild.

North MoPac

Design firms

Datum Engineers’ Austin office is on North MoPac, as is Pape-Dawson’s Austin office.

South Austin

Design firmsBuildings

Walter P Moore’s current senior structural opening is in the 78704 zip code.

Southeast Austin and AUS

Aviation

Concourse B, a 26-gate concourse and tunnel, and a new arrivals and departures hall, both opening in the early 2030s.

Taylor and Williamson County

IndustrialSemiconductor

Samsung’s Taylor fab site, where Fab 2 construction is due to start by the end of 2026.

What’s driving demand for structural engineers in Austin

Waterline. The 74-story, 1,025-foot tower finished construction in July 2026, two months early. It has more than 2.7 million square feet and used about 150,000 cubic yards of concrete. DPR built it, and Brockette Davis Drake was structural engineer of record.
Austin Convention Center. The $1.6 billion expansion closed the center in April 2025. Demolition is complete, construction is underway and reopening is set for spring 2029. A judge upheld the funding plan, with up to $1.35 billion in bonds, on June 18, 2026.
UT Dell Medical Center. UT and MD Anderson plan a $5 billion center with 300 to 500 beds on 27 acres. UT Regents approved a first phase of up to $1 billion on August 12, 2026. Construction starts in fall 2026, with completion set for December 2030.
Austin-Bergstrom. Council has authorized $1.031 billion to build Concourse B and $820 million for the new arrivals and departures hall.
Samsung Taylor. Samsung’s second Taylor fab is due to start construction by the end of 2026, with mass production targeted for 2030.

The talent pipeline

UT Austin. The Cockrell School’s civil engineering program, which includes structural engineering, ranked No. 4 in the 2025-2026 U.S. News graduate rankings.
Texas State University. The Ingram School of Engineering in San Marcos offers an ABET-accredited BS in civil engineering.
Licensing. Senior structural engineers in Texas hold a PE license, since the state has no separate SE license.

What this means if you’re hiring

Buildings and industrial are different markets. A strong high-rise engineer and a strong fab or power plant engineer rarely swap. Be specific about the project type.
Price licensed engineers above the civil median. Plan on the 75th percentile ($128,890) or more. The senior commercial posting above tops out at $140,000 plus bonus.
Expect national competition. Both Austin postings with pay are open to other locations, so Austin candidates see offers from other cities.
Post your pay range. Few Austin structural postings do, so the ones that do stand out.

Need structural engineers in Austin?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place structural, civil and building engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 512.686.1181 or see our Austin engineering recruiters page.

Hire structural engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do structural engineers make in Austin?

BLS groups structural engineers with civil engineers, whose Austin median is $100,470. Posted Austin structural roles in 2026 ranged from $85,000 for an engineer with two years’ experience to $140,000 plus bonus for a senior PE.

Do structural engineers earn more in Austin or Houston?

Pay is about the same. The BLS civil engineer median, which includes structural engineers, is $100,470 in Austin and $100,950 in Houston. See our Houston structural engineer talent map.

Which structural engineering firms are in Austin?

They include Datum Engineers, Walter P Moore, Brockette Davis Drake, IMEG (formerly JQ) and TYLin (formerly Architectural Engineers Collaborative), plus firms hiring for industrial work such as AECOM, SSOE Group and Black & Veatch.

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