About the PACE Survey

PACE (an initiative by Aspect Personnel) is a not-for-profit, comprehensive study of businesses operating within Victoria’s built environment industries. Traditionally focussed on planning, architecture, construction and engineering; the report has grown to encapsulate project management and business support roles.

At the start of every year hundreds of contributing firms across Victoria anonymously complete the survey; providing company-specific data related to employee salaries, market conditions, and HR practices.

Once we collate all the data, we produce the annual PACE Survey report. PACE isn't your ordinary business report. We don’t make estimates or manipulate the results for a more favourable outcome. We call it as it is, so businesses can make better decisions and understand the current state of play in the market.

The other advantage is that the data is sourced direct from our industry – we ask engineering firms to provide data about engineering roles and architecture consultancies about market trends in the architecture space.

The result is an accurate in-depth, unbiased, market-led, and industry-specific report:

  • Market conditions and predictions for the year ahead

  • Up-to-date average salary level guide for over 360 industry related roles

  • Best practices for flexibility and benefits

  • Staff retention and turnover predictions​​

PACE history

Though the survey began in 2012, the project was a long time in the making. Already with years of experience recruiting in Victoria’s property and construction industry, Aspect’s consultants were often asked by clients for up-to-date market and salary information.

Instead of relying our own knowledge and what consultants thought to be true, we saw the opportunity to invite these businesses to anonymously share company-specific data related to employee salaries, market conditions, and HR practices.

The goal was to collate and analyse the data, producing a report that was both industry- and Victoria-specific.

Originally based on the PACE (Planning, Architecture, Construction, Engineering) industries as well as salary levels for surveying and business services and support roles, our 2019 edition grew to also include project management.

The charity element

PACE is, and always has been, a completely not-for-profit project. Every dollar raised from the distribution of PACE is donated to a different partner charity every year.

It’s our way of collaborating with the businesses we work with while satisfying one of Aspect’s core values of taking responsibility for the community around us.

We’re proud to say that, since 2012, we have raised over $100,000 for various local charities from the distribution of PACE.