Employee benefits for engineering firms,made easy.
85% of U.S. engineering firms have fewer than 20 employees.
You want great benefits for your team. You don’t have the time or the resources to get them.
That isn’t on you. For decades, the benefits industry has been built for big companies, and small businesses have been left to figure it out alone. Cakewalk was built for you.
How it works
You run your business. We handle the benefits.
Tell us about your business.
Start with your business name. We fill in what we can find. Connect payroll and your team comes with it.
Hundreds of options. One tailored package.
We compare hundreds of plans for your team. You get one package, priced and ready to adjust.
We get your team covered.
We invite your team. You see who has started. Each person gets help choosing. Everyone is covered.
Benefits admin. Off your plate.
New hires and departures sync from payroll. Each employee gets a benefits wallet. Their questions come to us, not you.
Your benefits team. On the house.
You pay for coverage. Insurance carriers pay us a commission, so we can handle everything from building your package to supporting your team year round, at no cost to you.
Engineering firms at a glance
Offering benefits at an engineering firm
Small firms compete with large ones for licensed engineers, often with staff out on project sites. Here’s what shapes a benefits plan for a firm like yours.
- of U.S. engineering firms have fewer than 20 employees
- 85%
- openings a year projected for civil engineers, 2025–2035
- 22,700
- of civil engineers work in engineering services
- 51%
Staff on out-of-state projects
If people work from project sites or live in other states, you can offer one plan with a multi-state or national network, or separate plans by state. Either way, the offer goes to every full-time employee in each location.
Partners on the plan
A partnership reports partners’ health premiums as guaranteed payments, and partners include them in income. A partner can usually deduct them personally, but not for any month they could join another subsidized plan, such as a spouse’s.
Sources: IRS Publication 541, Partnerships; IRS Form 7206 instructions
If you own the business through an S corporation
Premiums for an owner with more than 2% of an S corporation are deductible by the company and reported as wages on the owner’s W-2, but they aren’t subject to Social Security or Medicare tax. The owner may then be able to deduct them personally.
Source: IRS: S corporation compensation and medical insurance
The 30-hour line
Federal rules treat an employee who averages 30 or more hours a week as full time. A plan bought through the SHOP marketplace has to be offered to every full-time employee, but not to part-time staff.
Sources: IRS: identifying full-time employees; HealthCare.gov: who qualifies for SHOP
Benefits are your choice under 50
Employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees, counting full-time equivalents, aren’t subject to the federal requirement to offer coverage. Offering benefits is a decision you make for your team, not a mandate.
Source: IRS: applicable large employers
The small business tax credit
The federal credit can cover up to 50% of premiums for employers with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees and average wages under $68,200 in 2026, if you pay at least half of employee-only premiums and buy through the SHOP marketplace. Owners and their families don’t count toward the totals. SHOP plans aren’t offered everywhere, so check your state’s guide.
The whole benefits package.
Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and income protection. Built around your business and the people who power it.
Start with your team’s needs and your business’s budget. Explore medical coverage online, or work with a benefits advisor to understand your options and choose your next step.
Questions firm owners ask.
Yes. The partnership deducts partners’ premiums as guaranteed payments, and a partner can usually deduct them personally, but not for any month they could join another subsidized plan. The plan still needs at least one employee who isn’t an owner or partner.
Tell us about your firm.
We’ll follow up to learn about your business and walk you through your options. There’s no cost to work with us.
Prefer to start on your own?