[CoastalCoder]

> What prevents engineering firms from acting like law firms?

I wonder if it's harder to associate an employee's skill level with company profit.

If most lawyer companies have established hourly billing rates for each employee, then the owners can more clearly see an employee's true value to the company?

[chii]

and yet for software consulting firms, this billing hours are also done the same. Yet, you don't see the same level of compensation raises unlike with law firms.

I think it's true that Engineering is just mere "foot soldiers" and hence replaceable/dispensable as needed (as mentioned in another sibling comment here).