The report highlights a distinct split in financial performance for 2025. While architectural firms experienced a notable strengthening in profitability, engineering firms maintained steady, consistent margins compared to previous cycles. The study tracks critical performance indicators, including utilization rates, billing multiples, and overhead expenses, to help firms navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.

Despite the ubiquitous adoption of AI—with 100% of architectural and 82% of engineering respondents utilizing the tools—the integration is currently limited to operational and marketing tasks. David M. Sullivan, Jr., Professional Services Practice Leader at PKF O'Connor Davies, noted that the data underscores both the resilience and the evolving operational challenges facing these sectors today. The full benchmarking data is available through the firm's official portal for industry participants.