Is CDM Smith a good company to work for as a Structural Engineer?

Structural Engineer professionals working at CDM Smith have rated their employer with 2.7 out of 5 stars in 19 Glassdoor reviews. This is a lower than average score with the overall rating of CDM Smith employees being 4.1 out of 5 stars. Search open Structural Engineer Jobs at CDM Smith now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Structural Engineer interview questions at CDM Smith .

Does CDM Smith pay Structural Engineer employees well?

Structural Engineer professionals rate their compensation and benefits at CDM Smith with 3.9 out of 5 stars based on 19 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is equal to the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Structural Engineer salaries at CDM Smith.

How happy are Structural Engineer professionals working at CDM Smith?

35% of Structural Engineer employees at CDM Smith would recommend their employer to a friend. This rating has decreased by 24% in the past 12 months. Structural Engineer professionals have also rated CDM Smith with a 2.6 rating for work-life-balance, 3.5 rating for diversity and inclusion, 2.1 rating for culture and values and 3.0 rating for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at CDM Smith?

Environmental Engineer (50) , Engineer (41) , Project Manager (31) , Structural Engineer (18) , GIS Specialist (16) , Senior Project Manager (16) , Environmental Engineer II (15) , Automation Engineer (13) , Intern (13) , Water Resources Engineer (12) , Administrative Assistant (11) , Civil Engineer (11) , Transportation Engineer (10) , Transportation Planner (10) , Environmental Engineering Intern (9)

What are the pros of working at CDM Smith according to real employee reviews?

"The people are great and very knowledgeable" ((in 81 reviews)); "The benefits are good and premiums are in par with industry standards." ((in 76 reviews)); "work life balance is good" ((in 40 reviews)); "Good culture and people at the firm" ((in 32 reviews)); "Competitive Salaries and multiple locations within the US." ((in 28 reviews))

What are the cons of working at CDM Smith according to real employee reviews?

"The upper management seems disconnected from regular employees." ((in 17 reviews)); "Project Managers are inundated with work" ((in 17 reviews)); "Different employment levels either mean you can charge overtime but no bonuses or vice versa." ((in 12 reviews)); "No leadership in the organization especially TSU delivery unit" ((in 11 reviews)); "Communication is getting better; don't like admin's having to use utilization hours because all the newer/younger engineers are doing their own work." ((in 9 reviews))

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CDM Smith

CDM Smith Structural Engineer reviews

2.7

35% would recommend to a friend

(19 total reviews)

Timothy B. Wall

39% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.0

Career opportunities

2.6

Work/Life balance

2.1

Culture & values

2.0

Senior management

Structural Engineer employees have rated CDM Smith with 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 19 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Structural Engineer professionals have an average working experience there. CDM Smith is rated 26% below average by Structural Engineer professionals compared to other employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

19 reviews

2.0

Jun 18, 2026

Flexible schedule and high pay, but little trust from seniors

Structural engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible hybrid schedule is very nice and starting salary is high for early career engineers.

Cons

The main people running the company are not engineers and you can tell. They are all focused on utilization with rates often set at 97% or higher. This had led to my supervisor asking/telling me to not charge company required trainings. As an early engineer it really feels like they don't want to invest in me and only care about their bottom line. If you are an early career structural engineer you will also not get any meaningful work until you've been with the company for at least 5 years. The senior engineers do not trust you and will only give you grunt work.

4.0

Nov 7, 2025

Great Company

Structural engineer i

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High paying, rewarding work, opportunity to grow

Cons

Some engineers were promoted to leadership because of years of experience and not because of leadership ability

CDM Smith Response

7mo

Thank you for sharing your review— we’re glad to hear that you find the work rewarding, enjoy the growth opportunities, and appreciate the compensation. We value your feedback and are happy that these aspects have made a positive impact on your experience.

1.0

Jun 14, 2025

A place focused on output, not learning/growth

Structural engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible work schedule, company does a good job sharing work between regions.

Cons

Overemphasis on utilization and being billable. 3 yrs vesting period for company paid 401k matching contributions where half of the match contributions are in company stock that you can’t sell to put into your actual 401k account. And those match contributions are only distributed once a year so you don’t get the advantage of compound interest on the matching contributions.

CDM Smith Response

11mo

We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and will keep your feedback in mind when making future decisions to keep us as a top-choice employer! It's great that you appreciated our flexible work schedule and collaborative efforts across regions.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 19 Reviews

Jobs at CDM Smith

Structural Engineer 1

Structural Engineer 3

Structural Engineer 5

Structural Engineer 8

Structural Engineer 5

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CDM Smith

CDM Smith Structural Engineer reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Flexible schedule and high pay, but little trust from seniors

Great Company

A place focused on output, not learning/growth

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CDM Smith reviews FAQs

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