Labor Rate Intelligence for Environmental & Infrastructure Consulting
A database of professional billing rates extracted from public contracts and normalized for deal teams, portfolio company executives, and market intelligence users. Benchmark pricing power, build acquisition model assumptions, and identify where firms are underpricing technical talent.
Designed for sponsors, operators, and market-intelligence teams.
Each public rate card is converted into a comparable record that supports underwriting, pricing strategy, and sector research.
PE Acquisition Underwriting
Use observed billing rates to test revenue assumptions and margin upside in a target-company model.
- Target rate vs peer median
- Blended billing-rate assumption
- Rate upside sensitivity: +3%, +5%, +10%
- Senior labor premium as pricing-power signal
Portfolio Company Benchmarking
Compare a portfolio company's rate card to regional and service-line peers to identify pricing leakage.
- Role-by-role market gap
- Annual escalation benchmark
- Underpriced senior talent screen
- Service-line premium analysis
Industry Market Intel
Track where public-sector buyers are paying premium rates across environmental, water, utility, and infrastructure advisory work.
- Service-line pricing dispersion
- Regional labor-scarcity indicators
- Advisory vs execution-heavy models
- Competitive positioning by firm
What the database surfaces.
Labor rates are one of the cleanest public signals of pricing power in environmental engineering and infrastructure consulting. Gaya Capital normalizes the raw exhibits into deal-relevant metrics.
Blended billing-rate calculator.
Illustrative tool for deal teams: adjust staffing mix to estimate blended hourly revenue and revenue per billable FTE.
Sample Staffing Mix
Database Fields
Sample Peer Benchmark
Highest-tier rates across selected public contracts, normalized to 2026E where applicable. Use this as a proxy for pricing power and specialty advisory premium.
| Firm & Context | Representative Role | Base Rate | 2026E Rate | Analytical Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDM Smith / CTRMAAustin, TX • 2024 Base | Highest LevelProject Principal / Senior Advisor | $397 2024 Base | $425 2026E | Premium infrastructure finance / toll-revenue advisory pricing. |
| Stantec / City of O'FallonMissouri • 2026 Base | Highest LevelExecutive / Senior Leadership | $337 2026 Actual | $337 2026 | Execution-heavy municipal engineering benchmark. |
| AECOM Palo AltoCalifornia • 2020 Base | Highest LevelPrincipal in Charge | $265 2020 Base | $326 2026E | Utility engineering and grid modernization rate premium. |
| Montrose GOAAOrlando, FL • 2024 Base | Highest LevelPrincipal | $246 2024 Base | $264 2026E | Environmental investigation / on-call consulting rate anchor. |
Rate-card records structured for analysis.
Each card keeps source metadata visible and turns rate schedules into normalized, queryable benchmarking data.
CDM Smith Inc.
| Labor Role | Experience | 2024 Base Rate | 2025 Normalized | 2026 Forecast | Use in Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Principal / Senior Advisor | 15+ yrs | $396.79 | Base + CPI $410.68 | 2026E $425.05 | Senior advisory / financing-grade review |
| Project Manager | 15+ yrs | $363.26 | Base + CPI $375.97 | 2026E $389.13 | Core project delivery leadership |
| Deputy Project Manager | 15+ yrs | $307.38 | Base + CPI $318.14 | 2026E $329.27 | PM support / delivery capacity |
| Engineer III | 15+ yrs | $251.49 | Base + CPI $260.29 | 2026E $269.40 | Senior technical production |
| Engineer II | 8–14 yrs | $195.60 | Base + CPI $202.45 | 2026E $209.53 | Mid-level technical labor |
| Engineer I | 1–7 yrs | $153.69 | Base + CPI $159.07 | 2026E $164.64 | Junior technical labor |
| GIS Analyst I | 0–8 yrs | $103.39 | Base + CPI $107.01 | 2026E $110.75 | Entry analytics support |
| Admin / Clerical | 1–5 yrs | $89.42 | Base + CPI $92.55 | 2026E $95.79 | Back office / contract support |
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
| Labor Role / Level | 2026 Rate | Role Band | Pricing Signal | Use in Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 21 — Executive / Senior Leadership | $337 | Executive | Top-end municipal engineering | Principal oversight / QA/QC |
| Level 20 — Executive Technical Leadership | $324 | Executive | Senior leadership premium | Expert review / client interface |
| Level 18 — Principal Engineer / Technical Authority | $302 | Principal | Technical authority rate | Senior engineering assumption |
| Level 16 — Associate / Program Manager | $285 | Program Manager | PM-heavy delivery | Program management layer |
| Level 14 — Senior Project Manager / Technical Lead | $223 | Senior PM | Core senior delivery | Project leadership |
| Level 13 — Project Manager / Senior Engineer | $212 | PM / Sr Engineer | Revenue engine | Blended-rate anchor |
| Level 10 — Senior Project Engineer / Geologist / Env Scientist | $183 | Technical Professional | Mid-band production | Technical labor input |
| Level 7 — Junior Admin / Project Engineer / GIS PM / CADD | $158 | Junior Professional | Leverage layer | Junior mix assumption |
| Level 4 — Field / Lab / GIS / Engineering Tech | $133 | Technician | Field cost base | Execution labor |
| Level 3 — Admin / CADD Tech / Stenographer | $119 | Admin / CADD | Lower bound | Support labor |
AECOM Technical Services, Inc.
| Labor Role | 2020 Base Rate | 2025 Normalized | 2026 Forecast | Service-Line Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal in Charge | $265.35 | CPI Comp $315.15 | 2026E $326.18 | High-end utility engineering / client leadership |
| Principal Structural Engineer | $244.71 | CPI Comp $290.64 | 2026E $300.81 | Grid / infrastructure specialization premium |
| Senior Electrical Engineer | $200.89 | CPI Comp $238.59 | 2026E $246.94 | Senior technical delivery rate |
| Electrical Engineer | $123.42 | CPI Comp $146.58 | 2026E $151.71 | Staff engineer production layer |
Montrose Environmental Solutions, Inc.
| Labor Role | 2024 Base Rate | 2025 Normalized | 2026 Forecast | Service-Line Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | $246.00 | Base + CPI $254.61 | 2026E $263.52 | Environmental consulting senior benchmark |
| Senior Engineer | $199.00 | Base + CPI $205.96 | 2026E $213.17 | Senior technical delivery |
| Senior Project Manager | $177.00 | Base + CPI $183.19 | 2026E $189.61 | PM delivery layer |
| Field Geologist | $88.00 | Base + CPI $91.08 | 2026E $94.27 | Field execution labor |
Turn rates into diligence questions.
Highest Principal Rate
Proxy for advisory premium, client trust, and ability to monetize senior technical judgment.
Mid-Level Engineer Rate
Best indicator of recurring project revenue because it represents the scalable production layer.
Principal-to-Junior Spread
Shows role-pyramid economics and whether the model is advisory-led or execution-led.
Overhead & Profit
When disclosed, converts billing rates into margin bridge assumptions and risk flags.