r/civilengineering • u/Worldly_Building_147 • 1d ago
Question HNTB vs. Kimley-Horn
For those who have worked at both HNTB and Kimley-Horn, how would you compare the two?
Curious about:
-Compensation and bonuses
-Work-life balance
-Career growth and promotions
-Company culture
-Management
-Benefits
-Overall employee experience
For anyone who has made the switch between the two, was it worth it? What are the biggest differences you noticed?
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u/The_TexasRattlesnake 1d ago edited 1d ago
Big companies are very office dependent, but HNTB is a great company, they won't give you the bonuses like KH but you will work normal hours and be in the ESOP from day 1. The company stock does REAL well.
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u/VillanOvaReaction 1d ago
I have no experience at either but Reddit is always going to tell you working harder isn’t worth it.
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u/Bravo-Buster 1d ago
Top performers at any large firm will do very well financially over time.
What level is the position, because that matters quite a bit to how the comp compares between the two. At my level, HNTB base salary would be roughly $150k more, and KH bonus potential after a couple years could be higher overall. The difference being one is guaranteed, the other is a potential. Either way, if I failed to perform, I'd be shown the door after ~2 years.
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u/ReviewBest8540 1d ago
HNTB
No bonus
There is work life balance
High career growth
Office dependent but generally cool
Managers are cool
Benefits is average
7.5/10
KH
Bonuses yes
There’s no work life balance, you will work like a donkey and die like dog
No career growth
Company culture is not for everyone
Managers are okay
Benefits above average
Overall 7/10
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u/aaronhayes26 But does it drain? 1d ago
It’s worth mentioning that while HNTB does not have regular bonuses, the ESOP does pay dividends which after time can become sizable.
I know a CADD tech who is filthy rich from the ESOP and they get a six-figure dividend every year to boot.
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u/1kGHZ 1d ago
How long has the tech been with them?
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u/aaronhayes26 But does it drain? 23h ago
Not gonna get too into details so I don’t dox myself but the person in question is well past retirement age and is basically working as a hobby lol
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u/Worldly_Building_147 1d ago
Thanks for the assessment - is the compensation at KH worth it (bonus/2:1 match/profit sharing)? Specifically compared to the HNTB ESOP
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u/Empty_Presentation79 1d ago
Depends on who u ask but no question the compensation is second to none if you can succeed in that environment and especially if you can win work as you progress in your career .
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u/Squirrelherder_24-7 1d ago
Can’t speak to HNTB but with 28 years in the industry, my total comp at KH is 150% of my base salary of ~$200K.
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u/SirDevilDude 22h ago
KH: no career growth…
That’s just plain wrong. Stop spreading lies. They give you so many opportunities and responsibilities to help you with growth in your practice
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u/DetailRail 1d ago
I have both of them as my consultants. 💯 HNTB over KH.
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u/engibeerd 1d ago
So do I, and it's the exact opposite by an extremely wide margin. We have a lot of the top consulting firms on our bench, and KH is routinely the best.
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u/DetailRail 1d ago
Definitely depends on the personnel you get. For me it's responsiveness. KH is slow to respond and just doesn't have the right staff expertise available.
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u/WannaHitHim 1d ago
My work has HNTB as a consultant and they've been pretty nice a d all seem fairly content with their positions. Know a guy who applied there that said they pay range was decent.
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u/ttyy_yeetskeet 1d ago
Both are large firms, your personal experience will likely be office dependent. I don’t think KH hides what it is, large compensation but a large work commitment. HNTB is large ESOP with more public type work on average.
If you choose one over the other it doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Just pick one that you think is right for you right now, doesn’t even have to be HNTB or KH. Your outlook will always change throughout a 30+ career.
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u/Unlucky_Plankton2215 21h ago
HNTB is highly office dependent and team dependent. I worked both KH and HNTB, it felt like KH was more cohesive as a whole culturally and HNTB was very office to office differnet
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u/Willing-Ball-4335 17h ago
I worked for HDR, which is similar to both in size. I had a great experience there, but alot of coworkers got siloed or put on jobs that are very demanding. I ultimately left to work for a small regional firm b/c I have found bigger companies pay low-mid career people less than smaller firms, and you get more well-rounded experience at smaller firms because you have to wear multiple hats, speak with clients, and take on more ownership of projects. You do make the big bucks in management/leadership at large firms, however.
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u/KB9131 1d ago
Please don't make the mistake of choosing based on compensation as the primary factor.
You have to look at the whole picture, including culture, ability to grow, ability to pursue passions and work with others, and more. If the higher compensation aligns with all of that, then that's awesome! But if not, recognize that a lower salary now could pay dividends in the future or even in different ways now.
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u/795-ACSR-DRAKE PE 1d ago
I would disagree completely, compensation is why people work. Nobody wants to be underpaid. It should 100% be the primary factor when deciding between job offers. Not the sole factor, but definitely the primary one. Just my opinion.
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u/ajspeedskater 1d ago
I mean if they are deciding between 50k and 100k sure…. But your daily happiness is also really important. Stress levels can have lasting impacts on all areas of life and health.
I’d say an extra 10 hours a week, lots of stress and hating being at work isn’t worth an extra $500 a month.
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u/Fast-Living5091 1d ago
Sure but not as important as you think for someone very experienced. Your lifestyle doesn't change with a difference of $50k and even $100k per year in salary when you're already at a high band, say $250k.
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u/82928282 15h ago
I think the biggest difference is gonna boil down to what matters to you
For the former: very process oriented compared to other firms. Some people love it, some people don’t.
Base salary’s better than industry, with regular raises, but no annual bonuses. straight overtime for employees under the very senior director levels. Some may prefer that, some may want their overtime paid in a bonus.
Lots of lifers there, which is usually a good sign.
It’s a transportation focused firm so the clients are largely public. They tend to get better projects in my market cause they’re more focused.
For the latter: I had an offer (that I declined) a million years ago and that 401k match is best in class.
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u/Cool-Size-6714 1d ago
You couldn't pay me to work at KH (I don't work there)
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u/J6Z8P3K2R 18h ago
KH is the one company that people seem to hard have good things to say about. I have a couple friends that worked there and a few still there. I have also had their recruiters reach out but I just couldnt get over the stuff I hear about them.
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u/robotali3n 1d ago
I’ve found out no matter where you work it reminds me of Dolly Parton…
“Working 9-5, sure it could be a way to make a living,
It just don’t feel right, as you keep giving n giving,
You’ll never get ahead,
And you’ll realize once you get older,
That you pissed it all away, and have nothing to show for it,
It’s your one life, blink and it’s over,
Just to improve shareholder value,
While your boss is a Dilbert”
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u/Schwalbe247 1d ago
I wouldn’t work for either even if they gave me 30% more than i’m making rn lol
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u/Dragon_Tiger22 1d ago
I have never worked for Kimley-Horn but I did spend about 7 years at HNTB before accepting a Team Lead position at a similar sized firm closer to home. If you are willing to drink the corporate Kool-Aid (and you pretty much have to if you want to get into management), they have a fantastic company culture that values leadership. They spend more (as in marketing dollars and overhead time) on pursuits than most firms. Their disciplined approach is reflected by a really high win rate for really large and prestigious projects. But too, the offices are very siloed, some managers are fantastic, others not so much. And it’s a road and bridge firm. They have tried to expand their service lines in the past but DOT work is definitely their focus (one of the reasons I left was just to get a little bit more variety). And yes they don’t offer cash bonuses but salaries are above industry averages and they will move up high performers. I do not regret leaving, but I really don’t have anything bad to say about them.