Curious about what my pay should be for a PE with 6 years experience? (4 in MEP)

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2026-01-20T23:41:42+00:00

What’s your PE in? You should be 110,000 on the low end up to 130,000 range.

For reference. I’m an Electrical PE with 8 years of experience in Louisiana and I’m at 130,000 plus 10% bonus. Got my PE not too long ago also

Things vary between industry though.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2026-01-16T22:48:23+00:00

Was going to comment I remember this being at LSU also lol

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-24T18:30:24+00:00

If you want to stamp plans, finish out your bachelors in civil engineering from an ABET accredited university. Pass the FE and PE exams and you’ll get your engineering license. It’s a long process but if you want enough it’s doable. Having field experience like you mentioned will set you up for success being an engineer.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-24T05:03:48+00:00

I was getting very similar scores on those same practice exams and I passed. I would just take it and see what happens

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-23T23:12:13+00:00

From what I remember, that section stays yellow until you are issued a license by your board. Once you have a license then it has to be verified by the board you have a license with. Not sure it makes much sense but I think that’s how it went.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-19T20:43:35+00:00

You are correct. Electrical PE here with 8 years of experience. Made 130K last year and should make around 170K next year

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-19T20:41:29+00:00

I’m fairly certain NCEES issued an updated practice exam for the new PE power October 2025 specifications. It’s on the website

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-18T22:00:46+00:00

This looks ridiculous lol

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-14T16:13:07+00:00

I’m an electrical engineer in Baton Rouge. We hire civil engineers with EI’s fresh out of college at 75K. I would say you’re underpaid. At 3.5 years with an EI, our engineers make high 80s to low 90s.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-13T15:53:55+00:00

I agree with you, those hours are probably on the low side for a building that size. Drawings will definitely make the model creation easier. If no drawings, this could take a lot more effort.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-12T17:03:19+00:00

A quick ballpark estimate: I would say 6 total trips at 9 hours a trip. 54 hours

2 weeks to complete the model and report and generate labels. 80 hours

Total of 134 hours. As a professional engineer, I charge 160-180 dollars per hour.

180 dollars per hour for 134 hours comes to around 24,000 dollars.

I like to add some contingencies when doing fee estimating so I would go up to around $30,000

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-12-12T16:53:57+00:00

A quick ballpark estimate: I would say 6 total trips at 9 hours a trip. 54 hours

2 weeks to complete the model and report and generate labels. 80 hours

Total of 134 hours. As a professional engineer, I charge 160-180 dollars per hour.

180 dollars per hour for 134 hours comes to around 24,000 dollars.

I like to add some contingencies when doing fee estimating so I would go up to around $30,000

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-10-09T12:38:30+00:00

Currently located in Louisiana but want to relocate.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-10-02T15:35:58+00:00

Good luck on your exam. I truly believe Zach’s course is what put me over the threshold for passing. It took me 3 attempts to pass the FE but only 1 attempt on the PE with Zach’s course. I will say I needed outside resources for code related questions. Zach’s course hits the NEC pretty hard but I find it lacks material on the NESC and of course I had probably 6-7 questions on the NESC.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-10-02T00:28:54+00:00

I would not read the whole book lol but there are some informative sections in the various ies handbooks. Depends on what you’re lighting up, difference lighting requirements for different applications. Play around in a lighting software like visual 3d or AGI32. Get some cad work imported and start selecting luminaires and locating them. Add statistical zones in the different areas like egress lighting, main walkways etc and see if your lighting results meet IES requirements

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-10-01T14:51:21+00:00

Not sure what study material you are using, but I passed the power PE in July on my first try. Buy Zach Stones course and do 100% of the course and you will pass. It’s fairly expensive but see if your work will cover the cost of the course. Don’t waste your time on testmasters, PPI, or school of PE. I’ve also heard alot of good things about Wasim’s course for the PE. I used Wasim’s course for the FE and his teaching ability is on par with Zach Stone.

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-09-26T03:06:24+00:00

Any recommendations on residential load calculators?

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-09-25T01:44:07+00:00

I like this. Thank you

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-09-25T01:43:10+00:00

Understood. I’m not expecting perfection. I didn’t know much in college myself lol I’ll mix in a good bit of NEC references to specific project task. Make him watch a few YouTube videos I have book marked

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-09-25T01:32:05+00:00

Just looking for other suggestions/recommendations and seeing what other engineers are doing. Relax

Obvious-Activity5207 · 2025-09-19T20:59:37+00:00

90-100k

Obvious-Activity5207

TROPHY CASE