Engineers, bonuses and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are boosting incomes

A substantial doubling of average incomes amongstfreelancers, rising from just over 32,000 euros in 2017 to around 62,000 euros in 2025. This figure, announced yesterday during the opening day of the 70th National Congress of engineers, illustrates the evolution of the profession over recent years. This trend has been shaped firstly by the period of building grants, and subsequently by investment in public works and the PNRR.

The figures relate to Inarcassa and income derived from self-employment. From this, it can be seen that the trend from 2017 to the present day has shown impressive growth. Between 2020 and 2023, in particular, there was a rise from around 34,000 euros in 2020 to 45,000 euros in 2021, then to 54,000 euros in 2022 and well over 62,000 euros in 2023. This sharp rise was subsequently followed by a stabilisation between 62,000 and 64,000 euros. In fact, from 2017 to the present, the increase has been 93 per cent. Almost a doubling. The CNI Research Centre estimates that in 2025, average incomes stood at exactly 62,341 euros.

The years between 2021 and 2023 were marked by the superbonus, which certainly had a massive impact. Afterwards, however, it was public investment and the NRRP that underpinned the activities of the engineers: ‘Professionals, particularly engineering specialists,’ say representatives from the CNI Research Centre, ‘have been able to capitalise on the opportunities created by the recovery in construction. More than the ‘superbonuses’ for the building sector – with their convoluted and controversial history – it has been investment in public works that has expanded the scope of operations for many professional firms, which have in fact strengthened their structures in recent years, albeit within specific limits.”

On the role of firms – the CNI continues – “many, having started out as one-person operations, have grown in size” and have become part of “broader collaborative networks than in the past”. Overall, engineers and architects working in the engineering and architectural services sector – that is, design, construction management and consultancy services – generate an annual turnover of close to 15 billion euros; this figure stood at 7.9 billion euros in 2019.

It should, however, be emphasised that, amongst Inarcassa members, there remain marked disparities between the age groups of professionals, as well as with regard to their geographical area of residence and gender. According to Inarcassa data, the average professional income for a man is €69,127, whilst that for a woman is €38,192, representing a gender pay gap of 43.8 per cent. No significant improvements have been recorded in recent years, as there is a lack of welfare measures that would enable women – particularly those in the 30–45 age group – to achieve a work-life balance.